Making a Light Box, need some advice

Nyarthlopic

Hi all,

I'm looking to build my own light box (or light tent, if you prefer). I'm planning on pretty much following the plan in the link below. However, instead of using a cardboard box, I'm going to make mine out of wood (since I have the shop, may as well use it). The one thing I'm not positive about, though, is what material I should use to soften the light. The article gave a suggestion, but I'd like another opinion. The rest seems pretty solid.

I will be using constant lighting instead of setting up flashes. The light will be from any combination of the top and right and/or left right sides. The lights themselves will be pretty much what is in the article. The posterboard I plan to use is going to be white, but I plan to leave that unattached so I can swap it out as I wish. And depending on the subject, I may add some plexiglass at the bottom of the box, but again, not fastened.

Any thoughts on the best material to use to soften the light?

Link:
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent

gamb

I made mine out of PVC but that doesn't answer your question. I bought a white sheet from wally world and streched it over the PVC and then used clamps to keep it in place. Piece of poster board in the background and voila. Prob not the best in the world but seemed to work ok

ziggy53

If this is something that you plan to use a lot, or if you will use it for paying work, I highly recommend constructing a "product table" with a Plexiglas top, supports for draping the upper diffusion material, and using a "sweep" background under the table.

The simple box approach in the link you provided will work OK for small subjects. If you do go ahead with that design drafting vellum works very well for the diffusion material. I have also used some translucent shower curtain material. Parachute material can work as can some types of ripstop nylon. If you use a "cold" light source you can pretty much use anything translucent and without a color tone.

While daylight balanced compact fluorescent bulbs may work for some color work, it is not accurate enough color for critical color work. Another problem with compact 'flo' lights is that the light output is determined by the bulb and not easily varied. It does not lend itself to either control over light ratios or lighting creativity.

I do use daylight balanced compact fluorescent bulbs for non-color-critical work, but I make sure to use bulbs with a high CRI (Color Rendering Index). Of course, almost any bulb may work for B&W photography.

Art Scott

Saw the title and was impressed some one needed a lightbox for sorting transparencies.......then read
the first post to only be disappointed when I saw the "tent" reference.......Ah welll......Light box going
into the soon to be for sale storage area..................

Nyarthlopic

gamb, ziggy, thank you for the feedback. Very helpful! I don't think I'm ready for a product table...I'm very much a beginner trying to find my artistic direction. Once I figure out where I'm going with my photography, I may make a product table. If/when that happens, I'm sure I'll be asking for advice!

Art, sorry to disappoint! Good luck selling it!

lmyamen

One day I was bored and decided to make a lightbox for the heck of it. I just used a cardboard box and cut out the openings for the lights. To soften the light i just used a really light weight white tissue type paper. Works great for me, obviously i would'nt take this on any paid shoot but its fun at home to play around with.

nevermind the dishes in the sink haha

divamum

Parachute/ripstop nylon, available at most fabric stores, works beautifully. It's not expensive, it's more durable than paper, and it provides nice diffusion.

rpcrowe

I agree with Ziggy regarding the product table if you do a lot of paying work and if you have the space to leave it set up. However, I neither shoot a lot of work with the tent, nor do I desire to have a table set up for product photography. I use a commercially (eBay) available folding tent which gets put away when I am not using it...

This tent collapses like an auto windshield shade which makes it worth a few dollars as far as I am concerned. It also has backgrounds of various colors. IMO eighteen bucks including shipping is not a bad price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-20-50cm-Studio-Photography-Light-Tent-Box-Kit-/120624611123?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c15c97f33

There are various sizes and types of tents available on eBay:

http://photography.shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=tent&_sacat=79007&_odkw=&_osacat=79007&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313