Can't build a light box big enough - advice?

[Former_Member]

I struggle with my photos and was super excited when I found all the great threads about the advantages of using a light box. It seemed simple enough, so I gave it a go.

Soon I discovered though the tips and advice I found were great they'd only work for photographing small items such as jewelry. To achieve the best results using a light box the box should be big enough to not only fit the item in, but to also leave room for back ground as well. But what about shooting big bulky tote bags or handbags?

This is just a dear hobby to me, so I'm not ready to invest in professional photography or building a massive big light box that would take up massive amounts of space in my home.

So, any advice on adjustable light fixtures for shooting bigger objects? How do you set up light for your shoots?

[Former_Member]

Hello,

I'm not a pro but maybe if you use Fotofuze you see on the left bottom that it can be automatically resize or not. Maybe if you cross the "no" case you can see your item in a good manner...

Hope it will help you because your items are nice :-)

[Former_Member]

Did you try white paper or fabric? you could hang it at your wall and drape it without folding over your floor. (and afterwards you could roll it up and store it)

I use mostly the background of my brown wall - so I'm not really experienced with lightboxes. I struggle with light too. I love to use natural light, no lightfixtures did the job better. Sometimes I plan my photoshoot knowing when the weather is kind to me - but that's not always possible.

[Former_Member]

I've tried using white fabric as back ground and yes, got better pictures when shot in natural light. Problem is, going towards the winter here in Finland there wont be any natural light when I come home from work, in the mid winter it'll even be dark in the middle of the day!

So I really need ideas how to set up artificial lights somehow without too much hassle. Advice, anyone??

[Former_Member]

MuffinTopKnits, I have a good tip for you that is not really related to the light box issue, but since I've reviewed your shop for other threads, here it is..

Make sure your pictures are AT LEAST 570 pixels wide. They should be slightly wider than tall, so that Etsy doesn't crop them. I miss the handle of the purse on some picture previews, and your purses have lovely handles so I don't think you want to miss that.

Maybe copy the size/dimensions from the first image in my listing, it comes out pretty well for shop views and treasuries:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/76443820/headband-flower-bouquet-of-carnations

I don't use a light box at all, a) not sure how to make one and b) the already-made-ones for photographers are expensive.. so I just take pictures whenever dutch weather is decent (rare!), putting my items on a white table, against a white wall and photoshop the lines of the background out..

Hope it helps,
big hug!
Carla

[Former_Member]

carlafrigo, thanks for that tip! When re-shooting my photos I tried a billion different settings to get whole bag into the picture - without success! Great info indeed :)

[Former_Member]

Try 1000wide by 800tall and it should be fine.

[Former_Member]

I recently made myself a light box using an old large opaque white storage tote, turned it on it's side and added a few spotlights with a white fabric background. You could make it larger by using a box... http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent

Good luck to you! Love your purses. :)

[Former_Member]

Great question and great responses! I REALLY need to reshoot all my photos!

[Former_Member]

I like the background on this item:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/80907750/felt-tote-with-rose-embroidery

It's crisp and clean looking.

I have heard of peopple using the white storage boxes lite glasspoppies said.
Have you looked on you tube for tutoiral. I bet they have several.

Good luck

[Former_Member]

This is something I desperately need to look into becuase I don't think my pictures are bright enough at al, so thanks for posting! As a side note I absolutely LOVE this item, and I really love the last picture, where it's set outside. I know we're not supposed to use a lot of props, but I think the color of the fabric plays so well against the natural back space. It is stunning!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/80904348/embroidered-felted-handbag-cherry-tree?ref=pr_shop

[Former_Member]

you could build your own light box with cardboard and white paper. Or find a way to make a wire cage and use really thin paper or fabric, like tissue paper maybe?

There are lots of ways you can make your own lightbox if you get creative.

Here's a great example of how to build your own from a cardboard box. You can use any size, make it as big as you want:

http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent

This was found with a quick google search, came up as 1st result.

