Homemade Light Box

This blog records my process of creating art jewelry, with adventures, examples, and techniques! Not to mention creative inspiration! Click on the images to enlarge.

I've been doing more photography than beading lately! This is my homemade lightbox setup based on what I've learned from Etsy's Storque articles and a great site (just do a search on EZ Cube - this is a terrific product they sell and as well they have articles on photography).

First thing with photography: you need to diffuse the light. That's why a light box. Mine is created with Wondermat tiles with squares cut out to hold the translucent inserts. I made the inserts by cutting squares from plastic notebook covers from the Staples Store. The squares are exactly the same size as the holes in the Wondermat and they just sit there, no gluing or taping required.

I'm using three lights, and two are those natural spectrum ones, although with the third I've cheated and have an incandescent light. Supposedly you can't get the light balance right unless you use all the same kind of light, all incandescent or all fluorescent or all natural spectrum.

Since some of my shots are from above I have the top sort of loose so I can diffuse but also get at an overhead shot.

I'm playing with scrapping paper for backgrounds and also under glass. Glass is tricky due to glare from the flash, but it's wonderful when you get it just right.

You MUST use a tripod to get sharp photos! The tripod is in the front.