How to build a $10 light box.

[dannzeman]

I take a lot of photos of my pens, both to sell and to catalog. One of the most frustrating things about taking pictures is getting a clear, crisp picture with great lighting free of blown out highlights and shadows that hide detail. One simple, and cheap solution is to make your own light box.

To start, find a cardboard box of at least 12" per side. The larger the box the better as it will help create a more evenly lit environment. Use tracing paper to diffuse the light coming in. Simply cut out the sides of the box but make sure to leave enough to make the box stable and allow something to tape the tracing paper to.
Next, I cut off two of the flaps, usually the top and bottom, and leave the sides. If you want, you could probably leave the bottom flap so you don't have to use the extra sheet of paper shown in my pictures.
After you remove the top flap tape some paper to the inside of the remaining flaps to help reflect light to the front of your subject.
I also use a large sheet of paper and tape it to the top of the back panel and let it act as a back drop for the subject.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t43/dannzeman/FPG/TueFeb16111840CST2010.jpg

For lighting I use two 60 watt lamps on each side of the box. I got the lamps at Home Depot for about $18 each (including bulbs). I taped tracing paper over the lamps to help diffuse the light even more. I noticed this really helped to reduce some of the hot spots I was getting. You can use lamps that you already have, just make sure they have the same bulbs in them so one side isn't brighter than the other and to keep color temperature the same.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t43/dannzeman/FPG/TueFeb16112205CST2010.jpg

The final step is setting up the camera. I highly suggest the use of a tripod with a remote release. I shoot at ISO 100 at f/6 - f/12 which can result in a 1+ second exposure time, so a tripod and remote release are mandatory. If you don't have a remote release or you use a point-and-shoot you can put the camera in time delay mode. Time delay causes the camera to take the picture after so many seconds (usually 5-10sec) after you've pushed the shutter release.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t43/dannzeman/FPG/TueFeb16112124CST2010.jpg

Some experimentation will be required depending on your environment and equipment, but this is a good starting point.
The biggest difference I find that the light box makes is helping to reduce blown out highlights, reducing shadows made by the object you're photographing, and creating a more evenly light subject. Here are a few before and after shots so you can see what I mean.
Before:
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t43/dannzeman/FPG/_MG_0549.jpg
After:
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t43/dannzeman/FPG/_MG_0548.jpg
Before:
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t43/dannzeman/FPG/_MG_0551.jpg
After:
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t43/dannzeman/FPG/_MG_0547.jpg
Before:
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t43/dannzeman/FPG/_MG_0553.jpg
After:
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t43/dannzeman/FPG/_MG_0546.jpg

[bardolator]

I don't really have anything else to say but "WOW." I looked at the pictures and thought, "Which one would I want to buy?"

Great directions; thanks.

[bdpatton2]

Dan I love you man, you're such a geek, and I aspire to be just like you. I want to make a lightbox just because it'd be fun to shoot still shot of random objects. Hope all is well, tell K-Dizzle (Keysha or Keisha, whichever, sorry i don't know by now) I said hi. Miss you guys.

[dannzeman]

Dan I love you man, you're such a geek, and I aspire to be just like you. I want to make a lightbox just because it'd be fun to shoot still shot of random objects. Hope all is well, tell K-Dizzle (Keysha or Keisha, whichever, sorry i don't know by now) I said hi. Miss you guys.

For some reason I feel the need to let you all know that bdpatton is my cousin. And my wife's name is kisha, btw.

Sent from my htc HERO using Tapatalk

[eriquito]

Ah, he's your cousin! He knows you personally and has seen you in real life!

That explains his ginger comment.

Eric
Son of Ragnar

[Roger3]

Now what kind of excuse can I offer for my amazing (amazing as in how could he have done that?) I know that pen can't look that bad!) photo work. =) Thanks for the info. Just putting together the box and plugging lights into socket will likely take me several weeks...but I hope to get it all worked out by end of summer this year....really!

[mattjs]

This idea is bloody brilliant!

