Making Photography Box

Flute Maker

Flute Maker

Mike
User
I am making a large photography box 39” by 35” by 23”…. I will be using this box to help with the taking of pictures of my flutes and woodturning bowls etc. All this is new. I know nothing about what lights to use , or how large to make the openings in the sides and top…. For the time being I will have to use my phone camera…My wife actually takes good pics with hers…
I could have made this out of cardboard but since I had plywood I used it!

fixthephoto.com

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What is best light?

The cut outs should just just be the sides or sides and top?

Cut out should be an opening leaving around 2” of wood around edge for a foam board or a tablecloth etc. to be attached to?

I just like to ask first so maybe I don’t have any do overs if possible lol!!! I could just do what I think but decided to run it by you you guys!!!

Thanks in advance!!!!!

*******Hmmmmm I think I’ll repurpose this box..Some shelves and a door should make it a nice shop cabinet,
 
Last edited:
M

Matt Furjanic

New User
Matt
Not sure about a light box, but I take a LOT of photos - mostly close-ups, and I use a simple light diffuser made of bond paper over the flash unit. This seems to work well for me. You can look at all the closeups on inlaybandings on my website: www.inlaybanding.com

F4C0405C-34B3-46AB-BEDF-A5F8DCFE0130.jpeg
 
Jim Wallace

Jim Wallace

jimwallacewoodturning.com
Jim
Corporate Member
Use a tripod to hold the phone. For not much you can get a remote button that will allow you to trigger the phone camera using Bluetooth. This keeps you from causing vibrations when you touch the phone.
 
kserdar

kserdar

Ken
Senior User
Advice from my wife:
1. Best light - Any light that simulates natural daylight.
2. As for building it from plywood - It will be heavy (hope you never want to move it or often), needs to be painted inside and some method to light it.
3. Replicasurfaces.com
4. She has had several over the years. She now uses a NEEWER.com light box.
 
Wiley's Woodworks

Wiley's Woodworks

Wiley
Corporate Member
Using the right lighting will have more impact on your "commercial" photography than the box. The box only provides a neutral backdrop for your work to contrast against. Ken is right: natural daylight bulbs are best. Get 4 fixtures: one for each side and two for the front set at different angles. I found that bricks make excellent mounting bases; they are heavy enough to hold any fixture at any angle, including standing the brick on end.

The goal is to eliminate all shadows from the photograph so your finished piece sits on a neutral, seemingly flat background. If you get some clamp-on fixtures with aluminum hand clamps, you can experiment with putting diffusers over the fixtures rather than mounting them to the box. When you're setting up look for and eliminate all shadows, shiny surfaces, and hot spots. Sometimes this can be done simply by moving the lights farther away from the box. A taller box will let you light the top of your piece equally with the front.
 
Flute Maker

Flute Maker

Mike
User
Wiley's Woodworks said:
Using the right lighting will have more impact on your "commercial" photography than the box. The box only provides a neutral backdrop for your work to contrast against. Ken is right: natural daylight bulbs are best. Get 4 fixtures: one for each side and two for the front set at different angles. I found that bricks make excellent mounting bases; they are heavy enough to hold any fixture at any angle, including standing the brick on end.

The goal is to eliminate all shadows from the photograph so your finished piece sits on a neutral, seemingly flat background. If you get some clamp-on fixtures with aluminum hand clamps, you can experiment with putting diffusers over the fixtures rather than mounting them to the box. When you're setting up look for and eliminate all shadows, shiny surfaces, and hot spots. Sometimes this can be done simply by moving the lights farther away from the box. A taller box will let you light the top of your piece equally with the front.
Click to expand...
Good suggestions! I’m going to repurpose this box to a shop cabinet! Thanks again!!!
 
T

TBoomz

New User
Ron
have you all ready made this box / tent? smartphone or "real" camera?.....what sort of photo-editing software...

A lens hood is something that often gets overlooked. Does wonders for a shot and less post production work. If using an iphone, tape flaps of cardoard or something along top and sides to block light from hitting front of lens / camera....

1. Tripod is nice, but anything that keeps the camera steady is fine. Use the self-timer to trip the shutter.
2. "Flags" to block light are just as important.
go to lowes/homedepot and check our their light display that shows the different colors = kelvin temp. The "bluer" the light - the higher the kelvins, and the "closer" to daylight....
3. fluorescent tubes give diffused light better than "hot" lights and diffusing? sheets...cloth works in a pinch.
or you could just shoot outside.
and follow the KISS principle
A couple of sawhorses and plywood for table. ..a bed sheet for a sweep,...and a "cloudy bright sky" as a really big LIGHTBOX for that wrapping all around kind of light.
...or [back indoors] sawhorses and plexiglas table [bottom lighting], a curved sheet of 1/8" plywood or bedsheet as a sweep and fluorescent lights
O'course if you have good photo editing skills & software, it doesn't matter what you use.
 