[Former_Member]

When I shoot my purses for 1mADwoman, I use natural light. I found the same thing - a lightbox simply wasn't big enough, and the fabric "absorbs" too much of the light. So I open my front door on sunny days and use natural light to shoot pretty much everything I've got. I do have a lightbox, but I havent' used it in a while, now that I've got my "front door lightbox" figured out.

[Former_Member]

I love the clear/opaque white storage tote, the photo's may still come out dark but you can use a light white background such as a light fabric or tissue paper taped in place all around the inside of the tote. place the tote in front of a window for the added light from behind the tote and then the light you will be using in front of the tote. I have also found that creating a white drop for just behind the camera helps a lot to reflect the light all around the object, like maybe cutting a hole in an old sheet so that the camera lense pops through the hole and there are no shadows coming from your body onto the item being photographed.
the best part about this set up is that you can drop your sheet and set up material all in the tote and put the lid on it to keep it dust and dander free until your next photo shoot!

[IslandPicnic]

Great question! I have been struggling with photographing my larger items for quite a while now. My lightbox works wonderfully for my smaller items (sandwich and snack bags, lunch bags, etc.), but we also sell purses and totes which have proven very difficult to photograph.

What I'm planning on doing is using a table with a nice background, with lots of natural light, and trying that.

[StuckOnSilver]

Great ideas--I struggle with photos too!

[Former_Member]

My husband bought me a collapsable light box like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/ePhoto-Photography-lighting-Studio-Softbox/dp/B003IXJYG2

It's plenty big and when I'm not using it I can fold it up and put it in it's little bag. Works great for my scarves displayed on a mannequin bust as well as some of his larger stuff.

= >

[Former_Member]

you can buy a light box setup with a light board, box, three backgrounds, two telescoping lights and a how-to dvd for cheap. check out this link. they start at $80 for the whole set.

http://www.skymall.com/shopping/detail.htm?pid=102700431&c=

[Former_Member]

regarding above link:
we got one of these light sets for the company i work for. we sell glass and i put together the pictures and catalog of items. this box works really well. and you can't beat the price.

[MariasWorkshop]

Great ideas.

I bought a three-panel foam project board at Office Depot. I place an OTT (?) lamp on either side, covered with a thin cloth. I purchased a roll of white paper, one of those you buy for children to draw on (it is quite wide) and I tape it at the top of the project board and let it roll down to avoid any seams. I have not done it yet, but you can cut the length of the project board to fit the size you need, as the one I bought is quite tall. I placed a thin kitchen towel at the top to reduce the glare from the ceiling lamp. Next, I will go to an art supply shop to look for large rolls? sheets? of paper in different subdued colors, to change the mood accordingly.

The background is set, now if I only knew my camera well enough to take good photographs - I am working on that.

[Former_Member]

For lighting you can use the natural light bulbs that you can now get in the stores. They are a lot cheaper than the Ott lamps. I use the natural light bulbs in those clamp on flood lamps that I bought for a couple of dollars. They work great in the dark which is when I do most of my photography. You can move the lights around to get the best light for your particular item. I've used them for photographing big and small objects.

I also set my camera to the iso setting for daylight.

Another thing I do for my smaller items like my cards is to set a piece of white cardstock facing the camera near my image that I can crop out of my final picture. In photoshop elements I use the white cardstock to remove the color cast from my pictures. This has made a great difference in presenting the true color of my item even if the lighting was not quite right when taking the picture.

[Former_Member]

These are excellent ideas! A big box isn't really doable, as it has to be easily set up but just as easily stored in small space. I've bought clip clamps and have ordered 4000K cool white bulbs online, as the yellow ones change the colors and require too much photo editing later on. But I still need to figure out what to use as a stand/rack for the lights.. ( I'm not sure you guys get what I'm trying to ask, I've already looked into building a light box but am now looking for alternative ways to get good pictures of larger objects..)

[Former_Member]

Ahaha! I just made a video all about this!!!

Hope it helps!

http://pareandfocus.com/index.htm/point-and-shoot-challenge-come-watch-the-setup/