How do you make your own Photography Lightbox?
Our first three products at Sisu Prime Aromatherapy (SPA) had just been branded and we were in need of professional pictures to put in our online adverts and online stores. We needed to cut costs, so I went to my best friend, Google
Requirements
Most product pictures have plain color backgrounds, especially white. Photographers usually use what is called a light-box, or a softlight box in which they place the products and use the white background to enhance the pictures they take.
My friend Mary had told me earlier I should be able to make one using white cardboard, so I checked for “DIY photography lightbox”. The results showed me what its supposed to look like, so I thought about practicing on how to make it, using paper at first.
The video results were not too comforting, as most of them showed that I needed stronger cardboard than what I had, and also I may need to make frames for the cardboard.
What I Did
As I was following the tutorials, a thought just occurred to me; why not make it with origami? Origami is the art of folding paper into different shapes e.g. animals, vases, ornaments and more. I had a Pinterest board for Origami already, so all I had to do was find one tutorial that would achieve what was needed in terms of the lightbox shape.
My products were not that tall (10cm was enough) or wide (5cm was alright), so if I could make an origami lightbox that would fit in, then I had my solution.
I found one here at Origami-instructions.com. I stopped at Step 9, at which stage, it is shaped like a goal post. I made three “goal posts”. I inserted two in each other to make a box, and another behind the piece that will stand upright.
What Camera did I use to test my Light-box?
I use an Infinix Hot 6, a phone brand that’s really popular. Its an Android phone, and at this time, iPhone is still the ace of phones, so I did not expect much in terms of picture quality, but I was surprised to find a “Modes” section in the Camera app on the phone. There is the “Professional”, the “Panoramic” and the “Night” mode.
I found comprehensive instructions on how to use the Professional mode, for spectacular results on the Don Caprio site, which included explanations for the different kinds of settings that I can tweak to my satisfaction for different types of shots e.g. ISO, Shutter speed (S), White Balance (WB), Exposure Value (EV) and Manual Focus (MF).
I did the photoshoot with maximum exposure to sunlight so that I could maximize the daylight as much as possible. I also played around with the Flash feature to see how the results would look.
The shoot turned out great. I am happy I was able to find an immediate solution to my pressing need. I hope this helps you too. If you have questions or feedbacks, please comment below.
P.S: SPA sells 100% natural beauty care products that also promote great emotional, physical and mental health.