FLAT BROKE... Need lighting...

[Sirashley]

Okay here's my dilemma. I want to do some indoor shots of some figurines for a project, but I have no studio lighting, nor do I have money for any type of studio lighting. So, my question becomes, what can you do with nothing but regular household lamps and the built-in flash??? Before you go nuts, obviously, this will not come close to studio lighting, but I'm curious what can be done to make the best of it? Is there a certain kind of bulb you can buy that will work better? Also, Anyone have any tips on building a homemade light box? Thanks in advance...

 

[DChesler]

Back in high school, I used to use Aluminum foil, and hand held garage lights to illuminate subjects, lol.

It was simple, cheap, and relatively effective.

The type of bulb you use depends on what you want to accomplish in the photo. Using incandescent bulbs will create a warmer, less intense exposure, while florescent will create a brighter effect.

 

[Parkerman]

Making a light box is easy.. if by light box you mean something to get the following...

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a392/Parkerman/Photography/DSC_1964.jpg

What you need is 3 clamp on work lights... white poster board, something to defuse the light with [I used some white cloth].. and a decent sized card board box.

Take the box... cut 3 squares in it from which the light will come through, on the top and sides. Then place whatever you want to use to defuse the light over that, then you take the poster board and tape it to the inside of the box... Possibly having to cut it to make it fit right... Anyways, here is mine..

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a392/Parkerman/Random/DSC_2100.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a392/Parkerman/Random/DSC_2103.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a392/Parkerman/Random/DSC_2104.jpg

You can pick those lights up for like.. 6-10$,

In order to get our white balance right.. preset it by taking a picture of the background with just the white.

 

[Sirashley]

Dude, just what I was looking for... Very clever indeed!

 

[Sirashley]

Just curious, where did you get the white cloth? Craft store or something? It seems like it is rather thin?

 

[Parkerman]

Well, Its not really cloth.. Its kinda like some fiber stuff... I believe its used in like vest and such when you make them.. Like if you want a part of the clothing stuff.. You put it on the inside.

I would have rather just used some solid white cloth, but at the time of making it.. we didn't have any.. lol.

 

[manaheim]

I wonder if cheesecloth would work or be too dense. I assume the stuff parker is talking about is the same stuff on the inside of my windbreaker...white lattice kind of material. Visible holes.

 

[Easy_Target]

You can build a reflector out of cardboard and aluminum foil. Get one of those super strong IKEA desk lamps.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40050451

Those work pretty well.

 

[Nurf]

Well if a lightbox is what you are looking for Strobist did a DIY $10 lightbox set up.
Nice simple thing to do

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-diy-10-macro-photo-studio.html

 

[lockwood81]

You could always setup a table outside in the shade, use posterboard for the bottom and background by bending it slightly with no crease....creates soft difused lighting all around the subject.

 

[Juliette]

Brilliant! It was my dilemma too, thanks for posting the question Sirashley