We have all seen what the results of using a light tent while photographing an object can look like, even if we were not aware that was indeed what we were being shown. The objects displayed in the images appear to be completely without shadows or reflections. This is made possible when a light tent is implemented by the photographer.
* Tape - We used clear packing tape. The tape will be used to hold the fabric in place.
* Glue - This will be used to adhere the lining inside of your box. I used rubber cement but
Steps to creating your light tent:
1. Measure & mark box - Using the ruler and pencil/marker, measure roughly 2''
2. Cut out sides - Cut out the boxes you have measured on the 4 sides of the box.
Also remove the top of the box but be sure to leave the BOTTOM of the box
A light tent is composed of a translucent material hung around a frame. The translucent material diffuses the light coming from outside the tent and this limits the amount of reflection. This makes photographing highly reflective objects, like jewelry or glassware, much easier and effective. Likewise, the objects appear to be bathed in a soft glow that is evenly distributed.
After a quick internet search I was able to find light tents listed for purchase. Light tents have a vast price range with the least being shown for $13.50 and the most costly listed for $10,000. Yet with the times being as tough as they have been on everyone's pocket book I wanted to share a low-cost and fun DIY process for making your very own light tent.
A fellow craft-addict and close friend of mine brought this project to my attention as we are both just getting our blog-feet wet and we decided to give this a shot and see if it was worth re-sharing. Needless to say we were pretty excited once we tested the tents and saw that they were indeed able to produce high quality photos.
* A box - You can use any sized box that you
prefer and suits your needs. I chose
to use a smaller square box as a
tester.
* Fabric - This again is open to what you opt
to purchase. We chose to use a
white fabric that we found on sell
at a local fabric store. You can use
an old white t-shirt or any white
fabric. Base the amount of fabric
required for this project on the size box
you have chosen. You will need enough
fabric to cover the entire box.
* Tape - We used clear packing tape. The tape will be used to hold the fabric in place.
* Glue - This will be used to adhere the lining inside of your box. I used rubber cement but
a regular glue stick would work as well.
* White Bristol board - I opted to use plain white computer paper but my friend used the
Bristol board. Bristol board is a heavy duty paper much like poster board. You will
need enough paper/Bristol board to line the inside of your box and the back round.
Depending on the size of your box, you may need at least 2 sheets that will be cut
or fitted inside your box and 1 additional piece that will be used as the back round.
* Lights - This is the most important part of your light tent. We used a table lamp to test
our tents. However you may want to use "daylight" bulbs to avoid a yellow tint
that may be caused by using normal household light bulbs. Also the original
outline we followed stated that any "full spectrum" light bulb will work.
* Additional tools - It will be helpful to have these items handy : scissors, tape measure,
ruler and pencil.
Steps to creating your light tent:
1. Measure & mark box - Using the ruler and pencil/marker, measure roughly 2''
from the edge of the box. Repeat this on all 4 sides of the box. DO NOT do
this on the BOTTOM of the box or the TOP.
Also remove the top of the box but be sure to leave the BOTTOM of the box
intact.
3. Adhere the white paper/Bristol board - Since I used a smaller box, I found it
easier to coat the remaining sides of my box with the rubber cement and insert
the pages of white paper and allow them to dry prior to cutting out the inner
square. If you would prefer to measure and cut the paper/board into strips and
line the inside of your box, that is your choice. Only cover the inside of box on
the 4 sides, do not cover the BOTTOM of the box.
4. Place the back round - Cut a piece of the white paper/Bristol board that is the same
width as the inside of your box and the length is much longer than the box.
Place the piece of white paper/Bristol board inside the box, allowing it to
curve inside the box. Be mindful and do not allow creases to form in the
paper/board as this will show in the background of your photos. You can cut
and remove the excess paper/board that be remaining at the top of your box
however I taped the excess flap-style to the outside of my box. This will allow
me to remove and change the back round (background) for my photos, should
I choose to change the color or replace the paper due to creases.
5. Apply the fabric to the outside of box - I admit this was the portion of the process
that I struggled with but in the end I was able to measure and attach the
fabric. You will probably find a much faster way than I did and for that I
am skipping "my advice" on this bit. The important thing to achieve in this
step is, measuring your fabric and ensuring that is covers the opening in your
box with the exception of the opening that faces your back round. This
includes the top of the box as well. I used tape to hold the fabric in place as it
will be easy to remove if needed.
Now with the addition of your light you may start taking photos
**Regarding the use of lamps; you will find that different bulbs will cause a different result.
Likewise, if you move the angle of the light source or use multiple light sources the images
will be slightly if not drastically different with each photo.
Below are 2 photos taken with the use of my own DIY light tent
Please feel free to leave comments or suggestions for this project, I would love to hear how this works for others and improvements are welcomed!
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