Photographing a porcelain leaf with backlighting
A porcelain leaf asks for a photograph that can hold two truths at once: its fine, pale surface and the hidden structure revealed when light passes through it. The ceramic sculptures and decorative plates in Amelia Johannsen’s Barcelona-based practice draw on Pacific Northwest forests and Mediterranean coastlines, so a close study of one leaf can express both the making and the mood of the wider collection.
Backlighting creates a luminous rim, makes thin areas glow, and lets raised veins read as a graphic map. It can also exaggerate every fingerprint, crack, bubble, or uneven edge. The goal is an accurate record of how the porcelain behaves in the hand and catches the light, rather than an artificially perfect object.
For makers in Australia, natural light is often the first thought, but the sun’s position and intensity differ sharply across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. A north-facing window may be useful in one room and blinding in another, while summer glare can overpower a pale glaze. A repeatable LED setup will usually produce a more consistent image for a workshop archive, an Instagram post, or an online sale.
Build a controlled light chamber
Choose either a flat-lay arrangement, with the leaf resting on clear acrylic above a diffused LED panel, or an upright setup with the panel facing the camera through the leaf. In both cases, place black card beside the light to shape the edges. Keep the source large enough to cover the leaf evenly, but move it slightly farther away when a visible hot spot appears. Small stands or removable supports can hold the piece without pressing fragile tips.
Australian homes and studios commonly run 240-volt appliances on Type I plugs, so check that the lamp and extension lead carry suitable Australian compliance markings and show no damaged insulation. A qualified electrician should correct any wiring issues. If you are moving to a weekend stall, pack a compact panel, cable clips, and a black card rather than depending on the venue’s mixed lighting. Examples of Johannsen’s leaf-based forms can be viewed through Amelia Creations, giving you a useful sense of scale and silhouette before the shoot.
Shape the glow across the leaf
Begin with the light directly behind the centre of the leaf, then move it 10 to 30 degrees to one side. Direct backlight produces a clean halo; an angled source reveals more surface modelling and gives one edge greater depth. A narrow strip is useful for tracing a central vein, while a broader panel creates an even wash through the whole piece. Make a test frame at each angle and rotate the leaf rather than chasing brightness with exposure alone.
Distance changes the character as much as size does. A closer source gives stronger contrast and a sharper rim, while a farther source spreads the glow and softens shadows. Black foam board can restore definition when the leaf begins to merge with its surroundings. Looking at visual work such as Gestalt Projects can also widen your ideas about silhouette, repetition, and negative space before you choose surrounding props.
Set exposure for translucent porcelain
On a tripod, switch to manual exposure, set ISO 100, and choose an aperture around f/8 or f/11 when the leaf lies flat. Use the camera’s histogram display to protect the glowing edge from clipping, then refine the shutter speed until the veins retain detail. Lock the white balance under the same light you will use for the final image, and shoot RAW so colour and highlight recovery remain flexible.
A phone can make a convincing first record, but clean the lens, disable the flash, and avoid a long exposure that turns the leaf into a moving double image. Night mode may reinterpret the translucency as blur, so daylight and a stable support are preferable. Before adjusting anything else, pause for the slower observation described in Amelia’s guide to clay and mindfulness; it is a practical reset against making a technically polished image with little visual feeling. Finish with a short bracket so the edge, body, and darkest vein all have usable exposures.
Compose for close detail and wider sales images
Shoot a master frame first, then make deliberate variations: one straight down, one at roughly 45 degrees, and one close enough to show the edge thickness and brush marks. A single leaf may look flat from above, so lower the camera until the lit edge separates from the background. Leave controlled negative space for cropping, and include a small familiar object only when it explains scale. Compare the restraint of the arrangement with Oh That Emily for a different visual vocabulary before adding ribbons, stones, or dried foliage.
At weekend craft and design markets in Melbourne and Sydney, stallholders and buyers often check work on a phone before pausing at a display. A square image and a vertical 4:5 crop can therefore be useful companions to the landscape master. Keep the colour faithful, show the actual edge profile, and photograph any glaze variation honestly. Under the Australian Consumer Law, a representation of goods for sale must not mislead, so retouching should not conceal a chip, repaired crack, or different base shape. Save the unedited files as evidence of the piece photographed.
Edit the glow without losing ceramic character
Start with the RAW file and a neutral camera profile, then set white balance against a neutral reference rather than chasing maximum warmth. Lower highlights around the brightest rim, add modest midtone contrast to reveal veins, and use a small amount of negative clarity to keep the glaze from looking like plastic. Avoid heavy texture, oversharpening, and local colour changes that make the porcelain appear unlike the physical object. Compare the edited result with the leaf under daylight at the end of the session.
Export one carefully corrected master for the archive, plus versions sized for Instagram and a craft marketplace. If the leaf still lacks translucency, return to the setup and check the source distance, diffusion, and angle; editing cannot recover detail that was clipped in the original file. If the glow looks uneven, place the panel slightly farther back and darken the surroundings. Clean fingerprints with a soft dry cloth between setups, and label each frame with the leaf, light position, and exposure settings.
Set up one simple test before a full collection shoot: a clean support, one diffused light, a tripod or stable phone stand, and a black background card. Photograph the same leaf straight on and at a slight angle, then compare which version communicates its thickness and veining most clearly. That test will reveal the settings and styling suited to your own porcelain forms.
Explore Amelia Johannsen’s available and sold work, follow the studio on Instagram, and subscribe to the mailing list for new releases and pottery workshop dates. Hands-on clay sessions, including experiences with wine and tapas, offer a practical setting to observe how glazes and fine forms respond to light.