Mini Photo Lab

Its just as easy to use a white satin sheet thrown over a wood frame…cheaper too.

-- If you can't build it, code it. If you can't code it, build it. But always ALWAYS take a picture.

I thought the lights and tripod that come with the kit were the bigger feature than the “box” thing. I know for me personally the lighting is the issue. Would the sheet over a frame help with that in someway?

-- Tim D. - Woodstock, GA

For my soapmaking, I made a frame by cutting up the cardboard box our new microwave had just come in. A couple of cheap office/table lamps with flexible heads and CF bulbs provide the light, some cheap white pillowcases act as diffusers. The background is a sheet of construction paper from an Arts & Crafts store hung with bulldog clips from a dowel.

This pic isn’t quite as clear but shows a swinging arm lamp pivoted over the box.

Tim;

The sheets are the key part of the whole contraption as they diffuse the light. When I use mine, it’s set on a table (as shown) and I use a regular tripod set on the floor.

-- Derek, Bremerton WA --

Very nice set up DerekL.

Did any of you see my forum topic, Photographing your work?

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Tim,

I use this thing to photograph my work and it works reasonably well (see my projects). I purchased it from Walmart for 50$. Most of the catalogs have the same product for 80-120$.

Alin

-- -- Alin Dobra, Gainesville, Florida

DerekL has the right idea…you dont need to get fancy with the lights. Just make sure they are the same K so that it doesnt freak out your Color Balance…If you use the lights right, yo wont need a flash(which throws off the color balance because its different from your lights)

I have never taken the time to do one of these cause I do mostly portrait photography or environmental stuff..But this is the way I would do it. I used to have a link to a photography site that has all kinds of help for lighting projects like this… http://www.dpreview.com/forums/ there is a forum in there about lighting. You can find lots of help, but there are some elitists in there, so wear some insulation…..

-- If you can't build it, code it. If you can't code it, build it. But always ALWAYS take a picture.