first attempt at a homemade lightbox

[SoulRole]

I talked my hubbie nto making me a light box.We used a cardboard box and cut squares in three sides,then covered with waxed paper.I used poster board inside.
Here is my first listing (pics in the first and third are from my lightbox experiment):

http://www.etsy.com/listing/98698378/mothers-day-eye-pillow-sachet-gift-set

I played with the white balance setting which I had never done.I am moderately pleased with the outcome.

[SoulRole]

http://www.etsy.com/listing/98702632/mothers-day-hawaiian-shell-turquoise

http://www.etsy.com/listing/98699384/mothers-day-eye-pillow-sachet-gift-set?ref=v1_other_2

a couple more

[SoulRole]

and another:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/98711185/mothers-day-hawaiian-shell-organic-coral

the necklaces I took outside and the others inside with natural light coming in the window

[Former_Member]

fantastic. that was quick. :)

[SoulRole]

Thank you!My hubbie is the best :) Still need to play around with it but the necklace I posted sold within 12 hours so it must not be too bad ;)

[Former_Member]

awesome.

[Former_Member]

Nice work!

[Former_Member]

Awesome I am so going to try this

[SoulRole]

Thanks!I t was really simple and now I just have to get it together to make all the things I was putting off making for lack of a good way to photograph them!

[Former_Member]

Nancy, what kind of camera do you use? I have a Canon point and shoot.

[SoulRole]

it is a nikon d40x DSLR.

[STLvintage]

Nancy, Could you post a pic of the lightbox? I am struggling with it. I would love to see how you did it.
Thanks!

[SoulRole]

i just took a few pics of it for you and posted them to my fb PAGE:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.425440030821039.97187.163262393705472&type=1

[SoulRole]

and just for fun..here are a few i took this morning.I found the mid morning sun was too difficult to photograph in but they came out ok.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/101101892/burp-cloths-baby-newborn-retro-woodland

https://www.etsy.com/listing/101100165/burp-cloths-baby-newborn-retro-vehicles

[STLvintage]

Nancy, Thank you for posting the pic of the light box. Much clearer to me now.

[Former_Member]

I spent countless hours and more money than I want to know on building my own lightboxes - first one like Nancy's (worked well for awhile), then I wanted to upgrade it using white plumbing pipes. Both were clunky. When I moved, I treated myself to a $30 light tent that folds flat. So worth it! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003QA1VEK/ref=oh_details_o00_s02_i00

[Former_Member]

You have inspired me! I'm tired of waiting for other people to help me. I haven't got where I am today because I waited for others. I'm doing this today!

Thank you!

[SoulRole]

yay Gabriela!
Kathy-I was going to order the same one and then they wouldn't ship to Hawaii!I still lke the idea of having something more portable but the homemade one works pretty well.Now I just need to get some better lights so I don't have to wait for good natural light.

[Former_Member]

Nancy that is fantastic!

I cheated and brought a cheap one from ebay - simply because once I calculated materials and time it was cheaper to buy. Plus I have very limited space and mine fits into a small pouch when folded down.

[Former_Member]

yay!

[Former_Member]

Nancy! Looks great! :)
I made one just like yours recently - it turned out alright, but I think I used too small of a box. Cardboard was getting into my shots, so I had to zoom (I prefer not to, so my background stays fuzzy & my product is sharp) or get too close (aaaand then my camera can't focus).
I am planning on trying one like this next: http://shrimpsaladcircus.blogspot.com.au/2010/03/how-to-sday-10-dollar-10-minute-fold-up.html
In the meantime, my kitchen counter is doing the job alright. I over expose, but it hasn't really been a big deal. It's flattering (I'd say) and blows out things (like my street in the background) that would detract from the image anyway.

Sorry for the long reply! I'm glad you've found a great photography solution!

[Former_Member]

I just saw the tutorial for this collapsible one on another team and thought it was simply genius! The only think I'll change is the cardboard background because it can get dirty pretty easily. I use Sports Utility nylon bought very cheap at JoAnn's or other fabric stores. Here is the link to the tutorial and a couple of photos taken in my actual homemade PVC pipe lightbox (after a YouTube video):

https://www.etsy.com/listing/95156699/20-off-summer-sale-vintage-crochet-doily

https://www.etsy.com/listing/99135734/20-off-summer-sale-toy-sewing-machine

Not all of my photos came out as nice as these two so I'm still learning.

Collapsible light box link: http://www.instructables.com/id/Collapsible-Light-Box-For-Those-Short-On-Space-And/

[Former_Member]

Very nice!

[Former_Member]

@ Kathy

I bought a light tent this weekend and it finally came in the mail and I was so excited. I opened it up and its 5 ft tall!! I misread the measurements so now I have this massive tent in my kitchen nook!

*facepalm*

I should have made one like the OP.

[Former_Member]

Kelly H from SimplyFrazzled - sorry if I mislead you! I've since found a better, smaller option at http://store.tabletopstudio-store.com (although I'm sticking with my original Cowboystudio 24-Inch tent). I did buy:

* New lights (http://store.tabletopstudio-store.com/shtwoliset.html)
* A handy EZStaging Accessory Kit (http://store.tabletopstudio-store.com/ezackit.html).

They have a great How-To page for products of all kinds: http://tabletopstudio.com/HowTo_page.html

Here are some additional great tips for photographing jewelry: http://www.mkdigitaldirect.com/tips/jewelry_photography_tips.html#1

It seems like there are many more, affordable options than a couple years ago. It's worth hunting around to find what you need. The DIY route certainly works, but I find photographing my jewelry to be frustrating so I upgraded equipment to at least make it less cumbersome! Next purchase will be a camera with a remote.

Hope this is helpful!