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12/23/2005 11:03:56 AM · #1 |
I've been a little bit frustrated with my attempts to get into stock photography. My pictures seem to pale compared to what's on the big sites. So my question is, how many of you regularly use a light box (or light tent)? It seems most stock product shots (that sell) are in a plain white background, and you can tell they were shot in a light tent. And for those who do, what do you recommend for one (bought, or home-made)? Please post your ideas, and any example photos with what you've taken in your light tent would be appreciated (if you can). Thanks!
-Don |
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12/23/2005 11:13:31 AM · #2 |
I have one that I made myself out of pvc pipe and a very white bed sheet. Besides cost, making your own is great because you can make it whatever size you want. For about $25 in PVC pipe and connectors and about $25 in sheets I made 3 cubes, one small enough to be easily portable (I think it's 16 inches), one big enough for a cat, and one big one that I could probably fit in myself if I curled up.
I haven't started submitting to any of the stock agencies yet, but it's part of my overall plan...
These challenge entries were taken with my home made light cube and 2 studio strobes:
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12/23/2005 04:03:07 PM · #3 |
Thanks for the info and pix. I was thinking of making one, but I'm not sure. Anybody else?
Message edited by author 2005-12-23 16:03:53. |
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12/23/2005 04:07:42 PM · #4 |
8 1/2X11 white paper and desk lamp:
   
Message edited by author 2005-12-23 16:14:34.
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12/23/2005 05:13:16 PM · #5 |
Me too...All I use is a white sheet or paper and a desk lamp or two
Melissa
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12/23/2005 05:51:58 PM · #6 |
Many of our images are not object/ item/ product type shots - they were taken out and about. But those that are were taken in a £50 light tent that I bought for Pete's birthday...
It's a Lastolite ePhotomaker which comes in two sizes - I think we have the smaller but could be wrong. Also comes with a reflector/ grey card.
We also use both sheets of card as well as some really inexpensive sheets of thin foam (that we picked up from an arts supply store for next to nothing) as backdrops within the tent.
Many, many people on DPC have made their own light tents - you could make one yourself with some wood, a few nails and an old white sheet.
For a light source we shine an ancient video light on a tripod that my dad dug out of the attic (it's almost 30 years old - harks back to the first days of home video cameras) or sometimes just a heavy duty torch.
Really all you need is a large enough piece of white card, a half way decent light source and a reflector (you can make one from kitchen foil). Given that digital cameras allow you to set white balance (or change it later if shooting in RAW) even the colour of the light doesn't matter very much.
You WILL need to brush up on post-processing skills, if you aren't already familiar with them, as very few of the images you see are straight out of the camera. It takes work to clean them up even if a good shot is achieved in the first place.
Message edited by author 2005-12-23 17:53:51.
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12/23/2005 07:16:47 PM · #7 |
isolated objects on white are a pain... to get the white background white you basically have to blow it out and then at the same time you have to make sure your objects dont get blown out as well. I use a home made light box (pvc pipes, desk lamps and white paper) to get my isolated objects. Lately if been doing just a white paper and my 580/430 flashes set up at different angles to bounce off different walls for a diffuse light source. Needless to say you will still have to do some ps work, and you should prob shoot in raw.
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12/23/2005 07:21:19 PM · #8 |
Nico-blue - Pete and I were able to use a huge studio a few times (with all the lights and meters and backdrops) during a photography evening class we did a few years back and that was great because we had enough space and lights to aim a separate light on the backdrop, ensuring it was recorded as a lovely, clean white and on the subject (one or more people).
At home this isn't as practical!
I end up opting to expose for the object and using Photoshop to clean the white background afterwards.
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