The Light Box Project

I don't often embark on do-it-yourself projects - getting three meals a day on the table is sometimes more do-it-yourself than I can manage - but because I have never been satisfied with the way my greeting cards photograph, I decided to do some research to find out what I could do to improve things. 

I found a lot of articles and posts dedicated to tips for the amateur photographer, many of them geared towards the food blogger and the crafter.  Many of them made my head spin.  When I came across How to Make An Inexpensive Light Tent by Darren Rowse it seemed not only like something I could easily tackle, but might actually be fun.

 
The box came courtesy of Bob's Red Mill and I was able to get the rest of the necessary ingredients at my local WalMart - though I wasn't sure about the light bulbs (more on that later).  It took me an hour and a half or so, with interruptions, to put this very simple contraption together and by late afternoon I was ready to take the first test photographs.

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I decided to try all three of my cameras - though that term is generous for two of them.  I have a little Canon Powershot that I've had for ages, plus the cameras on my HTC Android and my new iPad. 

You can see from the above photo that I used three lights (unlike as shown in Darren's article) because I'd seen this done in another lightbox post and it seemed like a good way to manage unwanted shadows.  The background is a pure white poster board.  I took lots of photos from each camera - using two different greeting cards (one with a cream-colored stock and the other a sage green stock).  I also photographed two small bowls, just for further comparison.  Finally, I took some photos in the daylight (you can see the window to the right of the lightbox) and some at night - so there was no outside light filtering in.  I was hoping for a professional look, but as you'll see below, I got something quite different.

The first photos are from the Canon and I expected those to be the best.  You can see that the photos have a definite rosy hue...

Canon Powershot, nightime.

Canon Powershot, daytime.

Canon Powershot, nighttime.

Canon Powershot, daytime.

Next up was the Android HTC.  The photos, I think, are a little bit better - though still not at all what I'd like.

Android HTC, nighttime.

Android HTC, daytime.

Android HTC, nighttime.

Android HTC, daytime.

The last series was taken with my iPad and surprisingly, they look the truest.  There is still some red and blue coming through in the background and on the cards, but less so than either the Canon or the Android.  Despite the improvement, I'm not satisfied with these photos, but I believe the problem lies with the light bulbs rather than with the box itself.  I was unable to find "daylight" bulbs so opted for ones labeled "clean, beautiful."  Once I get my hands on some true daylight/photography bulbs, I'll test all over again.

Despite the disappointing results, I think this is a worthwhile project.  There are many manufacturers of light boxes (most of which come with everything you need: lights, colored backgrounds and of course, the box itself) as I found out after I'd already completed my project (thanks to Isobel at Coldham Cuddlies for the tip - who coincidentally just purchased a light box).  Prices vary from around $30 to $150 and more (on Amazon).  I put mine together for about $30. 

Apple iPad, nighttime.

Apple iPad, daytime.

Apple iPad, nighttime.

Apple iPad, nighttime.