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DIY Lightbox MK2


BrianI

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Following on from my rather disastrous conversion of IKEA Skubb Laundry Hampers into a photography lightbox: (in the end the fabric started to tear, and the lightbox was rather wibbly wobbly), here is my build log for my MK2!

Here is my purchased materials:

 

30789221210_8a952f9e2f_c.jpg

 

6 sheets of A1 foamcore board.

2 sheets of black a1 card, and 2 sheets of white a1 card (for the curved backdrop, plus spare incase it gets creased).

 

2ft 18W flourescent battens (will replace the tubes with daylight simulation tubes once I get it all wired up and running)

 

 

Now for lighting the interior I am going to fix the 2ft fluorescent strip lights to the roof of the light box. Hopefully this should give enough light which will reflect off the side walls to give a nice soft light.

 

Unless it would be better to cut a square section out of either end, cover with tissue paper, so that they could be illuminated by diffused light from desk lights?

 

Any other things I should consider? I'm aiming on building the light box to be ~2ft cube in size, as I do like building 1:12 scale cars! It should fit under my modelling desk when not in use, however perhaps I can build it so that it can be dismantled / folded away...

 

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Even though the top lights will be soft I think you'll need two fill lights, from 45* each side low down.

I'm drawing my plans for a new light box too, the same size as yours.

I have a 18inch fabric cube which I light from above with a daylight LED light but I also need a frontal light to fill shadows etcetera.

I'd not use lamps from outside again. They're a pain plus they make the 2ft cube take up 3ft minimum side to side.

I'm checking out the possibility of using LEDs on a rope strip; up one side over the top and down other side, towards the front and another towards the rear.

If you can, make it so its permanately up, not foldable/dismantable, you'll loose its effectiveness

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Got the top panel finished!

30871110250_2249e6a342_c.jpg

 

I was originally going to make the top solid, then I thought it'd be handy to be able to take photos from above, so I made a rectangular cutout.

 

What I'm thinking of doing is to cut squares out from either side panel, add some thin fabric (shower curtain material?). That way I can get some diffused fill lights either side by using my two anglepoise task lights which I have mounted either side of my desk.  This might be better, as it could be more controllable? Failing that I may "borrow" the led strip lights I added to the spray booth shroud...  Hmmm...

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  • 6 months later...

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