I have no special studio equipment or lights, and so was using what I had to hand. (I have ordered some cheap gear from a chinese company who I do a little promotional work for, but it hasn’t arrived yet). As such, my light sources were weak and unable to cast significant light from any distance. This being the case, I was unable to see the effect, on shadows, of moving the lamps further away.
Nevertheless, I was able to see how the positioning and use of multiple light sources has a dramatic effect on the look of an object.
I have concluded that a light source directly in front of the object doesn’t look good at all, while having the light from one side balance out the light from the opposite side doesn’t look much better.
Two light sources, one stronger than the other, from different angles, seems to produce the most interesting images. In this way, it’s possible to create a sense of balanced depth. There are shadows, but they aren’t overstated.
My attempt to alter the colour of the light was largely ineffectual, but it did alter the atmosphere very slightly. I’m sure proper colour gels on proper studio lighting could be very useful.
Photos Things & Stuff 