Incident Angles & The Importance of Shaping Your Subject
In this post I’ll outline some simple, but powerful tricks to help advance your imagery and although they’re samples from product shoots - they will translate to anything else. Portrait, automotive, interiors, etc.
Now let’s lay the foundation… lighting is complex, but once you understand the elements it becomes quite simple. Whether you’re photographing people, products, interiors, cars…. it all applies.
Angle of incidence is a principle that most amateurs, budding photographers, or even some professionals may not grasp yet. My goal is to explain it in a simple way for you to implement into your shoots moving forward.
You can almost think of your subject as a mirror - and a fun trick is to place a small mirror in front of your subject (best used for product) and if you’re seeing the light in the mirror’s reflection from your camera then you will end up with a glare on your subject… especially if it’s a shiny or metallic surface.
In photography, angle of incidence refers to the direction and angle at which light hits a subject, and it’s most often discussed when talking about lighting, reflections, and surface texture.
A simple rule to remember:
Angle of incidence = angle of reflection
Meaning: If light hits a surface at a certain angle, it will bounce off at the same angle in the opposite direction.
So what does this really mean and why is it important for photographers?
1. Controlling Reflections
This is huge for product, food, and commercial photography.
If a light source hits a shiny surface (glass, metal, packaging) at a shallow angle, the reflection will bounce directly toward the camera.
If you move the light higher, lower, or sideways, you change the angle of incidence and therefore where the reflection goes.
That’s why moving a light just a few inches can make glare disappear.
2. Shaping Texture and Creating Depth
The angle at which light hits a surface affects how texture appears:
Low angle of incidence (side light) → emphasizes texture, wrinkles, details
High angle of incidence (front/top light) → flattens texture, smoother look
This is why side lighting is used for:
Food
Fabric
Packaging embossing
Architectural details
3. Specular vs Diffuse Highlights
Specular surfaces (glass, plastic, polished metal): reflections are very predictable based on angle of incidence.
Diffuse surfaces (paper, skin, matte packaging): light scatters more, so the angle matters less but still affects contrast and mood.
Simple real-world example
If you’re photographing a glass bottle:
Light directly in front → reflection bounces straight back into camera (harsh glare)
Light moved to the side → reflection bounces away from camera (clean label)
Camera placed where the reflection lands → intentional highlight or “hero” spec
Why it matters (especially for your work)
For high-end commercial/product imagery, mastering angle of incidence lets you:
Eliminate unwanted glare
Place highlights exactly where you want them
Control mood, contrast, and perceived quality
Make reflective products look premium instead of cheap
As shown in my example here, the light on the product looks good, however, since we are shooting in a white studio - the white is reflecting back into the subject, giving it a flatter look and lacking contrast. This indeed is incident angle - but it refers to the environment that your subject is in (especially with this product having a reflective surface).
In this frame, I’m adding in black cards to better shape the product and adding contrast back into it. This helps make the product “pop” and really stand out in the scene. Client LOVED this!
Since I’m shooting on a camera stand (a really beefy tripod) - I can easily paint in the black sides on the product.
Hopefully you found some key takeaways from this post and can implement them into your next shoot!