Industry
Commercial Photography and Advertising
Reference capture for stills that later carry CG product elements
Reference capture in this field is judged by one thing: whether the CG element ends up sitting in the plate. Everything below is written around that.
Pain Points
- Retouchers rebuild reflections by hand because no reference was shot
- Product renders do not match the studio lighting in the plate
- Grey references made of card do not describe light from behind the product
What These Crews Need
- A small ball that can sit inside a product set
- A colour check chart in the same frame as the reference
- Fast delivery on jobs booked at short notice
- A clean mirror surface that does not distort the studio lighting
Typical Scenarios
Where the Ball Actually Comes Out of the Case
- Studio product stills with CG variants added later
- Automotive advertising with CG wheels or trim
- Packshots that need a matching CG environment
- Campaign shoots delivering both photography and CG
Recommended Ranges
Sizes That Suit This Work
7 products
25cm VFX Balls
Full size chrome and grey spheres for wide plates and stock delivery
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12.6cm VFX Balls
12.6cm VFX Ball Kit Chrome and Grey Ball
Two-ball HDRI reference kit in a hard case for crews that move every hour
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25cm VFX Balls
25cm Single VFX Ball Half Mirror and Half Grey
The large split sphere for wide plates, on a 1/4 UNC thread
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12.6cm VFX Balls
12.6cm HDRI VFX Ball Chrome and Grey Ball Kit
The HDRI stills kit for crews that capture chrome and grey in the same frame
View productRelated Guides
Reading for This Field
Guide
Chrome Ball and Grey Ball Compared
A chrome ball records the environment, a grey ball records how that environment exposes. Why VFX crews shoot both and what 18 percent reflectivity means.
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Guide
Choosing a VFX Ball Size for Your Lens
How to pick between 12.6cm, 20cm and 25cm reference balls based on lens length, set size and how the kit has to travel.
Read moreFAQ
Commercial Photography and Advertising FAQ
Which ball size suits commercial photography and advertising
Most crews in this field work with the 12.6cm VFX Balls range. The choice comes from how far the camera sits from the reference.
Can you supply more than one unit at once
Yes. Tell us how many units you are equipping and we will quote matched balls so references stay consistent between them.
What is the delivery time
Stock 10 inch balls ship in 7 to 8 days. Everything else dispatches as soon as it is ready, within 15 days in the worst case.
Do you supply a colour chart
A colour check chart is included with the 12.6cm two ball kits. Ask us if you want charts quoted with other products.
Reference Balls for Commercial Photography and Advertising
Describe the unit and the lens range and we will tell you which size and finish fits, before you order.