How to Make A Inexpensive Light Tent
The following tutorial on constructing an Inexpensive Light Tent was Submitted by Jeffrey Bail over at our Forums. I thought it was well worth highlighting here on the main blog too! See Jeffrey’s Flickr Account here.
If you’re like me, you don’t want to spend money if you can do it yourself and yield the same results. One day I was at my local photography store I saw one of these “Pop-Up” light tents. It consisted of a collapsible white fabric box with a hole in the front and 3 lights - used for photographing small objects in photographic studios (like the shot of the chocolate reindeer to the left).
I was going to purchase it until I saw the $100 price tag. No way I am going to spend $100 on some fabric and 3 lights when the material costs far less. So I set off and built one of these light tents and it did not come out bad at all.
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Materials Needed:
1.) A Box - It could be any size you want as long as you can light it! I prefer it to be as square as can be. You can find boxes anywhere for free. I got mine from work in which they throw out anyway. You can also find boxes in the back of strip malls, grocery stores, appliance stores or basically any place that makes or sells products. Thicker the better! (Free)
2.) Fabric ‘ This again could be any type. In my box I used white muslin fabric that is found at your local arts and craft store. Buy enough to cover the entire box. (4.00$ US or 1.99$ a yard) People suggested other fabrics like White Nylon and white fleece. If your extremely cheap and have some white under shirts laying around. Cut up the sides to where you have two halves of the shirt. If you use multiple shirts, be sure that the color matches or your end result may not turn out as you like it
3.) Tape ‘ I use tape to secure the fabric to the sides of the box. Reason being is that In-case you want to try out different fabrics. I use regular masking tape. (1.00$ US A Roll)
4.) Glue ‘ You can use a “Glue Stick” (1.00$ US a Stick) or spray adhesive (5.00$ US per Can) to stick the lining in the box.
5.) White Bristol board ‘ This will line the inside of the box and will also serve as your back round (.50 a sheet X2). I would suggest to buy 2 or 3 sheets as you will be cutting up two to line your box (Could be more depending on the size of your box) and one for the back round. Bristol board is a heavyweight paper (.006″ Thick) that is used in drawing/art. The name came from where it was originated, Bristol England. If you wanted a different back round you can also pick up different colors.
6.) Lights ‘ You will need to light this box and this could be the most expensive part of the box unless you already have the lights. In my opinion lighting is the most important part of this box. Without it you will not get the picture you desire. I went to my local hardware store and picked up some “Daylight” Bulbs. Using regular light bulbs will cast a yellow light and should be avoided. I purchased “n:vision” 90 watt equivalent compact florescent bulbs ($7.00 US). Basically any “Full Spectrum” light bulbs will do.
Also suggest a lighting fixture. If you have a one of those desk work lamps, It will work fine. If you don’t I suggest getting a “Clamp On Work Light”. At my local home depot they only had two kinds, A smaller reflector dish (5″) for 5.99$ (US) or the 10.5″ reflector for 11.99$ (US).
7.) Miscellaneous Tools ‘ Tape ruler, Ruler or any straight edge, scissors and knife
Now that you have the Materials I will show you out to make a light tent step by step. When your done you can take nice clean and crisp product shots.
Step By Step Process:
A) Take your box with a tape ruler and marker and measure in 2″ from the side of the box marking multiple points with your marker. When your done you will see your border, connect the points using your straight edge to where you should have a nice looking square/rectangle in the middle of the box with a 2″ border around it. Leave the top and bottom of the box alone as you will not need to mark it
B) Cut out the boxes you’ve drawn. Repeat that to the sides of the box where you have drawn the boxes. When you’re done, cut off the top of the box or remove the flaps on the top of the box. LEAVE THE BOTTOM INTACT!
C) Now take your Bristol board and make lines with your marker for every two inches 16 times. Then proceed to cut out 16 strips with your scissors.
D) Glue the paper strips into the box. Make sure the side with marker goes against the cardboard so it can not be seen.
E) Take another piece of Bristol board and cut is so the width is the same as the inside of the box and the length is much longer then the box.
F) Place the long piece of Bristol board into the box to where the piece curves to the bottom. Avoid creasing as it will show up in your photo. Cut off excess paper that is sticking out the top.
G) Cut your fabric to where it will cover the holes. Then cut a big piece to where it will cover the top of the box.
H) Tape the fabric to cover the holes in the box except the one that is facing your background. Then tape the top piece on.
YOU’RE DONE!
Now all you got to do is light the top of the box and start snapping away!
There are many variations you can do to get the photo you want. If you’re having a shadow problem I suggest lighting the other sides of the box. If you’re getting vignetting I suggest a lens hood or moving the lens more into the box. Photoshop could be a handy tool also! Since my lens and camera are not the cleanest I tend photoshop the dust that is sitting on or in my camera. I also adjust the levels so it’s brighter.
Camera sticking into the box
The Light box in action
Another Result of the above light box
If you’d like to leave a comment or ask Bail a question about this process head over to the forum thread where he originally posted this.
Read more posts like 'How to Make A Inexpensive Light Tent'
November 19th, 2007 at 10:36 am
Thank you…you rock!!
