I've been wanting to construct a light box for well over a year. I've put it off, found sunny places to take pictures and have made do without one for long enough. This weekend I tasked myself with making a light box. They are cheap and sounded relatively easy to construct."Sounded" being the key word there.
It was certainly cheap. $.99/poster board (I purchased 2). I had the printing paper used for difusing light, so that was basically free. The light bulbs for $4 for a pack of 4. The lamps were already in use around my house, so again, free. So, $6 for an entire light box.
But it wasn't not easy. You see, poster board is pretty flimsy. Flimsy poster board turns into a nightmare when you're attempting to stabilize it and stand it up. In retrospect, I should have used the tutorial that utilizes an actual box but this will do for now. I like that I have a lot of flexibility to photograph from the front and from overhead.
So, now I have a light box. I think it's the first step in vamping up both Woolyhands and Idyllhands. I figure it's worth starting with the basic selling point... the pictures. At least I have the flexibility to work on pictures at night instead of just waiting until the perfect 2 hours in the middle of the day (restricting photographing new items to the weekend). Now the fun starts... what backgrounds show I use? What is the perfect white balance? I have a feeling I'll be playing with my cameral all week.
I've already started playing with my jewelry... see?
Anyone else have homemade light boxes out there? If so, which tutorial did you use to make them? Please sure in the comments, I'm sure this isn't the last of my home made light boxes.
5 comments:
I wonder if it would be cheap enough to go to like Lowe's and get some... big dowel rod, maybe? and maybe glue or staple the poster board to the rods? you could get them cut the appropriate lengths and have 2 standing up on the back corners, one laying down along the back seam, and maybe some cross-brace pieces between the back and the....
this is totally not making sense with words. brb making this out of toothpicks and taking a picture.
Actually, I have some dowel rods and I played around with the idea of making a frame. I would need to cut them down first so I opted not to mess with it today :)
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_uUtq4C4kHxM/TBVSDH7u3WI/AAAAAAAAABs/FD0vjc5PD2c/toothpick-frame.jpg
img tag doesn't work, and now i see you've replied anyway. ah well \o/
now i'm all in project-y mode. this sounds like fun. X D
Oh, I didn't think about crossing dowels. Thank you for constructing that! I'll need to hit up Lowes or something this week to get some cut so I can make a frame. Otherwise, I think my light box is going to collapse :)
duct tape and foam core board for the frame - not so flimsy.
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