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Lightbox Setup
So here's the finished rig. As is evident from the shot it's somewhat large and bit of a squeeze in a tiny apartment like ours, but I like the fact that I can fit something as large as a computer or even my daughter inside to be photographed.
This setup will need more light than a small one as the light fall-off in a larger rig is greater. I'm using my 1,000 watt Redhead video lights for illumination. Workshop Halogen lights from a hardware store should work well too. (Caution: keep hot lights at a reasonable distance from the cloth and other materials as they can catch fire). Also, try using a flash bounced off the inside roof of the rig as it scatters nicely off the walls and back to give a nice even light. The obective is to fill the box with as much (scattered) light as possible to minimize shadows and create even illumination - depending on the effect you want of course. Experimentation is key in a project like this.
I bought about 4 meters of white polyester from our local fabric supply store (Fabricland - $4.99/m) but other white materials will work too - just hold it up to the light and see how much light makes it through before choosing a material. Keep in mind if it's too sheer light won't scatter as much and you'll wind up with less even lighting and hotspots on your subject. If you can see and recognize objects on the other side of the fabric, it's too thin or coarse weave.
In the shot I have an Ikea coffee table inside to raise my subject off the floor. The black PVC pipes should probably be painted white to minimize them showing up in reflections - or the cloth could be sewn together to form a fabric cube and suspended inside the frame (if you know someone very good at sewing).
I used a couple of Manfrotto universal clamps attached to the pipes inside to hang a roll of backdrop paper from. But you can just as easily cut a sheet of the right length you need and tape it to the horizontal top pipe in the back and drape it forwards.
Note: after some experimenting, I added a piece of material to cover the opening part as well to reflect frontal light onto the items being shot inside (flap missing in this photo). You can either cut an opening for your camera in the flap or if the box is big enough as mine, you can sit right inside with your camera and shoot freehand.
Lightbox Setup
So here's the finished rig. As is evident from the shot it's somewhat large and bit of a squeeze in a tiny apartment like ours, but I like the fact that I can fit something as large as a computer or even my daughter inside to be photographed.
This setup will need more light than a small one as the light fall-off in a larger rig is greater. I'm using my 1,000 watt Redhead video lights for illumination. Workshop Halogen lights from a hardware store should work well too. (Caution: keep hot lights at a reasonable distance from the cloth and other materials as they can catch fire). Also, try using a flash bounced off the inside roof of the rig as it scatters nicely off the walls and back to give a nice even light. The obective is to fill the box with as much (scattered) light as possible to minimize shadows and create even illumination - depending on the effect you want of course. Experimentation is key in a project like this.
I bought about 4 meters of white polyester from our local fabric supply store (Fabricland - $4.99/m) but other white materials will work too - just hold it up to the light and see how much light makes it through before choosing a material. Keep in mind if it's too sheer light won't scatter as much and you'll wind up with less even lighting and hotspots on your subject. If you can see and recognize objects on the other side of the fabric, it's too thin or coarse weave.
In the shot I have an Ikea coffee table inside to raise my subject off the floor. The black PVC pipes should probably be painted white to minimize them showing up in reflections - or the cloth could be sewn together to form a fabric cube and suspended inside the frame (if you know someone very good at sewing).
I used a couple of Manfrotto universal clamps attached to the pipes inside to hang a roll of backdrop paper from. But you can just as easily cut a sheet of the right length you need and tape it to the horizontal top pipe in the back and drape it forwards.
Note: after some experimenting, I added a piece of material to cover the opening part as well to reflect frontal light onto the items being shot inside (flap missing in this photo). You can either cut an opening for your camera in the flap or if the box is big enough as mine, you can sit right inside with your camera and shoot freehand.