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DIY Light Box
Instead of saving *all* of my kids' artwork, I decided to take pictures of them. I realized that I would need some sort of controlled lighting to make them look good and vaguely consistant. I also wanted it to be cheap, and completely collapsible.
Items needed:
Card Table
Kitchen Table
Big Piece of White Paper (for backdrop)
Binder Clips
Painter's Blue Tape
White Sheet
Clip-on Lamp(s)
OPTIONAL: Black sheet/pillowcase
First, open up the card table and place it on the kitchen table (or some other suitable surface)
Next use binder clips to attach the piece of large paper to the card table. The paper I used was for a large format plotter. I'm sure there are a lot of alternatives.
Next, use a little bit of blue tape to attach the paper to the ends of the card table legs. You can adjust the paper curve as you like it.
Drape the white sheet over the card table to make a nice diffusing surface.
Attach clip-on lights where desired to illuminate the box. I have one on each side.
(I guess the chandelier is optional, too!)
Setup your camera on a tripod and place the object to be photographed into the box
Look at your results, and adjust the lights as needed
(OPTIONAL) If you need to photograph a predominantly light colored object, use some blue tape to attach a black pillowcase to the backdrop.
That's it! Setup time is minimal, especially after you've done it once or twice. And it can be broken down and folded up quickly, too.
It's not perfect. But it's given me "good enough" results for my targets. Here's a gallery of some of my 2-year-old's art.
Items needed:
Card Table
Kitchen Table
Big Piece of White Paper (for backdrop)
Binder Clips
Painter's Blue Tape
White Sheet
Clip-on Lamp(s)
OPTIONAL: Black sheet/pillowcase
First, open up the card table and place it on the kitchen table (or some other suitable surface)
Next use binder clips to attach the piece of large paper to the card table. The paper I used was for a large format plotter. I'm sure there are a lot of alternatives.
Next, use a little bit of blue tape to attach the paper to the ends of the card table legs. You can adjust the paper curve as you like it.
Drape the white sheet over the card table to make a nice diffusing surface.
Attach clip-on lights where desired to illuminate the box. I have one on each side.
(I guess the chandelier is optional, too!)
Setup your camera on a tripod and place the object to be photographed into the box
Look at your results, and adjust the lights as needed
(OPTIONAL) If you need to photograph a predominantly light colored object, use some blue tape to attach a black pillowcase to the backdrop.
That's it! Setup time is minimal, especially after you've done it once or twice. And it can be broken down and folded up quickly, too.
It's not perfect. But it's given me "good enough" results for my targets. Here's a gallery of some of my 2-year-old's art.
Chris
0
Comments
I never thought of using a white sheet and frame (well, card table) for a giansize lightbox. I think I'll try it out myself. Black pillowcase - great!
It really proves you don't have to spent gobs of moeny to get nice pics
Indeed ...
But don't over do it. We always need a good camera.
1) Mind
2) Light
3) Optics (lens)
4) Camera (body)
Always in this order...
1) Health
You do know Nikolai that I answer you in these things.
When you are ill - desgraçado, malleureux, unhappy - you don't want to do anything.
You are ill, in a bad mood. You don't have spirit to elevate a table over the other one, to cover them with white cloth, to be patient enough to build things, to work.
Unless you are an exception, but me, I, eu, ich, I can't work when I am ill.
I don't have the mood, the will, the speed, the humour, the guts ... whatever.
I just want to be good and Healthy quickly.
Man, have you ever been near to death ? Hope not. It's not nice.
We must appreciate well being while we are with it.
We must appreciate good and peasant moments of this so short and dangerous life we all are in.
What a philosopher I am today. I shut up. Now.
Let's go back to our soft box.:D
A pair of speedlites, in place of your tungsten lights, will give you much faster exposures also, with more depth of field.
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
Very cool indeed! I love the cheap fixes!
darkdragon: I bought a cheap black twin sheet set just for this. Get most of the wrinkles out in the dryer (or with an iron) and it looks fine.
Antonio & Nik: When I broke my collarbone, I realized how difficult it is to take pictures with an SLR... especially when it was my right arm that was immobile!
Path: Most of my objects are static, so exposure times aren't much of an issue. I use ISO 100, and f/11 max. A lot of the art is just a piece of paper, so even f/4 is overkill. But it also can be lumpy, so I tend to stick with f/8. I do have one Speedlight, but no off camera ability yet.
Peas: Yep, it can be a table... but it can also be folded up and put in the corner, which is what I do!