Remedy for a Dormant Hobby

I have been idle from my blogging and photography activities for the past months.  I think I have been idle for too long  and its time to rekindle my hobby and try to expand my limited photography experience-set.

Browsing thru the web, I encountered several photography activities that are quite interesting – Smoke and  Macro photography among others.  One thing that caught my interest was a studio-type photography activity, or maybe more like a mini-studio-type version.  I wanted to take a shot at this one knowing that: 1.) it is interesting 2.) it will provide an infinite opportunity to experiment with light and angles and 3.) it is a perfect base to jump-start other photography possibilities.  And so my quest in making my very own Light Box starts.

It may be a simple and pointless activity for many pros but I feel I can learn many things from this.  The concept of light and its effects on the subject, when used in different angles and intensity, are photography concepts I have not taken concrete grasp on; and I’m hopeful that this activity will give me an idea and a chance to play around with lighting and its styles.

Cost is one of my main considerations for this project.  I need my light box to be effective and at the same time less expensive as possible. And so my search began.  I browsed thru the web and found different ways to construct an inexpensive light box.  Articles I came across range from those that are really inexpensive to those that require a decent amount of investment to construct – with a few that are, in my own opinion, very expensive for newbies like me.

Among the articles that I read, one suggested to look for scraps and stuffs I can find in the house and complement it with inexpensive investments (such as lights, stands, etc.) to make a light box that will fit my needs.  It was a brilliant suggestion if you ask me.  With this, I can use the scraps I have lying around and purchase inexpensive materials that I lack.

First stage of construction

I scour for scraps of 2×2′s and 1×2′s that I can find in our backyard.  These will be perfect for framing my light box.  They are sturdy, easy to construct and most important, they’re for free .  Using nails and a hammer I constructed 2 square frames that I joined together (along one edge) to form 2 planes at right angle to each other.

Now I need a material to cover my box and some lighting apparatus.  Many web articles suggest felt, cardboard boxes, illustration boards or cotton cloth for cover.  My best option is the illustration board – it is easy to acquire, cut and it is cheap.  One problem I noticed, when I went to one of the art supplies stores, was the inconsistency of the board’s white surface.  Looking around for an alternate material, I came across a Bristol board.  Its whiter than an illustration board and its texture is more consistent.  Although it is not as sturdy as illustration boards are, having a wooden frame would provide for a sturdy base for my Bristol box – and it turned out well.

Lighting

Two 24-Watt CFL lamps and one 20-Watt CFL lamp (equivalent of 125 Watts each and 100 Watts illumination respectively).  The Daylight tone of the CFL lamps provide white light, and they also offer energy savings for the same illumination intensity as ordinary bulbs.

I also bought a couple of lamp holder fittings – the kind you can easily purchase from electrical or home improvement shops.  Like spotlights, these are clamp-type fittings that you would normally see in many office ceilings and the likes.

Final touches

For the light stands, I gathered unused PVC pipes and improvised to make a stable support for my lights.  I used tapes and strings to attach the pipes and the light fittings to the improvised stands.

I know the outcome is not comparable to professional light boxes but it gives the result that I need.  It took a total of about 8 hours to construct at the cost of about 500 pesos. 

I took a few photos, switching the lights on and off alternately, placing them at different elevation in relation to the subject, shooting at different angles and perspective with respect to the light … the setup option is limitless.  Seeing the effects of different light and shadow compositions and how it affects the overall look of the subject is just priceless – worth every penny and effort I put in to its construction.  This will definitely keep me busy for the weeks to come.

My improvised light box setup below

 

First few shots taken in my light box

• Used 2 lights for the shot above – one at the back right side of the vase directed to the base of the vase, one at the front left of the vase directed to the white background
• Used a glass from a picture frame to provide reflection
• Used my 18-55mm kit lens
• Shot at f/9 and overexposed by 3/4 step

—–  oOo  —–

• Used 2 lights for the shot above – one at the back right side directed to the nuts, one at the front left of the nuts directed to the white background
• Same picture frame glass used on the first photo to provide reflection – unexpectedly gives a neat floating effect on the focused Almond
• Used my 55-250mm lens at 250mm with the VR off
• Shot at f/5.6 and over exposed by about 1/2 stop

—–  oOo  —–

• Used 1 light for the shot above - placed at the front upper left of the subjects directed towards the subjects
• Shot using 18-55mm kit lens at 55mm
• Shot at f/11 and overexposed by about 1/2 stop

—–  oOo  —–

• Used 1 light for the shot above - placed at the front upper left of the sugjects directed towards the subjects
• Shot using 18-55mm kit lens at 55mm
• Camera positioned slightly above eye-level of the dolphin.
• Shot at f/9 and underexposed by about 1/2 stop – the under exposure and shadow highlighted the corners at the back right of the dolphin
• Post processed and converted to BW using PS

—–  oOo  —–

Suggestions and comments are really appreciated from all visitors – hopefully there are some. hehehe.  Comments on how the shots could have been shot better is very much welcome.

More experiments and photos to be added on this post soon … hopefully    

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~ by valtok on September 11, 2010.