01 · HANDWOVEN COTTON
Weave you can count.
Flat front light erases the weave and the uneven threads that make it handmade.
Where the light goesLight low and to the side, so it rakes across the weave.
Photograph Material as It Feels with Sol 30W
MATERIAL · SOL 30W
Photograph material
as it feels.
Cotton, leather, copper and glaze, lit with one Sol 30W. How to light each one so the photo matches the material — and why a CRI number alone isn’t the promise.
CRI 96 · TLCI 96 · 6.3 IN DIFFUSED SURFACE · 2700K–10,000K
IN ONE ANSWER
Is CRI 96 enough to photograph materials accurately?
It is the starting point, not the whole answer. Harlowe Sol 30W measures CRI 96 and TLCI 96, so it renders colour closely under test. What ends up on a product page also depends on the camera’s white balance and the edit. That is why we set white balance in camera, keep the frame straight out of camera, and list every edit.
- Colour rendering
- CRI 96 · TLCI 96, both kits
- White range
- 2700K–6500K Standard · 1700K–10,000K Spectra
- Light surface
- 6.3 in, continuous, integrated diffusion
- Best for
- Fabric, leather, metal and ceramic on a tabletop
FOUR MATERIALS
What each material
asks of the light.
Each material fails in a different way under poor light. Here is what goes wrong, and where we put Sol 30W to keep it true.
02 · LEATHER
Grain without the plastic shine.
Hard light turns the surface into one glare spot, and the wrong white shifts the tan.
Where the light goesLight higher and further off-axis, the diffused surface kept close for a soft highlight.
03 · COPPER
A warm metal that stays warm.
Small, hard sources leave hot pinpoints and cold grey mid-tones along the curve.
Where the light goesLight close, so the round surface reads as one smooth highlight along the curve.
04 · TEA WARE
Glaze depth, and the rim.
A glaze mirrors the light as a white disc; dark glazes go muddy.
Where the light goesLight behind and above, a white card in front to fill the body of the piece.
HOW WE SHOOT IT
The number, and the
conditions behind it.
Sol 30W measures CRI 96 and TLCI 96. That tells you how the light renders colour under test. It doesn't tell you how your camera, your white balance or your edit will treat it — so we record all three for every photo.
- White balance set in camera to the light's colour temperature, not fixed in the edit.
- The raw frame is kept as it came off the card, marked "Straight out of camera".
- Every edit on the final is listed. No colour grading on material shots.
THE LINE WE RECORD FOR EVERY IMAGECamera: [body] · Lens: [lens] · Light: Sol 30W at [CCT] K, [brightness] % · White balance: set in camera to [K] · Edit: [none / exposure +x / crop only]
CRI 96 · TLCI 96COLOUR RENDERING2700K–6500KSTANDARD · 1700K–10,000K SPECTRA6.3 inDIFFUSED EMITTING SURFACE0–100%CONTINUOUS DIMMING
SOL 30W
Choose the white you work in.
| Choose it if | You shoot products and materials in neutral white light. | You also match warm interiors, candlelight or cool daylight, or add colour. |
|---|---|---|
| White light | 2700K–6500K | 1700K–10,000K |
| Colour | — | RGBCW, 36,000 colours, full HSI control |
| CRI / TLCI | 96 / 96 | 96 / 96 |
YOUR SOL 30WStandard Kit$249
Shop Sol 30W — Standard
QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Before you
light the table.
What is the CRI of the Harlowe Sol 30W?+
Sol 30W is rated CRI 96 and TLCI 96. The product page lists the same rating for the Standard Kit and the Adele Chan Spectra Creator Kit.
What colour temperature range does Sol 30W cover?+
The Standard Kit runs 2700K–6500K. The Adele Chan Spectra Creator Kit runs 1700K–10,000K and adds RGBCW colour with full HSI control. Both dim continuously from 0–100%.
How do you light fabric or leather so the texture shows?+
Place the light low and to the side so it rakes across the surface; flat front light hides weave and grain. A diffused source such as Sol 30W’s 6.3 in surface keeps the highlight soft instead of a single glare spot.
Why set white balance in camera instead of fixing it later?+
Matching the camera’s white balance to the light’s colour temperature means the raw frame already shows the material’s real colour, so the edit only has to adjust exposure or crop.
Which Sol 30W kit is better for product photography?+
For neutral white-light product work, the Standard Kit ($249) covers 2700K–6500K. Choose the Adele Chan Spectra Creator Kit ($399) if you also match warm interiors or cool daylight, or add colour.
Shooting on location? One Hour on Location covers runtime and what's in the box · Sol 30W — full product page · Color temperature chart
SOL 30WFrom $249
CHOOSE KIT
