All the materials needed for your DIY lightbox
Gone are the days of posting crappy product photos with distracting backgrounds on your blog.
You can achieve that professional "studio shot" with just a sturdy box, a cutter, a ruler, some mahjong paper and a roll of tape.
You can achieve that professional "studio shot" with just a sturdy box, a cutter, a ruler, some mahjong paper and a roll of tape.
All you have to do is to make your own lightbox with materials which you probably already have lying around the house!
With the opening of the box facing you, use a ruler to mark a border around the four edges of each side - the top and two sides - and cut out the three rectangular holes on the box.
Line the insides of the box with mahjong paper to allow light to bounce off the walls and cover the rectangular hole on the two sides with a thin fabric such as muslin (The tutorial asks for muslin but since I do not have that, I used majong paper instead) to diffuse the two lights on each side.
The top rectangular hole is for the top light as well as for taking top shots.
This is how my DIY lightbox look like in action
Take a fresh sheet of mahjong paper (mine comes in a roll of five sheets) to be used as the backdrop. Cut the width accordingly to fit into the box while try to keep the length longer.
Attach one end of the mahjong paper to the rear top end of the box and allow the remainder to roll out of the box. The idea is to allow the sheet to curve out naturally to achieve an "infinite" background effect. You can fold the excess paper under the box.
Remember not to crease or create folds to prevent shadows.
As you can see in my setup above, I still have not acquire the two side lamps so I am using an old aquarium light for the top and a standing lamp for the front.
I am actually not very satisfied with this lightbox as it is a little too small so I guess I will be making a larger one soon.
Attach one end of the mahjong paper to the rear top end of the box and allow the remainder to roll out of the box. The idea is to allow the sheet to curve out naturally to achieve an "infinite" background effect. You can fold the excess paper under the box.
Remember not to crease or create folds to prevent shadows.
As you can see in my setup above, I still have not acquire the two side lamps so I am using an old aquarium light for the top and a standing lamp for the front.
I am actually not very satisfied with this lightbox as it is a little too small so I guess I will be making a larger one soon.
The results - taken with a camera phone
The width for my curved backdrop is too narrow thus you can actually see the unsightly shadows behind.
The same photo after cropping
There are definitely more than one way of making a lightbox on the internet. You just have to find one that suits you.
Be creative and have fun!
Be creative and have fun!