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Super Simple Light Tentby wdrwilson on March 12, 2006

Table of Contents

intro: Super Simple Light Tent ...................................................................................................

step 1: Select materials ........................................................................................................

step 2: Cut the box ............................................................................................................

step 3: Assemble the Skeleton ...................................................................................................

step 4: Wrap the box ..........................................................................................................

step 5: add continous background ................................................................................................

step 6: Add light and enjoy ......................................................................................................

step 7: End Result ............................................................................................................

Related Instructables ...........................................................................................................

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Comments ...................................................................................................................

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intro: Super Simple Light TentI was inspired to do this project after seeing the PVC light tent posted on the MAKE blog. This light tent uses a cardboard box, and some white material (Tyvek) andallows you to take reasonable photos of products such as bottles, watches, jewlery, small objects, etc. There is lot's of room for improvement but for the sake of 15minutes I hope you will agree i t's pretty good :)

step 1:Select materialsFirst thing to do is find your self a usable box. The box I used is a half of a resin plastic shelf. The dimensions are roughly 16" x 15" x 15". This size has handled mostthings I have put in it, however I think something a little wider would be easier to use.

Materials used

- Masking tape or other heavy tape (Duct, packing, etc)- X-Acto knife- Ruler- Glue Stick- semi transparent white material (Tyvek, White suiting/Ripstop nylon, bed sheets, etc)

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step 2:Cut the box1) Lay the box flat

2) using the ruler add a 1" to 1-1/2" border to all sides of the box (top, bottom, left and right) - Essentially you want to cut a hole in all sides of the box.

Tip: don't forget to add a line on either side of the center of the box as it lays flat :)

3) Cut out the four panels of the box using an x-acto knife and cutting on the lines.

See the images below if the above is unclear.

step 3:Assemble the Skeleton1) Open up the box and close the bottom of the box

2) Tape down the exterior and interior seam.

3) The Bottom of the box will serve as the platform for placing your objects.

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step 4:Wrap the box1) Using the semi-transparent material you have chosen wrap it around the box so that it covers 3 of the four sides

2) I used sign printing grade Tyvek and attached it using a glue stick.

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step 5:add continous backgroundThis is part of the magic of the light tent, creating a continous background in your images. To do this we add a piece of bristol board cut to fit the box.

1) Use the depth of the box + the height of the box as a rough measurement.

2) Cut out a piece of bristol board that matches the dimensions above

3) This creates a nice white platform to shoot your images against. Try using other colors, Blue, Black, etc.

3) Insert the bristol board into the box so that the edge of the bristol board is placed against the front of the box and th card board is allowed to curve like a wave, half-pipe, you get the picture (I hope :) )

As usual the pictures will make it all clear. :)

step 6:Add light and enjoy1) Now that you have th box wrapped, and the continous background in place you are ready to take some photos.

2) I used a desk lamp, and a couple of Ott lights (13watt) for the apple shot in the beginning of this instructable.

3) for better/different results I am switching to the simple clamp style fixture used in the PVC light tent with 100 watt bulbs.

4) experiment with light location and diffusing the light that shines through the top of the box with other semi transparent material, nylon, etc.

The light entering the box will be diffused and the shadows will soften or disappear...***NOTE: At this stage (or perhaps before) you can and probably cover the inside of the box with white as well, at least the frame. Or you could switch the white materfrom the outstide to the inside. I bring this up because It was pointed out over at DPReview.com(http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=17593322) that there is a black reflection in the photos produced using this box.... I hope that will fix it :)

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step 7:End ResultHere are some examples of shots taken with this light box.. I am by no means a photographer but to my untrained eye these shots look pretty good.

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Comments

41 comments Add Comment

scorcher says: Oct 6, 2008. 11:35 AM REP

i used printer paper! :D the first pic is just the light box's back drop and the second has a car with it.

D4VOBRO says: Apr 24, 2009. 3:44 AM REP

C'mon dude its not in focus or even centred LOL

bigfuz says: Jul 20, 2006. 2:57 PM REP

i went kinda McGyver on it and used glad press&seal paper. came out okay/ 

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firesketch says: Sep 1, 2008. 1:05 PM REP

Nice : D

firesketch says: Sep 1, 2008. 8:03 AM REP

Sweet pictures man!I'm going to use a bedsheet, must make now!

