# Photo/Light Box...Testing out bulbs and light sources. PICS!



## Lane (Jun 29, 2008)

So I got the photo box built and I have been testing different light sources...I am still testing light sources and will post more pictures soon! I literally took these pictures while my husband was still taping up the back of the box.   
*Supplies:*






*Hubby building:*








*Set up:*





*Natural Light:*





*2x100 watt "natural" light bulbs:*





*2x100 watt "natural" light bulbs & flash:*





*1x100 watt "natural" bulb:*





*1x40 watt "reveal" light bulb*


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## beadella (Jun 29, 2008)

Finally, a chance to use all that art school education I am still paying for................... :x  :cry: 

Any regular incandescent bulb will give you a peachy orange tint, and any flourescent bulb will give you a greeny tint.  Full spectrum lighting may give you a bit of a blue tinge.  :idea: 

Depending on what kind of camera you are using, you can buy filters that will screw over the lens, or any descent camera store should be able to give you info on the best (other than sunlight) kind of lighting you need to get the truest colors in your photos.

If you need any hints on composition or framing, let me know...........photography was one of the few classes that I aced all three semesters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

HTH,

Della


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## SoapyGal (Jun 29, 2008)

Very cool Lane!!

Thanks to both of you for the tips on how to do this... DD & I want to build one now!!!

wwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!   

(dontcha just love DIY projects?    )


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## Guest (Jun 29, 2008)

I built my light box and I'm sure it's up to snuff. My lighting isn't. I'm glad you started this discussion Lane and hope we get some answers. I haven't posted soap pics for two weeks because my photographs are lame.l


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## Lane (Jun 29, 2008)

ARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!! Safe to say...getting the lighting right is beyond p*ssing me off!   :x  Anyway...after I took these pictures, I cut a flap in what I THOUGHT was the top so I could take pictures from above and I actually cut in the bottom! So now I have a horrible seem in the back...which you can't see in these pictures because after I noticed what I was doing, I bashed the box off the table....
Anyway...before I had my tantrum...this is what I got

*2x 75 watt full spectrum bulbs*





*2x 75 watt full spectrum bulbs WITH flash*





*2x 75 watt full spectrum bulbs WITH manual camera adj, I bumped up the white balance 3 points*





*Natural light with flash*


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## Lane (Jun 29, 2008)

This is the EXACT picture as above but with digital adjustments, which is what i was trying to avoid with the light box... :roll:


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## IanT (Jun 29, 2008)

I think they all look good..I think I like the blue light a little better!!!...It looks good when there is just plain white behind it as opposed to pink, I think it makes the soap JUMP out at you!!


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## Guest (Jun 29, 2008)

My own light box problems resolve around lighting, and I hope we can get some good advice here. My own pictures are ruined.


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## pepperi27 (Jun 30, 2008)

Yours looks way better than mine! I made ming 1/2 out of cardboard and tissue paper! LOL but it works.


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## Guest (Jun 30, 2008)

Great job Lane!

Do you have a good camera shop nearby? I would wander in and ask about what would work best with your camera. We have one here that is top notch and I did just that. They were able to give me recommendations that really helped. 

Also - what are you using for an image editor? When my lighting isn't perfect - I remove the background of the photo all together. The great thing about a lightbox is that the bg is a solid color and makes that easy.


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## zajanatural (Jun 30, 2008)

Great job! If you have Adobe photoshop  5 or higher, you can use a feature in there that removes the color cast from pictures.  You go to enhance, adjust color, remove color cast. This helps remove the orange, blue, green etc tint.  Then I usually remove my background with my paint shop pro, the background eraser is my best friend.


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## Guest (Jun 30, 2008)

I really like the warm yet brighter light you achieved with the
2x 75 watt full spectrum bulbs WITH flash.


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## Guest (Jun 30, 2008)

Hey again - I've finally found the tutorial I was looking for when I wrote about this project. It suggests using paper curved from top to bottom to help diffuse the light. It also recommends the bulbs that I have the best luck with which is n:vision” 90 watt equivalent compact florescent bulbs.

You can read the tutorial here: http://digital-photography-school.com/b ... ight-tent/


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## pepperi27 (Jun 30, 2008)

Thanks Marr!


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## Lane (Jun 30, 2008)

Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions. Turns out we have a pretty expensive camera, multiple lenses and tripods and all of the other fun camera stuff.... I've never used any of it really, I'm a big fan of making everything I do, harder than it needs to be  :roll: Anyway, I was messing with the setting on my camera, the FIRST pics are 2x100watt Full spectrum blubs, no flash, normal camera settings. the SECOND pictures are the same , but with the white balance increased 2 points and a blue color filter added, all done from the menu screen of my camera... The third picture is the same picture, but with digital adjustments done in ArcSoft PhotoStudio...


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## Guest (Jun 30, 2008)

I'm going to try the full spectrum CF lamps recommended in the link Marr posted.

