Light Box

We're doing Food Photography on Monday at the U3A Camera Club meeting. It was time to make a light box to take along for better results. A light box is basically what it says, a box with a light source to prevent shadows of the product to be photographed. You can buy a professional light box at an inflated price, or you can just make one. which I did.

I started with an ordinary run of the mill, but sturdy,  cardboard box

I then removed the lids and glued the bottom flaps firmly in place.. I covered the jagged edges with silver duct tape left over from my air conditioning days.

I had an old floor standing lamp we haven't used for a long time, so I detached the stand and disgarded it. Next I measured the diameter of the light and cut a circular hole into the side which is now the top of the light box.

I painted the inside top and sides of the cardboard box with white emulsion paint. Two coats.

The secret is to paint the inside of the light box white so that it bounces the light source all around the inside preventing nasty shadows of the product.

I cut a large piece of white cardboard the side of the back and bottom and glued it into the inside. It is important to shape the bottom back slightly curved so that the edge doesn't show in the photographs.

I finally place the light on top of the circular opening on top, turn it on and the result is a nice even white light inside the box.

Unfortunately, I am not happy with the light at this stage, as the only bulbs I could find are giving off a light which is too warm. So I have to set the white balance before every shoot, until I can buy a proper photographic light bulb next week.

But this box will do for Monday morning's meeting.