Props

visable_darkness says: Jul 5, 2008. 9:03 AM REP

Thanks! This is a great idea. May I ask where you got your Tyvek? I'd l ike to find a local retailer instead of buying online (so that I can build it today-ofcourse!)

wdrwilson says: Jul 5, 2008. 10:38 AM REP

I got the Tyvek directly from 3M, (for Kite workshops) but you maybe able to find it at a home building center. If you do find it there the tyvek may have logo printed in large letters across the surface, which will probably not be the best..

The only reason I chose tyvek was that I had it on hand and it was a little translucent, any white material that is some what translucent should work justfine.

Good luck,Bill

stampnmichelle says: Jan 30, 2008. 5:18 PM REP

Great instructions that are simple to understand. Your suggestion to line the inside of the box as a good idea as if you look on the inside of the gold ring yocan see the cardboard frame reflected there. Off to make my own box.

dingle says: May 2, 2006. 1:33 PM REP

Picture taken with newly constructed Light Tent. Thanks.

Gunk on Floor says: Dec 24, 2007. 8:26 PM REP

woah, cool rings. What are those made of? If you made them I would definatley like to find out how.

dingle says: Dec 25, 2007. 12:46 PM REP

they are made of a high temperature Dupont material at the plant where i used to work,

klinstifen says: Feb 25, 2007. 8:27 AM REP

I really like this...I liked it so much I used it in conjunction with my Instructable. My light tent is but a meager attempt compared to yours, but still yours was theinspiration. Nice job! You snapped some great pictures. Where did you pick up your lights? I figured a chain store like Target would have some clip on desklamps, but they didn't! I try to stay away from Walmart....any ideas where one could obtain lights that would work well for this?

guitarteacher says: Oct 4, 2007. 5:49 AM REP

Clamp reflector lights at Home Depot - cheap, and they'll clamp anywhere. I used them for years when I fi rst got into photography (couldn't affordanything else!)

Deborah Marcotte says: Aug 11, 2007. 2:12 AM REP

Nice job ! I own a commercial version and this does the job just as well.. thanks

www.deborahmarcotte.com

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scottamus says: Apr 24, 2007. 2:03 PM REP

Wow, I thought I'd found a lightweight tent to take camping. You're just lucky I'm a photographer too.

wdrwilson says: Apr 22, 2006. 10:04 PM REP

Wow.. A Project of the month winner, that's pretty cool. Thanks for all the comments, I will revise this project with a lot of the tips here.

Joe93: Yep you could use paper, I chose the tyvek because it's what I had and it already came in nice wide sheets. velum, freezer paper, copy paper woulall work. Just be careful if you use regular light bulbs, they got hot! :)

dlance: Ya, that's probably the easiest way to get rid of the card board colored areas inside the box.

sonai61 says: Mar 1, 2007. 1:09 PM REP

How did you place the apple on the curved bristol paper surface?

mrlee says: Feb 3, 2007. 8:14 AM REP

Brill! These things are pretty costly on the High Street.I was luck enough to find a lightbox in my street last week- I wired a new plug to it-and bingo ringo-itworks! I am gonna build a tent, and use the lightbox to illuminate stuff from above, just like the pro do to photograph cars!

TIP says: Jun 6, 2006. 10:53 AM REP

Hi

Thank you for this wonderful idea:

I made a light tent based on your design and managed to shoot some decent pictures.

I don't know what to call the paper I used. This paper came in the wrapping which came with the Television I bought.

http://theindianphotographer.blogspot.com/2006/05/rotary-blood-bank.html

http://theindianphotographer.blogspot.com/2006/05/aum.html

http://theindianphotographer.blogspot.com/2006/05/anthurium.html

TIP says: Nov 20, 2006. 2:59 PM REP

Hi

I shot some more pictures using this Light Tent. Please have a look

http://theindianphotographer.blogspot.com/2006/11/table-top-3-candles.htmlhttp://theindianphotographer.blogspot.com/2006/11/lac-bangles.html

Thanks

osnap says: Jul 26, 2006. 12:24 PM REP

I see that you're using two different lights?Maybe I missed where you said what each were(I saw the one - desk lamp). What lights wouldyou recommend and specifics?

