Light boxes and Photo booths

W
Posted By
wickiup
Jan 27, 2006
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572
Replies
7
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Closed
Hello,

I’m not sure where to ask this to get started on a dialog of sorts. I have a project requiring some good lighting for photographing valuables and of various types but none larger than a large platter. The other item is a portrate booth of sorts.

Had hoped to fabricate something using movable lighting to bet serive each situation. Have tinkered with various flourescent lights in different ranges but not sure if they will be suitable in the finished product.

Any ideas, advice, info sources and/or experiences you wish to share will be highly appreciated.

Thank you

Jim
Related Tags
box light

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MR
Mike Russell
Jan 27, 2006
"wickiup" wrote in message
Hello,

I’m not sure where to ask this to get started on a dialog of sorts. I have a project requiring some good lighting for photographing valuables and of various types but none larger than a large platter. The other item is a portrate booth of sorts.

Had hoped to fabricate something using movable lighting to bet serive each situation. Have tinkered with various flourescent lights in different ranges but not sure if they will be suitable in the finished product.

Any ideas, advice, info sources and/or experiences you wish to share will be highly appreciated.

Here is Collins’s excellent reference on homemade lighting equipment. http://www.software-cinema.com/tinkertubes/tt-book.pdf?CS=46 be282bb3d34c37424c97fe1b4ebc4d —

Mike Russell
www.curvemeister.com
N
noone
Jan 27, 2006
In article , jcurts47
@gmail.com says…
Hello,

I’m not sure where to ask this to get started on a dialog of sorts. I have a project requiring some good lighting for photographing valuables and of various types but none larger than a large platter. The other item is a portrate booth of sorts.

Had hoped to fabricate something using movable lighting to bet serive each situation. Have tinkered with various flourescent lights in different ranges but not sure if they will be suitable in the finished product.

Any ideas, advice, info sources and/or experiences you wish to share will be highly appreciated.

Thank you

Jim

Jim,

You might get some good ideas from the photo NG’s.

I’ll start you off, however with a few. First, I’d go with "hot" lights, i.e. tungsten. You can do it as simply as getting a small handful of "work" lights from a hardware store. These will be around 3200K, which is easy to adjust for with either film, or WB in digital. These will not be photo floods, quite, and might be slightly off in color, but close. Also, they are not anywhere near as expensive. US$100 should get you about 3 with simple stands.

Go to a drafting supply/blueprint house, or art store, and get a roll of Herculene, or other drafting medium – translucent white with a "frost." on one side. Build some simple wooden frames, sized to the drafting medium and paint them white. Cover with the medium. Use these as diffusers and adjust their distance from both the subject and the lights.

A sheet of white Formica, or similar laminate, will do nicely as a background, or you could use seamless paper.

Pretty much an instant studio. For a bit more portability, Calumet Photo (www ..calumetphoto.com) has several different sets of PVC pipe frames, with diffusion/reflection cloth, that clips onto them. These fold up neatly, for transport. They also offer hot lights from mfgrs such as Lowell, but the price adds up quickly.

There are also several "instant" studios sold, but I have not used any. One such is: http://www.studio-out-of-the-box.com/MainE.html.

Hunt
GH
Gernot Hoffmann
Jan 27, 2006
Jim,

some information about is here:
http://www.fho-emden.de/~hoffmann/prooflight18092003.pdf

Best regards –Gernot Hoffmann
K
KatWoman
Jan 28, 2006
"wickiup" wrote in message
Hello,

I’m not sure where to ask this to get started on a dialog of sorts. I have a project requiring some good lighting for photographing valuables and of various types but none larger than a large platter. The other item is a portrate booth of sorts.

Had hoped to fabricate something using movable lighting to bet serive each situation. Have tinkered with various flourescent lights in different ranges but not sure if they will be suitable in the finished product.

Any ideas, advice, info sources and/or experiences you wish to share will be highly appreciated.

Thank you

Jim

1. hire a photographer
2. do not use fluorescent for shooting anything! do not use built in flash either.
3. buy a ready made tent for products on eBay*, try and use daylight, it’s cheap and free, or try the fixed quartz lights, (easier to see what’s going on, cheaper than buying a strobe.)
4. read the tutorials you have been recommended and ask in a photo/camera forum

*if you are the handy type you can make one yourself with white shower curtains, for more upscale and portable, try pop-out scrims, a few clamps and stands
for very small items make sure you have a camera with macro capabilities
JD
Jon Danniken
Jan 29, 2006
"wickiup" wrote:
Hello,

I’m not sure where to ask this to get started on a dialog of sorts. I have a project requiring some good lighting for photographing valuables and of various types but none larger than a large platter. The other item is a portrate booth of sorts.

Had hoped to fabricate something using movable lighting to bet serive each situation. Have tinkered with various flourescent lights in different ranges but not sure if they will be suitable in the finished product.

Any ideas, advice, info sources and/or experiences you wish to share will be highly appreciated.

Here is a page showing a simple light box made from readily available parts: http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/light_box_light_tent

Jon
N
noone
Jan 29, 2006
In article <FMRCf.15039$>,
says…
"wickiup" wrote in message
[SNIP]
Jim

1. hire a photographer
[SNIP other good thoughts]

I *SOMETIMES* find that allowing a client to attempt a project first, helps in the education process. So long as they don’t end up expecting the hired photographer to try and use their results as part of the project. Usually, when confronted with the prospect of building/buying all of the "stuff" needed, they relent and just hire someone, who already has it all, rather than re-invent the wheel – BUT not always 🙂 Anyway, #1 is a very, very good starting point on a product-photo.

Hunt
W
wickiup
Feb 4, 2006
A very hearty thank you to all who chipped in here!

I have chased down some of the hardware and arrived at some costs and practicle solutions.
Building the equipment is an integral part of the project for me and is hopefully within my capabilities.

The 3200 K number seems to be one of the constants whether in an 8 dollar bulb or a 27 dollare bulb.

Again, Thanks All

Jim

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