Help on DIY Product Photogtaphy Table

PhotoByLeal

Hello,

I went to a Studio Garage Sale and could not pass up the sale on a piece of Frosted Plexiglass 6 ft x 4 ft for $20!

Now the magical question, HOW do I build a Product Photography Table?
Something easy to put up and tare down?

If you have any thoughts, suggestions or websites links that would be GREAT!

thanks....

ziggy53

Part of the answer depends on the thickness and stiffness of the plexi, where you want to site the table and whether you want it open-backed or fully framed.

PhotoByLeal

It's thin about 1/8 for the thickness...... I can bend the Plexiglass.
I want to be able to light the table from the bottom and back..

thanks...

ziggy53

A typical application for a product shooting table involves the use of a "sweep" background, which is still fairly important even with a frosted top. If you intend to shoot product at an angle which includes the rear edge of the table, it saves quite a bit of time to make the back open so that when you do the background removal it's easier to select the background or easier to see the product edge.

If you're only shooting down on the product, or at an angle which does not include the back edge, or if you are not doing background removal, then a full frame may be used to support the plexi.

Some years ago, I was allowed to specify and build a DIY product table using a 4' x 8' x 3/16" (I think) sheet of transparent plexi. We used 3/4"square tubing to build the frame and welded all of the connections. I specified an open back design and we used screw fasteners, recessed into the plexi and the frame was drilled and threaded to accept the screws. The frame had been assembled and welded slightly "sprung" open to tension the plexi top (to keep it taught). Since the back was open I also had an acrylic rod for the back to help horizontally tension the plexi and (alternately) a very thin vertical metal prop-rod could be used to help support the back edge.

Unfortunately a table of that size was not practical to build as a folding design, so we used casters attached to the bottom to make the table movable. I did see a smaller design that hinged to a wall and used a simple frame for the plexi and then some folding legs to support the outer edge.

I typically lit products with 4 studio flash monolights; key, fill and 2 for the background.

Altogether we saved around 60 percent over the cost of a commercially available table of the same size.

PhotoByLeal

thanks Ziggy.

Osprey

Try this
This site has some instructions using PVC Pipe as a frame.

http://dizzydougtv.com/2010/03/diy-photography-lightbox/

Good luck!

PhotoByLeal

Osprey wrote: »

This site has some instructions using PVC Pipe as a frame.

http://dizzydougtv.com/2010/03/diy-photography-lightbox/

Good luck!

thanks for the link, but I need something that can fit a 6ft piece of plexiglass and light from the bottom. Nice concept!