Thanks in advance!

osnap says: Jul 26, 2006. 12:25 PM REP

(I meant "any" specifics).

FancifulFancy says: Jun 16, 2006. 11:23 PM REPI used a $1 Vinyl Tablecloth that was white with no backing. It works great for the sides and even difuses the light from the top as well (if you use a light froabove), it was made by Dixie.

savagenarce says: Jun 16, 2006. 12:55 PM REP

Riafu: try using monofilament fishing leader, or "invisible thread" (available from sewing shops). Under the right conditions it is almost invisible, and it is easto edit out any remaining artifacts with a basic photo editor.

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KINGRAT says: May 17, 2006. 1:17 AM REP

2 thumbs up ! 5 star *****

Scwounch says: May 16, 2006. 11:40 AM REP

Those are great shots! And with the background so smooth and nearly white like that, it would take only minimal Photoshop work to completely white it out use the white as a mask to superimpose your objects into other scenes. :o)

dingle says: May 2, 2006. 1:38 PM REP

Taken with newly constructed light tent. These are high temp micro molded pieces that my company makes, about the size of a nickel.

riafu says: Apr 23, 2006. 12:02 AM REP

any suggestions for taking photos of earrings using this light tent? how to hang them in the box without shadows or nails or string showing?

riafu says: Apr 23, 2006. 12:02 AM REP

any suggestions for taking ohotos of earrings using this light tent? how to hang them in the box without shadows and nails or string showing?

Joe93 says: Apr 22, 2006. 8:01 AM REP

could you just use normal paper instead?

dlance says: Apr 21, 2006. 8:23 AM REP

You could glue the Tyvek to the inside surface so the cardboard won't show up on reflective surfaces being photographed.

beejay says: Mar 24, 2006. 6:58 PM REPYou need to add the Bristol board to the list of materials. Other than that, this looks like a wonderful, quick, inexpensive solution to something I've beenfighting. Thanks!

tir38 says: Mar 22, 2006. 4:20 PM REP

is the semi-transparent material behind the bristol board necessary? I'd think you would only need the semi transparent material on the 2 sides.

RCline says: Mar 19, 2006. 5:22 PM REP

A White Bed sheet will work too. I would also suggest painting the cardboard white so it won't show up on reflective surfaces being photographed.

nycbone says: Mar 17, 2006. 11:44 AM REP

Great resource. I used this process for these photos http://flickr.com/photos/nycbone/sets/46466/ . Will be sending my friends to this link as i 've been havin

to tell them how to do it.

mycroftxxx says: Mar 13, 2006. 1:19 PM REP

Would wax paper also work as well? I'm imagining using it in a manner similar to the $20 rear-projection screen hack from a while back if you have to makea larger tent, but for one this size, it should work off the roll.

Subvert says: Mar 14, 2006. 1:13 PM REP

Along those lines, I'd think that parchment paper would be a better choice. It 's more heat resistant than waxed paper is.

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Subvert says: Mar 14, 2006. 1:13 PM REP

this comment was intended to be a reply to mycroftxxx. No idea why it went as its own comment.

wdrwilson says: Mar 13, 2006. 4:12 PM REP

I can't see why not... obviously if you use lights that are hot (normal light bulbs) you won't want to get too close :)

--Bill

saF says: Mar 14, 2006. 8:45 AM REP

Wow Bill. Congrats. I am sure Val will use that regularly. I suspect I will be doing something similar for Linda within the next year.

Thanks for the instructions!.saF

jeffcaylor says: Mar 13, 2006. 11:36 AM REP

Nice job. I'm not a pro photographer either. I haven't spent enough money on a camera to justify an expensive tent. However, I know with some goodlighting, my 8MP digital can take some nice shots. This is a great instructable. Thanks!