Lighting Special Lighting Techniques There are several special lighting techniques you can use. Tent Lighting Tent lighting is used for highly reflective subjects such as coins or other metallic subjects. The subject is effectively enveloped by a white translucent tent through which light is shone. Tent-style units are now sold for photographing small products for advertising items on Web sites such as eBay, but for many small subjects you will need smaller tents. White translucent plastic coffee cups with the bottoms removed, or white Perspex translucent lampshades are very useful (available in most furniture or lighting stores), though you can also construct one from tracing paper. When working with the Canon MP65 lens, because the distance between lens and subject is so small, I often attach a collar around the front of the lens