So appreciated…..
November 20th, 2007 at 2:06 am
haha I made a couple weeks ago the same box only i didn’t had the back of the box cut out and used it as the bottom and used the box horizontal. some results of my sudio are at my website: http://www.jeroennieuwhuis.blogspot.com/
November 20th, 2007 at 2:11 am
Perfect timing! Thanks!
I had been looking at Lastolite’s products for a few months, but I couldn’t justify the prices either.
November 20th, 2007 at 2:19 am
I also did this a few days ago, if somebody would like to view a german Version: http://timmermann.tv/news/39/makrobox-statt-lichtzelt-im-eigenbau/
November 20th, 2007 at 4:12 am
Super guide! - I just found out what i’m gonna do next weekend :)
November 20th, 2007 at 11:35 am
I did this, and It is one of the most used items I have! I love it!
November 20th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Great tutorial! A few questions before endeavoring to make my own.
I’m guess there would a problem with colour cast with the lamp you use. Would you manually set the white balance in the camera or do you use photoshop (or other software) to deal with this?
Would the weave of the fabric cast unusual shadows on the item photographed?
Thanks
November 20th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
This is pretty cool; I’m going to have to give this a try!
November 20th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Cool tutorial, detailed on every aspect!
Careful not to mix different types of lights, though if you aim to have more lighting power, because it would lead to issues with white balance.
With one type, color balance is adjustable at will (especially if you shoot RAW).
Also read something similar here :
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-diy-10-macro-photo-studio.html
November 21st, 2007 at 12:37 am
Great idea! Now if I could only figure out how to adapt this to fit my grandkids in so I can photograph them. Oh - and I’d have to find a way to convince them to sit still…LOL
November 21st, 2007 at 12:43 am
That is a really inspiring article, very useful. thank you
November 21st, 2007 at 2:46 am
I’ve been putting off buying one of these for months… I think I’ll try your method and make one first! Thankx for the tutorial- What a great idea!
November 21st, 2007 at 10:35 am
that is great .. I will made it ..
thank you .
November 23rd, 2007 at 3:56 am
Great tutorial — text and pictures. Looks like it produces wonderful results and it’s easy to make. Thanks for the neat idea!
November 23rd, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Wow!!! Great post!!
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:25 pm
thanks a lot for sharing this tutorial, this is very interesting… and useful ;) Thx !!
November 30th, 2007 at 2:29 am
This was really helpful, thanks for posting it! I had to make some modifications because my subject had to be suspended from a rod, but the results were still pretty good:
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o296/uncleflow/Green%20Tree%20Pythons/DSCN1674.jpg
November 30th, 2007 at 11:11 am
That was very cool…if make that rod black your friend would appear to be hanging in mid-air!
December 1st, 2007 at 1:46 pm
EXCELLENT!!! Thanks so much!
December 7th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
i had made one of this box too but not sure how to take the black background like sduncan’s shot… any guide ?
December 8th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Thank you, Thank you very much. I have a project that I need to photograph over one hundred die cast race cars that I am going to put on ebay to sell. This project will save me time and money and at the same time make the product look good and everybody will want to buy.
December 25th, 2007 at 1:18 am
Thank you for this wonderful guide, Jeffrey.
In all its simplicity, a light box like this has helped me to take far better pictures of my wife’s miniature teddy bears than before. Other teddy bear artists now ask us how we did it, so we point them to your web page nowadays.
It was fun to create this solution, and to be able to finally get those great pictures on eBay and our own site, without anyone knowing how cheap the solution was (well, the bulbs were not that cheap, about USD 25 each).
December 25th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
This is awesome !
I have been looking to buy a photo tent for taking pictures of my products for sale on ebay and other online stores.
The price tag of the ready made tents is quite shocking and made me put put off my purchase.
I’m gonna try this today, will keep you posted of the outcome. The instructions are so easy, I guess anyone can do it (me included).
Thanks for the instructions.
January 7th, 2008 at 3:22 am
Really nice tutorial , a well done light box , usefull for many begginers and why not professional photographers!! CHeers!
January 16th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Any ideas what size box do I need if I’m going to photograph objects from 10 mm to 500 mm ?
January 18th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Thank you for your tip!! I love taking product and food shots, now I will not have any problem with this light box…
January 18th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Hi,
thanks for the great idea posted here.
I tried this using (1/2″) PVC pipes, that was easy to make and was inexpensive too.
Just bought 2 x 6 feet (half inch) pvc pipes, and the required connectors (elbow etc..) and cut to size and joined them to make a hollow cube.
I haven’t glued the joints which makes it easy to take apart and store it in a bag.
Just wanted to thank everyone for the ideas posted here.
Pugal
January 21st, 2008 at 6:32 am
Thank you so much. I was tempted to buy a light tent but the costs were ridiculous. Now I’ll be able to play around with this one and see what results I can get - thanks again.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:42 am
Hi. I’ve followed all your instructions and I am using the “reveal 120W” indoor floodlight full spectrum but my pics show a pink background instead white…am I using the right light?