Ed Fasano

Ed Fasano

Ed
Senior User
Some good thoughts and ideas already posted. Here's my pile-on....
  • Well -engineered digital cameras (phone or otherwise) with accurate automatic white balance largely obviate the obsession over the color temperature of the light source(s).
  • It’s still best to avoid commingling of light sources with varying color temperatures, e.g., incandescent, fluorescent and LED. Use one and one over which reasonable control can be employed (direction, add-on light modifiers, distance, etc.
  • Never underestimate the value of a tripod’s contribution to camera steadiness, i.e. sharpness as well as better considered composition.
  • Use of a camera’s self-timer is, as was said in another response, a good way to trip the camera without introducing unwanted, image-degradation from camera shake.
  • Some inarguable over-arching rules that govern the general quality of light for photographic purposes include:
  • A physically larger light source, whether native or enlarged by a light modifier, e.g., a light box or reflector, will produce softer, wrap-around lighting with pleasing shadows. In other words, the larger the light source, the better.
  • The proximity of the light source(s) to the subject will greatly affect the quality of the cast light. The closer the light source is to the subject, the softer the resultant lighting will be. Softer lighting tames harsh shadows and makes it easier to retain shadow detail. In other words, the closer the light source is to the subject, the better.
  • Select a background that allows the subject to pop away from the background.
  • Avoid backgrounds that compete with the subject and/or confuse the viewer’s eye.
The notion of a plywood light box does strike me as (a) highly cumbersome and (b) restrictive.
 
Hmerkle

Hmerkle

Board of Directors, Development Director
Hank
Staff member
Corporate Member
 
C

Charles Lent

Charley
Corporate Member
Without good lighting, you will do better with a translucent "shooting tent" like @Hank posted, because it will diffuse and spread out any light sources that you place around the tent. Lighting is more important than the camera that you use, but a digital camera lets you see instantly how good or bad of a photo you took. With film, you don't know until a week or more later how bad the photos are.

I'm a Pro Level Photographer and I have a complete Pro Level Digital Photo Studio in my home, though at 80 years old what I do in it now is no longer a professional occupation. I now mostly experiment with pro lighting and digital cameras. I also do photo shoots for friends and family at little to no cost to them, because I still enjoy doing it.

I can probably help with answers to questions that you will have as you progress into this photography adventure. Though building that shooting tent may help, a translucent fabric shooting tent will give you much better results, and they are quite reasonably priced. Either way you go, the good photo lights are going to be the more expensive part of this setup.

Send me a PM and we'll chat about your needs. We can exchange phone numbers too, if you wish.

Charley
 
Flute Maker

Flute Maker

Mike
User
TBoomz said:
have you all ready made this box / tent? smartphone or "real" camera?.....what sort of photo-editing software...

A lens hood is something that often gets overlooked. Does wonders for a shot and less post production work. If using an iphone, tape flaps of cardoard or something along top and sides to block light from hitting front of lens / camera....

1. Tripod is nice, but anything that keeps the camera steady is fine. Use the self-timer to trip the shutter.
2. "Flags" to block light are just as important.
go to lowes/homedepot and check our their light display that shows the different colors = kelvin temp. The "bluer" the light - the higher the kelvins, and the "closer" to daylight....
3. fluorescent tubes give diffused light better than "hot" lights and diffusing? sheets...cloth works in a pinch.
or you could just shoot outside.
and follow the KISS principle
A couple of sawhorses and plywood for table. ..a bed sheet for a sweep,...and a "cloudy bright sky" as a really big LIGHTBOX for that wrapping all around kind of light.
...or [back indoors] sawhorses and plexiglas table [bottom lighting], a curved sheet of 1/8" plywood or bedsheet as a sweep and fluorescent lights
O'course if you have good photo editing skills & software, it doesn't matter what you use.
Click to expand...
iPhone 7s. Already made the box but it is heavy. I want to take pic of my flutes which are up to 34” long and some woodturning I have done. I do have a small tripod. I’ll look into the lens hood also … thanks!!!
 
Flute Maker

Flute Maker

Mike
User
 
T

TBoomz

New User
Ron
youtube has lots of "tutorials" on shooting product. But so many are all over the place. I suggest that when you do turn to Youtube that you look for vids dealing with ............
TABLETOP photography.
Shooting a bowl or flutes is different than landscapes or portraits. Nor is tabletop necessarily to be confused with closeup or macrophotograhy.
Tabletop, will give you a better understanding of how to light and set up your shots....have fun!
 
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