I built a softbox! (lightbox?)

manaheim · Aug 9, 2009

...well, one of them thar' funky things where you stick schtuff in it but all the purdy lights are all softy because you put paper and such around 'em.

Anyway, I had to take a picture of a ring, so I dashed one together out of some wood sticks and some pieces of printer paper. :lol:

Totally ghetto.

Anyway, this was my first attempt... thoughts? (please be brutal)

manaheim · Aug 9, 2009

btw, here is a pic of my setup. >chuckle<

Please be sure to note the boxed 3Com Ergo Audrey. I have about 3 of those.

manaheim · Aug 9, 2009

And I tweaked the ring to pull a bit of the red out of the background. I was trying not to wreak havoc on the rubies, but I think it needed more.

Ok, I'm done.

Comment away!

Don Kondra · Aug 9, 2009

Okay, white balance is off.

Did you want all those reflections in the center stone? If so, it worked

I'd try moving the box and lighting from the top/back.

Are the bulbs 5500K? That's the quickest fix.

And try f8-11...

Cheers, Don

manaheim · Aug 9, 2009

^^^ hey, Don. Thanks.

Yeah, I'm still tweaking the WB. Just grinding my teeth over it.

No I didn't want those reflections, and I noticed that as well... how do you get around that, though?

Just out of curiosity, why would you choose to light from the top and back? And move the box where?

I -think- the bulbs are 5500k, but to be honest I can't recall. I'd have to look.

roger on the aperture... clearly the larger aperture is nice for sharpness, but the DOF is kinda shallow.

Thanks for the comments!

Don Kondra · Aug 9, 2009

manaheim said:
^^^ hey, Don. Thanks.

Yeah, I'm still tweaking the WB. Just grinding my teeth over it.

If you use the 5500k lights which is very roughly sunlight, you don't have to adjust anything, auto WB should work fine.

No I didn't want those reflections, and I noticed that as well... how do you get around that, though?

Play with the angle the ring is to the camera, side to side and up and down. Shoot through a hole in a cloth or paper. Turn off the room lights if you haven't already. Shoot in aperture mode. etc...

Just out of curiosity, why would you choose to light from the top and back? And move the box where?

I meant move the blue box away from the "light box". If you light from the top/back the light will shine through the stones and highlight them. From the front or sides it just shows up as reflections. You might even want to experiment with narrowing the beam of light.

I -think- the bulbs are 5500k, but to be honest I can't recall. I'd have to look.

Major, see above.

roger on the aperture... clearly the larger aperture is nice for sharpness, but the DOF is kinda shallow.

If you shoot in aperture mode at f8, f11 or even lower, the camera will determin the shutter speed and you will get everything in focus.

Now, keep in mind the "everything" in focus is a personal preference. It just so happens to be mine

Cheers, Don

c.cloudwalker · Aug 9, 2009

Totally agree with Don. The light needs to come through the stones to make them alive.

BTW, you're lucky to be able to work in your attic. My attic is bout 200 degrees. :lmao:

Jeffro · Aug 9, 2009

how do you know that that is his attic? Sorry stupied question! HEHEHEHE

I was going to ask if he back lights it more if the diamond would look better. I would sure like to see the results!

c.cloudwalker · Aug 9, 2009

Jeffro said:
how do you know that that is his attic? Sorry stupied question! HEHEHEHE

I do my own construction and it sure looks like an attic. :lmao:

manaheim · Aug 9, 2009

It's an atticy space over my garage. It's not 200 degrees because it's @#$)@#$) 65 out. Stupid failure of a summer.

I even bought an AC to stick in the window. No point.

c.cloudwalker · Aug 10, 2009

Ok, I lied it's only 140. Still not very comfortable.

Make sure and post the results when you've reshot the ring.

And btw, what is this 3Com Ergo Audrey that you mention like everybody should know?

manaheim · Aug 10, 2009

c.cloudwalker said:
Ok, I lied it's only 140. Still not very comfortable.

Make sure and post the results when you've reshot the ring.

And btw, what is this 3Com Ergo Audrey that you mention like everybody should know?

mmmm.... Audrey.

Audrey was kind of the last bastion of the "Internet appliances" back in the dotcom era. It was a very small, easy to use device intended to do little more than give you a web browser, email and calendar... to sit on your kitchen counter and just be there for whenever you need it.

Totally adorable little thing.

They were like $400 new and when 3com discontinued them you could pick 'em up for like $100. I bought 3. It's still pretty usable, though clearly very dated now.

c.cloudwalker · Aug 10, 2009

Ok. Museum piece then

musicaleCA · Aug 10, 2009

One thing to be aware of that no one has mentioned yet is that because you're using printing paper, it may be producing a colour cast. So even if your lights are 5500K, the light may have a different WB after it passes through the paper. As long as you don't mix papers and use a grey card though, you should be fine.

manaheim · Aug 10, 2009

c.cloudwalker said:
Ok. Museum piece then

Don't you be dissin' on my audrey!!! :lol:

musicaleCA said:
One thing to be aware of that no one has mentioned yet is that because you're using printing paper, it may be producing a colour cast. So even if your lights are 5500K, the light may have a different WB after it passes through the paper. As long as you don't mix papers and use a grey card though, you should be fine.

eek... I had 2 kinds of paper in there, actually.

Bottom was construction paper for... well, I don't know why I did that actually.

Anyway, good points. Thanks!

Is there an "appropriate" thing to use for softbox sides? I was wondering about this...