February 3rd, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Thank you…
So appreciated…
February 4th, 2008 at 9:43 am
hi
great info!….I am always trying to figure out how to photograph my jewelry…and I will not pay the high prices for a photo tent online….but my question is about lighting……What is the best lighting and wattage for jewerly so that I do not get any shadows!!!!! Help! Oh, and I noticed that you do not have any other lights on in the room where you are taking your photos, just the photo light itself?
thanks
February 15th, 2008 at 3:32 am
Thx very much, today I made one. :)
February 19th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Now,tell me what kind of camera you are using.
I had the same idea because the prices of a light studio
are ridiculous high priced.
Thanks
February 23rd, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Hey Betty… I find that if you just edit it with Photoshop (or in my case, Windows Photo Gallery) you can get pretty decent results from a not-so-decent picture. I haven’t built this yet, but yesterday I took pictures with two house lamps (from end tables… yellow light!) against a sheet of white paper cut out of a text book (I don’t even have printer paper). After taking the pictures, I realized that it wasn’t very well lit and that it had a yellowish to it, even after setting the white balance on my camera. If you haven’t done that, I suggest you do that. Anyways, I took the picture and opened it up with Windows Photo Gallery. I turned up the Contrast and Brightness. I then adjusted the Color Temp and Tint. Once you’ve got a good white background, then adjust your saturation to obtain true colors. If you are taking pictures for an e-bay auction, you don’t want to misrepresent an item. You might have to compromise with the background color to receive the best overall color. Hope this helps!
February 24th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
very cool. i’ve made a similar light box at home … alternatively, a big sheet of white paper, curved, can work just as well. although, the light box is better for diffusing light.
you also need to make sure that the back is well lit.
great tips though.
cheers
david
http://www.davidsmeaton.com
February 25th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Just made it. Looks pretty messy, but it was fun and will come in handy! I used a GE Reveal bulb, which worked out nicely.
February 26th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Very nice, thx !
February 26th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Very nice, thx !
http://onlinehardware.blogspot.com
February 27th, 2008 at 7:53 am
Thanks for the tutorial- I’m SO making one of these. Depending on sunlight in winter just doesn’t cut it when you’re photographing glass. Very helpful!
February 27th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Hi Guys - any recommendation for a digital camera and lens. It would mostly be for jewelry photography. I was leaning towards Nikon D80.
March 3rd, 2008 at 3:28 pm
excellent tut. i made one and i got amazing results
March 10th, 2008 at 9:52 am
can’t wait to try this out, makes such a difference.
March 12th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Thank you so much. I have been trying to figure out how to take decent pictures of my handmade jewelry and I think this will work great. Definitely a cheaper alternative and was so easy to make. Thanks Again.
March 13th, 2008 at 12:58 am
Background!!
Very helpful, though
March 18th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Sheer brilliance!! (no pun intended) - Thankyou!
March 25th, 2008 at 6:33 am
How dumb I wanted a tent to sleep in but it could be usefull in other ways but it is still kinda dumb because for 1 Why would people use it and how can you tell if it is weight or a tent with ligt in it and 2 when people want and/orneed they want to finf it quick and easy and like me I was wanting a tent you can sleep in. NOW do you see my point?!?!?!?
April 2nd, 2008 at 1:42 am
Ohhh, love this! I’ve been thinking of buying a light box but hell! $100 for a few pieces of cloth and some wood? Thanks for your tips, I hope I can find some Bristol cloth soon ;)
April 4th, 2008 at 12:03 am
my gosh that is a brillient idea thanx….
April 8th, 2008 at 4:33 am
I tried this last night and got decent results. Thanks!
http://danstechreviews.blogspot.com/2008/04/photography-tech-tip-diy-light-box.html
April 9th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Thanks so much for this! I just finished making mine and it came out great. However, I did make one modification. I hung a flap of fabric over the front that I can clip back when the box is in use. That way I can keep out dust or other particles when it’s not in use.
Thanks again!
April 14th, 2008 at 8:54 am
wow thanks alot for this! its great, made one! :D
have no used it yet, but im sure when i do, it will work just perfect.
oh also, i used tracing paper and not fabric… is that still alright?
anyway thanks alot for this!
April 14th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Anyone know how to make the background to be black instead of white ? I tried change the background paper but still the same.
April 15th, 2008 at 4:14 am
What type of camera, lens, and lights did you use to take the pictures?
Thanks
April 18th, 2008 at 12:25 am
This is exactly what I have been looking for! Thanks!
April 18th, 2008 at 1:11 am
Good tutorial but one question: why would you cut those strips for the bottom of the box? Why wouldn’t you just cut one piece to fit in the bottom? Your curved background is going to cover most of it so why would it make any difference?
May 6th, 2008 at 1:02 am
Great job.
I think it would be better to add 2 more lights to the left and right side. That way you won’t see the shadow in the picture of the watch.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Imagine, me the most inept person for any craft imaginable. The only project I ever tried was sewing a poncho in school, which I sewed to my skirt! I gave this a try and if I did it, anyone can! Thanks so much for sharing this info!!
It works!