Wednesday, December 24, 2008

I built a light box!

Well the holidays are upon us, and I realize it's been two weeks since my last post... lots happening here as per usual in December! While my blog has suffered somewhat from this craziness, I'm still working on my various art and craft projects, and also obtaining or practicing the requisite skills needed to improve my online shop - always learning, always learning!

So I decided to build a light box. These are something that pro photographers use, and they can be expensive to buy. If you google "build a light box" you'll get a number of sites with instructions on how to make your own - granted probably not as nice, but for small shops with a limited budget they can do the trick. I ended up spending under $20 total for everything I needed, and last Sunday afternoon I put it together. I don't have pictures of the actual box (my studio is currently doubling as a holding room for Christmas presents and I can hardly walk in there right now, it's a complete disaster), but I figured a few before and after shots of my items are in order.

So, without further ado, here is the before shot of my Ocean Swirls notepad:




And here is the after, using the light box.




Here is the before shot of my second notepad on Etsy:




And the after shot:




Now, I know I have a few photographers that visit here, so let me add that I still have a LOT to learn in regards to taking good pictures. For starters I'd like to add a second lamp to my box, on the side, so I can get brighter frontal shots while still avoiding glare. But looking at these comparisons, I'd say it's an improvement, don't you think?

4 comments:

  1. the light box pics look wonderful! i'm still having adventures with my own--i only have one bright light that i shine from the top, and i'm wondering if i should have more. i still try for shots in morning light when i can because it's just so difficult to get good shots!

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  2. looking good! I use a light tent and daylight bulbs and then adjust the levels and colour balance in photoshop.

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  3. Great idea and cute items.

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  4. Looks good to me! I need to make a light box...

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