Light Boxes

[Former_Member]

Hi! Does anyone have any experience buying one of the 16X16X16 light box/photo studio kits? I've looked on ebay and found some reasonably priced ones, but I'm on a pretty tight budget so I'd like to make sure it's worth it to invest in one. I've been trying to follow the suggestions to use natural light, but I can't find a good spot in my apartment that gets any natural light, and there isn't anywhere that I could really set up outside to take photos. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!

[ripeshop]

Hello!

I made my own and I take my pictures outside because I could never get enough light (I probably needed more lamps), but then I still have to adjust brightness because the pictures are still a little too dim. I use the free software Photoscape to adjust the pictures. My pictures are better than when I first started but my dream is to buy an SLR camera (fingers crossed I'll get one for Christmas)

I used these tutorials for the light box:

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-diy-10-macro-photo-studio.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Create-an-Inexpensive-Photography-Lightbox

[thevicagirl]

Wait, you want to buy one? Don't do that, make your own. The links are a good way to do it. I set out to do that, but then made one similar to this:

http://www.estelledeparis.com/2009/01/22/diy-collapsible-foam-core-lightbox/

It works so great! I just just two lights and the whole thing just lights up like crazy. I make sure my white balance is set on my camera and done..

I think it is way nice and way worth it. If you are going to make your own or buy one, I'd go for it.

[PearlesPainting]

I folded a piece of white board in half and that is what I use. I thought about getting a light box but I don't have room in my Apartment to set it up. The folded foam board is easy to pull out and use whenever and where ever.

[FantaSeaJewelry]

I did end up buying a cheap one, and it came with two lights and a tripod. If you get the set, don't bother with the lights it comes with as they are useless.

I just went to the hardware store and bought some daylight bulbs with high lumens and set up one on each side in the box. So far so good!

That being said, the reason I bought the whole kit was to get the lights too. If I had known how bad they were I would have just built my own box!