Creating a Light Box To Take Better Pictures

Taking pictures for a blog post can be a difficult task. Do you have enough sunlight? If you have sunlight, is it in the optimal position to use, depending on the time of day, when you need to take the picture?  If you are using a light bulb, will it make everything turn yellow? If you need to use the flash, will it wash everything out? All very important questions.

Recently, Katie, at  Boost your Photography, shared how she created a light tent using a box, some tissue paper, and lights. That link here. I want to share with you a picture I took after I had completed creating my light box.

For this project you will need a box, tissue paper, scissors, poster board and lights. Any type of lights will do flood lights, lamps, and even flashlights. 

I started looking around our house for a box. That is when I came across a cat toy that my cat did not have any desire to use. The toy was the perfect size to use to create the light box. I took the cat toy apart and removed any attached material.

Next, I attached tissue paper to 4 sides of the cube. I attached the tissue paper together with packing tape.

I cut the poster board to fit in the box, covering the bottom and the back of the box.

My handsome husband gave me his flood lights to use when I need to take pictures. Set the flood lights on each side of the light box. You can position the lights at any height you feel is best for your shot. My items to photograph were small, so I positioned the lights closer to the ground.

(Note: Flood lights get very hot.)

I was then able to take a shot of the first cherry tomatoes from my garden. Using this light box, I took this picture in a dark hallway, with bad lighting.

With this shot below, I held a flashlight above the light box, over the tomatoes, to create shadows.

I used an LED flashlight and you can tell a difference in the color of the lighting between the two pictures using two different light sources.

My total expenses for this project was .99 cents. I had to buy the poster board. But, everything else I found in my home. In the future, I may invest in different types of light bulbs for the flood lights. In order to give the pictures different effects, depending on how I want my shot to look. 

Please check out Katie's blog. She explains, in photographer's skilled language, how her light tent helps with taking better pictures.

Thank you Katie, for sharing with us how to take beautiful pictures using your light tent tutorial. I am excited about taking pictures now, instead of worrying when I could or could not take a picture depending on the sun's position or the weather outside.

Please leave me a note in the comments below if you have used a light tent. Or any advice to help with lighting, would be greatly appreciated.

Have a blessed day!