Hello everyone. I have enjoyed seeing all the beautiful photos posted on the forum. I plan to experiment with a simple 30" light box for my SOTD photos. I plan to use three clip lights (like those you see at home improvement stores), with one facing each side of the light box and one aimed downward from the top. There are so many options for bulbs! For now, I am considering the 150-watt daylight CFLs. I have also seen some easy plans for making light poles from 3/4" PVC pipe. If I don't have anything I can use around the house to mount the lights, I might give this a shot. I know the fun will be had in trying different things with my lighting set-up. In the meantime, am I on the right track to get started, and what have you all found to work best? Thanks in advance!
I tend not to use lightboxes any more due to the different items used in SOTD pictures. Lighting is key though. May you have good fortune with your photos.
White balance is important. Either in-camera or in post-production. Unfortunately, my camera doesn't have that capability, so adjustments are made in the post-production. Having some photo grey cards for reference For the SOTD shots, MOST work is done in post-production. Quick set-up & shoot with good composition (natural or incandescent lighting), and about 15-20 minutes of post-shoot work. I've been doing this type of photo work for 25+years, so it's 2nd nature by now….
Kevin, those are some beautiful photos! Thanks for taking time to educate me. I have much to learn...
Thanks for posting...I think my first step towards improvement is to not use my phone for all my razor photos
Sure, I will be glad to post some pics. I am still trying to piece it all together. Hopefully, I'll get some additional pointers from everyone once they see my set up.
I tried using one of those clamp lights for my photos and I had problems. I had trouble pointing the light exactly where I wanted it and getting it to stay. The swivel joint has limited movement. I had much better luck with one of these from IKEA http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20370383/. I use a single light with an inexpensive soft box from eBay. You don't need a blinding amount of light for a close up product shoot like a SOTD picture. I use a single 60 watt equivalent Cree LED light from the local home center. You can get a lot of variety with a single light on an adjustable arm. It goes without saying that the most important accessory of all is a tripod. My earliest SOTD photos were taken with diffuse window light and a white poster board reflector. I had my smartphone held in a clip on a little table top tripod. Here is one of those early photos. You can see trees reflected on the glossy handle!
Thanks again, everyone, for all the great advice! I decided on a simple set-up that can be easily taken apart for storage. I rounded up supplies to build two 3/4" PVC light stands. I got the genereal idea from thefrugalfilmmaker on YouTube: I have three clamp lights with 60-watt equivalent Cree LED daylight bulbs, and I have a collapsible light tent on backorder. I will post photos of my finished set-up once I get the light tent. Then the fun can begin!
Well, here is my humble light box. I have a lot to learn, but I think this will be fun. The most critical element is the flowery sheet that I spread on the floor. Thanks to everyone for their help and encouragement! I would appreciate any suggestions to improve the set up or my photo quality.
Sara, I posted a couple of pics of my light box. If you decide to build one, please post pics of yours as well.