[rebecca520]

Thanks for the info. Just putting together the box and plugging lights into socket will likely take me several week

[OcalaFlGuy]

Here is another even cheaper option.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VcEh_Q0H1Hg/TPP0rpmOgTI/AAAAAAAABuw/YsoCFaHBmpk/s400/112910_13211.jpg

It's about a 20" squarish Rubbermade style storage box from Wal-Mart. Be sure and get the whitest translucent one.
That's about $5. I lined the top, bottom and back of the inside with a section of .50 white posterboard. I line the
sides with one layer of white tracing paper. The advantage here is no extra lights are needed. Take it outside and
use God's light. Direct sunlight with the sun just past overhead to the rear of the box is best followed by mostly
cloudy. The box and tracing paper will diffuse the sunlight.

You'll get something like this. (Hope these pics come across, I'm trying to link to Picasa the same way I do on FPN.)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-33DSVYk-nR4/TjBkC3DqAiI/AAAAAAAACEM/RHvkFzIkLD0/s400/D4.jpg

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[etoyoc]

For those of you who have the time and are interested, there is a free workshop coming up on table top photography:

http://www.creativelive.com/courses/product-photography-don-giannatti

4 days of streaming:
Workshop Starts:
Thu, 6/21/2012 at 9AM
Duration: 4 days from 9AM - 4PM (America/Los_Angeles)

If you can't watch it live, you can pre-puchase the rights to stream at your leisure after the workshop is completed. My wife is streaming a smartflash workshop and appears to be happy with the workshop.

I haven't decided if I want to purchase streaming rights, but I will probably try to watch it live - if I can handle an 8 hour a day workshop...

[KrazyIvan]

I find cloudy days and no box work pretty good. The cloudy days are just hard to come by in the "Sun City".

[Jeph]

I finally got around to trying my hand at a light box like this.

One 16x16x16 inch box, some 90# office paper, glue stick, duct tape, scissors, a sheer curtain I got at the thrift store for $2 and a couple of desk lamps. I double layered the curtain on the sides with a single layer on the top, with some leftover curtain in the bottom of the box. I expect that I will tweak it some more but so far it is not too bad. Please excuse the clutter.
4139

[Annie]

Here's mine. Couldn't find a pretty pen to photograph so used what was to hand. Obviously, aubergines are not essential to the construction.

4253

[KrazyIvan]

The light tent I have used does not rely on a box and is made entirely of paper. It is loosely based on this post: http://www.jimmyamerica.com/blog/tutorials/build-your-own-light-tent/ but a little more refined. I am not finding the link to the one I used but I'll update it if I find it. I don't really have space for the tent to be setup or stored so I have to make them as I need them or just forgo the tent and use a south facing window that I have installed a vinyl film that simulates frosted glass. I found the film at my local big box hardware store. Something like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/17216171?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227000000000&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=21486607510&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=19880599990&veh=sem

Here is the light tent itself:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b211/KrazyIvan526/400009.jpg (http://s20.photobucket.com/user/KrazyIvan526/media/400009.jpg.html)

and a sample picture with only the use of one lamp (not color corrected). I have obtained more lamps since then but it is a pain to set them up just to take them down again. Just one more reason to use the window and frosted glass film.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b211/KrazyIvan526/400008.jpg (http://s20.photobucket.com/user/KrazyIvan526/media/400008.jpg.html)

[Jon Szanto]

Here's mine. Couldn't find a pretty pen to photograph so used what was to hand. Obviously, aubergines are not essential to the construction.

4253
All I could think of was "those plum Parker 51s really look like eggplant when you hold the barrel up to the light!" I hope you made a nice dinner of that! :)

[Jon Szanto]

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b211/KrazyIvan526/400008.jpg
zOMG - MD!

[KrazyIvan]

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b211/KrazyIvan526/400008.jpg
zOMG - MD!

Yes. In some circles I am also the Minidisc or Audio Sith Lord. :D

[Inginkpen]

Thanks to everyone for all the helpful hints for pen photography!

[Chi Town]

Pretty neat, for 10.00