Light Box Photography for Fun and Profit

Just a few weeks ago at ACE/NETC 2009 in Des Moines, Iowa, i gave a short presentation on building and using a photography light box.



The short presentation is available on slideshare.

I also have a light box set on flickr.

Here is the blurb from the conference description:

In this brief session you will learn three things: (1) how to make your own light box for a few dollars; (2) how to use it to make professional looking images easily and without expensive equipment or software; and (3) how to sell the images for thousands of dollars. At the very least, we'll shoot for two out of three.

Sadly, my tongue-n-check description did draw one person hoping to learn about making money from their photos. I should really learn to be more careful with those descriptions as that has happened to me before.

Building

The inspiration for doing the presentation was finding a cheap light box how-to that shows how to build a complete light box for less than US$25. I had looked at light box/soft box kits for US$80 or more, but they always seemed over-priced for what you were getting.

A few notes about building the light box/tent from the site above:

• You don't need CPVC; use plain PVC, it is cheaper ...unless you plan to seal the light box frame and pressure test with 200 degree water to 300psi.


• You do not need to glue the frame together. The PVC pieces will stick well enough together to hold everything up. Additionally, it is quite hard to glue a rectangle and keep the corners square.


• The caps for the legs are a nice touch, but also not needed.


• The screws are also optional. I just use plain 'ol transparent tape to hold my backdrops to the pipe.


• All the PVC parts can be had for less than US$10.

Lighting

Keep it simple and cheap. I bought two 250 Watt halogen work lights (Workforce) from Home Depot. Cost US$4.95 each. If you have some lights around the house, give'em a shot.



Using the 250W lights had the added bonus of being able to take most shots without a tripod. You can certainly use lower wattage lights and set-up the tripod.

Color

Reading through the comments on the site above and other do it yourself light box pages, you will find a lot of folks struggling with color balance of the pictures. While you can certainly use most photo editing software to tweak the color by hand, there is a much simpler way that has been around a long time: the gray card.

Furthermore, check the photo software you use to see if it can use either white or black as a reference too, but all should understand a gray reference color.

The process is straight forward. Along with the item you place in the light box, place a gray/white/black card/paper/object such that you can include some area of it in your shot. When looking at the composition, just count on cropping that area out.

You can find gray cards for sale (also includes white and black reference cards too), or you can find a gray folder (i used a plastic one made by Mead US$2.49) at Walmart for a couple of bucks.

Time for Fun

Once you have the basic work flow going, have some fun! You can find lots of shots on the net (flickr, smugmug, to list a couple) and lots of inspirational ideas.



Ideas for experimenting:

1. light positioning - while a light box is great for getting rid of shadows, it is also great for creating the perfect shadows


2. backdrops - i bought a booklet full of colored construction paper at Walmart for dirt cheap; different types of cloth could also be used


3. placing items on mirrors, tiles, glass and the like


4. Anything you can fit in the light box is fair game!

Book Review: I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse

I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse: Insider Business Tips from a Former Mob Boss by Michael Franzese

Disclaimer: i received a copy of this book for review from Thomas-Nelson Publishers.

I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse: Insider Business Tips from a Former Mob Boss was an interesting book. A more descriptive (less sensational) title would have been Business Ethics: Machiavelli v/s Solomon. Who would have thought that mobsters were given homework when they went off to jail?

Michael Franzese tells us how the mob lived by the principals outlined by Niccolò Machiavelli in his book The Prince. And that a copy was given to incarcerated mobsters to read while they were doing their time.

Franzese explains how the mob is a great example of Machiavellian principals in practice and why an enterprising business-person would be wise to avoid them at all costs. For a contrast, he offers that Solomon has far more wisdom than Machiavelli; which, at the very least, should keep you out of jail.

I had low expectations for this book; perhaps because i didn't know what to expect. The book was a very quick read, but really needed another pass from a copy-editor. Overall, i found it interesting and educational.


James' Rating: 4/5 Stars

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Book Review: Kiss

Kiss by Ted Dekker

Disclaimer: i received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers for review.

I enjoyed this book, but it was not what i was expecting .. which was actually a good thing. At first i was feeling a little disappointed: Was this another story about someone in an accident that lost their memory? So it seemed...then it got interesting.

The book is well-written and a pretty fast read. It has suspense, mystery, love, murder, politics and a sci-fi/paranormal aspect to it. The latter threw me off a bit; that was the unexpected, but definitely made for a much better story.

Sound remotely interesting? Grab it. You'll enjoy it.

James' Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: Holding Fast

Holding Fast: The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy by Karen James

Disclaimer: i received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers for review.

This book was a surprise. When the preface tells you how the story ends (yes, i know the title has tragedy in it, but i had not actually heard of the story -- i generally don't watch the news), it leaves you wondering how the rest of the story could be engaging. Wow, was i wrong.

Karen James walks you thru the period before the tragedy and after in a manner that is interesting and even suspenseful. As the characters are introduced, you are given enough of a glimpse into the their character, personality and relationships that you can understand the bonds that tie them together.

As the clues are unraveled, you are drawn into emotional moments; however, unlike other books i have read of late, the text is clear, concise and to the point. This book could have easily been a 600 page bore-fest (i.e. wouldn't have been published).

This book was a fast and interesting read; your time will be rewarded.

James' Rating: 5/5

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Book Review: Born Standing Up

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin

James' Rating: 5/5 -- My review on Goodreads.

I'm moving all my reviews to Goodreads. It appears to be one of the better review sites that i have seen. As always, FriendFeed has feeds from all the services i use and has great filtering to weed out the cruft.

Book Review: It's Not About Me

There are many times when i want to whine about life being unfair, complain about some circumstance, get a little depressed over some issue, or even get a little concerned when some health issue arises. That's when you need the reminder...

It's Not About Me serves as that reminder nicely. Despite being a New York Times bestseller, Max Lucado does a good job of taking the reader on a journey; stopping first to remind us who God is, then taking the next step to talk about what that means for you and me.

The first couple of chapters are a little too wordy, using just too many words (examples, metaphors) to get the point across. I actually took a break from this book to read another one. I was happy that this book got better the farther along i read.

Find yourself thinking too much about yourself? If you answered, "no, i'm too important to do that," then this one is for you. :-)

James' Rating: 4/5

Book Review: Through the Storm

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review.  What?  You ain't reading this blog yet?

Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World from Thomas Nelson Publishers is nearly an autobiography of Lynne Spears. Mother of Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears.

Why read this book? If for no other reason than to glean some wise words from a mother who has rode waves that few of us will ever see. I believe that is reason enough. If you are a pop-culture addict, this will likely give you a fix too. I'm pretty pop-ignorant so several issues were new to me.

The book is an easy read; set aside a mere four hours to make it cover to cover. It is well written and is formulated similar to a screenplay -- a foreshadow perhaps? The primary story arc is about Lynne, with a second encompassing the eldest daughter; however, there are other subplots which are diverse and interspersed enough to keep you engaged. The book has thirty chapters and i only found myself frustrated with a couple of them (ie. screaming move along).

Lynne is a mom who loves her children and is forced to deal with some surreal circumstances that sound sadly familiar coming from Hollywood land -- the Sheen/Estévez family comes to mind. While Mrs. Spears is quick to tell you where the media was wrong in their portrayal of her in the many public sagas, she makes no attempt to paint herself as a perfect mother.

Lastly, i had no idea that paparazzi is the plural form of paparrazo.

James' Rating:  4/5