Thread: My new Photo light box TEST!!!

So I saw that Byron Todd posted a link in another thread to building a lighting box for macro shots. Seeing as how I would love to take better quick pics of razors, I tried it out. Here are the results on my Wostenholm Wedge with my custom ebony scales. Looks like it's gonna work out just fine! The lighting could be better in terms of color, but I just did it quickly in a dim room. I can't wait to improve this and photograph all my razors this way!

BT told me about that in chat!!!!
I am soooooo building me one as soon as I can, the pics look great Alex....

I just started using one for some of my shots a week or so ago. I can't believe the difference. 100 W daylight bulbs in desk lamps work very well if you're looking for the right lights.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is a light box? I have a visual image of what I suspect one would look like, but could you post a pic of the box itself? Thanks!

If you want more light, then you can use a halogen 500W work light (or two). Sears, Lowes, any hardware store has them cheap. Just remember to set your camera to color correct for the lighting and you should be good to go!

Original link for the instructions: http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/200...to-studio.html

Originally Posted by LegalEagle

Forgive my ignorance, but what is a light box? I have a visual image of what I suspect one would look like, but could you post a pic of the box itself? Thanks!

Nevermind. I just checked the link above. Thanks!

I like those scales......alot!

Oh, and yes very nice picture.

The goal of a light box should be to diffuse light sufficiently to reduce shadows and provide a smooth even surface to show in reflection (on shiny surfaces). There are a few things you should consider:

A) Have more than 1 light. Most product photography uses 2 or more lights. One is a primary light, and the other is to fill in shadows. You could move your current lamp backwards a little bit to help make the shadow more oblique and less obvious too.

B) Adjust your white balance. Not all cameras can do this easily, but it could also be remedied (to a point) in photoshop. Incandescent bulbs typically are a bit on the orange side.

C) You don't need tons of light, just a little good quality light and stable camera support for slower shutter speeds if you need them.

D) Shadow can be your friend if you are trying to make dynamic images. For this, a "tent" is not always needed!

E) When you have daylight and a big window, you can get some pretty nice results even with humble cameras.


If you like, I can post some examples in different types of simple, cheap lighting, and offer some tips on how to get results that some will confuse for professional work.

*Robert.

Thanks, Tierdaen, but I'm all set.

Great photos Alex That razors a beauty too

Neale