All About Lightbox Photography
Learn all about Lightbox Photography
This blog will be divided into two areas:
What is Lightbox Photography?
How do you take a Lightbox photography picture?
What is the Lightbox Photography?
This Can Be Seen As Two Forms Of Photography:
Using A Lightbox As A Lighting Setup
Placing Translucent Objects On top of A Lightbox.
The 1st form of lightbox photography is used when photographing products and this can be for either small or medium-sized products. the name lightbox refers to the process used to light an object.
A photo lightbox (also known as a white box or light tent) is an empty box with translucent white sides and a smooth, white backdrop. The process when using this box is to place your product inside, take a picture, and get a professional product photo with good lighting, no shadows, and a plain background.
Here is a DIY example of a made lightbox and the light form is natural light. If you wish you can make your own lightbox and either use flash, studio or constant lighting for this process.
The main form of lightbox photography that this blog refers to is a more artistic technique of lightbox photography where you place objects upon a lightbox.
So keep reading and find out how you can take your own images for this simple but creative method.
2. How do you take a Lightbox photography picture
I really enjoy this technique, but the key to making your image look artistic is by considering the placing of the objects and the composition.
Try these types of compositions when laying out your set object on top of the lightbox.
Line
Space
Shape
Colour
Rules of thirds
Please remember that the objects you can use for this technique will need to be translucent or you can be creative by playing with both solid and translucent objects.
Process & equipment
Equipment
Lightbox or use translucent material and place light, so that the light shines through the material
Tripod
Camera or mobile phone
Objects
Process
Set the tripod and camera so that your camera is facing down towards the lightbox.
Use your creative skills to place your items onto the lightbox and check that all objects are within the frame when viewed, via your camera’s live view.
Use manual settings and use your in-camera light meter. Set your aperture at F8-F11
Use ISO 100 & use either auto white balance or decide upon which white balance keeps the light white.
The best process is to over expose the images, so try out different over exposed values and decide which you prefer.
See image examples of my own process and I decided on the last exposured shot, at 2 sec for the shutter spead.
This is the exposure via my in camera light meter.
Overexposed by slowing the shutter to 0.5 sec
Overexposed by slowing the shutter to 1 sec
Key tip: The light is coming from under neither the object so your camera may find it difficult to focus, so I suggest that you either use manual focus or use a spot light upon the top of the object to help your camera focus.
Here is a selection of my own examples where if have used natural objects.
Summary:
In this blog post, I dive into the world of Lightbox Photography, explaining both its practical and artistic uses. Lightbox photography is often used for product photography, where items are placed in a lightbox for even, shadow-free lighting against a plain background. I also explore a more creative side of lightbox photography, where translucent and solid objects are placed on the lightbox to create unique compositions.
To capture stunning lightbox images, I discuss the importance of composition, lighting, and manual camera settings. Key tips include using a tripod, overexposing images, and experimenting with focus techniques, as the light comes from below the object. The post wraps up with examples of my own work and a sneak peek at future blog topics related to minimalist, surreal, and conceptual photography.
If you’re feeling inspired, try experimenting with lightbox photography for your own creative projects!
Next week’s blog subject will be Minimalism within the photography
Nikos Koutoulas – Minimal boat
WHAT NEXT?
Ready to try lightbox photography yourself? Set up your lightbox, get creative with your object placements, and start capturing unique, artistic images. Don't forget to experiment with your camera settings and have fun with the process!
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