There is very little daytime in winter, which often creates a challenge for using natural sunlight for product photography . I’ve recently had a client for whom I had to create an image as if it was shot during the day with a window in the background - the challenge: shoot it after sunset.

I knew right away that I needed to place a speed light outside the window. Windows are great for getting soft light but in this case it wouldn’t be enough. I have a large piece of white fabric which I often place between the lights and the subject but I wanted to try something new this time - baking paper. I heard a few times before from fellow photographers about this 'hi-tech technology’ (can you sense my sarcasm 😃 ) and I thought it was a perfect opportunity for me to try it myself. 

The process was quite simple: I taped the baking paper (I guess it’s also called parchment paper) to the window and I placed the speedlight in the softbox outside. I was worried at first that the light would be not only too directional but also too harsh but it actually turned out pretty well I think.