Something I have been interested in doing for a while is trying to capture photos like you might see done for product shoots. The ones found on websites and catalogs where the item and area are brightly light, usually with a bright white background and the item really stands out. In the past I have tried to get this look for things like EBay photos and such using a white tablecloth or piece of matte paper and various configurations of lights. But it never looked the same. Then I learned that a lot of these photos where taken in what is called a Light Box.

A light box is basically a box constructed of materials that help defuse and disburse the light in the box. With the light softened and scattered in all directions as it enters the box you get a nice soft, bright light, with minimal soft shadows. You put your item in the box and light it from either above or from the sides. In my search to find a light box to buy I came across multiple sites with directions to make your own light box using little more then a cardboard box and some fabric. Being the crafty guy that I am I decided I would give this DIY light box a shot.

The first step was to gather up my materials. Many of these you might already have around the house, otherwise a quick trip to the office supply store should get you almost everything you need.

• Cardboard box (mine was 20x20x24 inches)
• Glue stick
• White fabric, about two yards (some sites used translucent paper)
• White tag board
• Box cutter, scissors, ruler

I didn’t have anything other then the tools so I had to buy everything form my local office and craft store. All told I spent less then $15. Since most of the light boxes I found for sale online ranged anywhere from $35-$60 plus shipping you can see that there is great potential to save some cash by making your own. If you were going to be using this everyday or needed it to be portable then maybe the cost of buying one is justified but for me just messing around $15 was perfect.

My first step in making the light box was to measure two inches in around each of three sides of the box to mark the area I was going to cut out. This left a good amount of material for me to attach my fabric to later as well as create a somewhat sturdy frame. You only have to do three of the four sides since the last side will be covered up by the white tag board background. You will also have to cut the extra flaps off the top of your box since that will be covered in fabric as well.

The next step was to cut and glue the fabric to the sides and top of my newly cut up cardboard box. One thing I learned in reading the comments of some of the posts I had seen was that it was better to put the fabric in the inside of your cardboard box rather then the outside. The reason being was that with the fabric on the outside it left the brown edges of the box exposed on the inside and this created reflections that could be seen in your photos. It is good to note that nothing I have done so far, cutting the box and attaching the fabric, has been done with any kind of precision. I did the best that my impatient, giant man hands could do, but you don’t have to be extremely exact with this either.

The last step was to cut my tag board so that is lay inside the box creating a curved seamless background. It also worked out well having to trim the tag board because then I was able to use the scrap pieces to cover up some of the brown cardboard spots on the inside of my light box where there was no fabric.

Next came the set up and testing phase. The one item I didn’t include on the list above was a light. Mostly because you can use whatever light you have including a desk lamp, work light, or a flash gun. I think it worked best lighting the box from above, but you can get a different kind of look by lighting it from both or just one side too. I started by using two Speedlites wirelessly fired on either side of the light box. This proved to be way to much light. So I switched to having just one fired from above, and even then I ended up dialing the power back to 1/64.

In the end I have to say I am very happy with the results of my first shots. I plan on using the light box a lot over the next few weeks and can only assume my technique and results will get better. All and all it was a fun and cheap little project that took me about a hour or so to put together. I highly recommend giving it a try if your interested in this type of look or just want something to play around with once and a while.

If you try this out or have a question, comment, or tip, be sure to leave a response here or in the forums!