Lane, I've been discussing this with my photography expert friend, and he says that you will always have to post-process your pictures even if your lighting is good.


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## Texas_Bubbly (Jun 30, 2008)

I like this photo lighting the best.  Maybe try 2 different lights one on either side and see what happens.  The fading pink (from a natural bulb?) on the left side of the photo is really nice, and makes the object pop.


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## Lane (Jul 1, 2008)

So I did tons of new pictures and put them up in my etsy shop and just decided to give my shop a whole new look.  Check it out and let me know what ya think! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5533583

All of the pictures I took with 2x90 watt Reveal bulbs and full natural light. I used the auto camera settings, and edited them in ArcSoft Photostudio, taking the red filter and turning it down 25% and taking the blue filter and turning it up 15%. Then I added 5% contrast and brightened the pics 12%  

Edited to add, all of my stickers are made by Zoopri at Etsy! I LOVE her stuff!


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## beadella (Jul 2, 2008)

Hi Lane,

Just stopped by and took a look at the GRAND re-opening!!  Pics look great, you may still be having a little pinky overtones, maybe filter out the red a little more, although my monitor is JURASIC, and may just be making it look that way....................glad you didn't take my advice on the lighting issue.  I went to art school in the mid 80's, and I guess I forgot more than I thought!!     Please forgive me if I sounded like a "know-it-all", I guess, at least with lighting I am rather a "not-know-it-all"....... :roll:   

Speaking of pics, I JUST yesturday figured out how to use my little digicam and took some WONDERIFIC, (if I do say so myself) jewelry pics with it in my new light tent (wish I could say I built it, but it came in a cardboard box in the post    )

I would love to show some of my best shots off, so if you could just tell me how to upload pics, I would be EVERSO greatful!!!!  Lovehound made a valient attempt at giving me a little tutorial, but he might as well have written it in Hungarian!!!!!!!!   :? 

If you don't have time, I totally understand...........  I just wanted to do a little bragging, so it isn't really necessary....  

Keep up the good work with the new cam!!!!!!!!

tootles,

Della


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## pink-north (Jul 2, 2008)

I've just been reading over the posts and have to comment.

1.. Lane you are REALLY good at this! I've learned a lot.

2. I didn't think you could use regular bulbs the way you did, but I think I'm going to try it myself.

Do you mind my asking, what did you build your light box out of? I tried one with cardboard and tissue paper, but it didn't work out. Too small for the camera I have. I will keep trying though. I'll post pics when I'm done. I would love your input on it.


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## Lane (Jul 2, 2008)

beadella said:
			
		

> Hi Lane,
> 
> Just stopped by and took a look at the GRAND re-opening!!  Pics look great, you may still be having a little pinky overtones, maybe filter out the red a little more, although my monitor is JURASIC, and may just be making it look that way....................glad you didn't take my advice on the lighting issue.  I went to art school in the mid 80's, and I guess I forgot more than I thought!!     Please forgive me if I sounded like a "know-it-all", I guess, at least with lighting I am rather a "not-know-it-all"....... :roll:
> 
> ...


 Last week my husband got an AWESOME huge, LCD monitor, and I haven't set any of the settings yet and everything looks SO bright on this end! I use to have a old old old monitor, probably Jurassic too! I miss it.  

Ha! You didn't sound like a know-it-all!  This is an information network, we gotta share info!

It is SO easy to get pictures on here...
1. Go to photobucket.com.
2. Open an account. It's free.
3. Upload your pictures.
4. Simple copy the FOURTH line of code under the picture you uploaded. It will begin with [IMG
5.Paste that code right here, and post your reply. 

Hope that helps some....


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## Lane (Jul 2, 2008)

pink-north said:
			
		

> 1.. Lane you are REALLY good at this! I've learned a lot.
> 
> 2. I didn't think you could use regular bulbs the way you did, but I think I'm going to try it myself.
> 
> Do you mind my asking, what did you build your light box out of? I tried one with cardboard and tissue paper, but it didn't work out. Too small for the camera I have. I will keep trying though. I'll post pics when I'm done. I would love your input on it.


 Thank you!! I have had a temper tantrum once and had to put together a new box...  

This is the tutorial I used to build the box 
http://jyoseph.com/blog/detail.cfm/post/18

I may need to make a bigger one though. I have two lamps set up and they really get in the way of my camera....


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## beadella (Jul 2, 2008)

Thanx so much, Lane, I will go straight away and sign up with that pic site and then WATCH OUT SOAP WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## beadella (Jul 2, 2008)

ok, here goes.................  second try............  







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*I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   8)   *


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## IanT (Jul 3, 2008)

lol!!


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## fladais (Jul 4, 2008)

zajanatural said:
			
		

> Then I usually remove my background with my paint shop pro, the background eraser is my best friend.



i cannot make that work to save my life.  i wish there was an easier way, but i just can't use that tool.   :roll: 

i have two pics that i need to remove the background, but i gave up months ago.      :?


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