I Built a Lightbox

Recently, I was in need of a photography studio, but somehow found myself alone in my living room without a photographer appearing at my command. I wish life was like those new State Farm commercials where the agent comes along like some kind of genie with a briefcase.

Well, I don't have State Farm, so I guess they'd just show up and tell me tough luck, anyway. What I needed was a setup that would allow me to take macro shots of accessories I've made with a white background and soft light. It doesn't sound like a tall order, but getting nice light for a close-up shot is a challenge reserved for the 7th level of hell when you are working indoors at night with a camera better suited for action shots.

Ever the good Googler, I found this tutorial for creating a lightbox out of paper and a cardboard box.

It might not be much to look at, but it does the job (Just a note, the lights weren't off in the room when I took this photo, it is just the effect of the lamp being on). I substituted white cotton fabric for the paper that the tutorial calls for. I found that the fabric provided the same soft light, and will be more durable while my light box fends off children and dogs when I'm not using it.

Here are some photo results of the light box. I found it useful for getting different angles of light, but I really need a lamp with an adjustable stand so I'm not holding my light with one hand and taking the photo with the other. Yikes, what a production.

My camera is a FujiFilm WP, which is a cool waterproof camera that is excellent for shots of the family and outdoor flower close-ups, but not so great for details on jewelry or stitching. I'm sure that someone with a good quality macro lens could get an even better shot of this lightbox setup.

All in all, this took about an hour to assemble on my livingroom floor while watching TV, so the time investment was worth it. This could definitely come in handy for someone who sells handmade goodies online, as the infinity white backgrounds work well to remove distractions from the subject. Also, the materials were cheap (cardboard box, white fabric I had around, and a big sheet of paper from a sketch pad) and as certain parts get dirty, I can easily replace them.

Have you ever considered building a light box or light tent? How do you get the best shots of your handmade creations?

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