Light tent

[davholla]

I want to buy a small light tent (UK) for macro photos.
I am thinking about this
Studio Photo Studio Light Tent Soft Box Cube 40x40x40cm + 4 Coloured Backdrops | eBay
Any ideas comments?

 

[Designer]

Good price. Why are they showing lights if the lights are not included? I think you should call the seller to find out for sure. If this is large enough for your needs, then go for it.

 

[Derrel]

It is inexpensive, for sure. Light tent lighting tends to be rather boring.

 

[table1349]

Food for thought: How To Build A 30$ Still Life Photography Folding Table - DIY Photography

I always like multi-taskers over single taskers.

 

[davholla]

It is inexpensive, for sure. Light tent lighting tends to be rather boring.

But don't you think it works well for small things?

 

[davholla]

Food for thought: How To Build A 30$ Still Life Photography Folding Table - DIY Photography

I always like multi-taskers over single taskers.

Thanks for that but I should have said I want something I can take on a plane.

 

[Derrel]

It is inexpensive, for sure. Light tent lighting tends to be rather boring.

But don't you think it works well for small things?

Well, a light tent is designed to be fast and easy to use, to give fairly flat, shadow-free lighting, and that can tend toward creating lighting that is rather 'standard'. Product and tabletop lighting normally is about highlight and shadow control, and making the object look its best, which means different light placements and angles for different objects or for different lighting effects. The light tent is basically a one size fits all type of approach, and the planes/angles the lights come from are always the same basic ones, which will not be optimal for all the different types of small objects one will encounter.

I would not say light tent lighting works well, but rather that it "works". Light tent lighting IMO is mostly about the fast, assembly-line type of production photos for things like e-commerce and basic product documentation, and for people who do not want to work with the family of angles and highlights and shadows and such. AND, as you mentioned, it's very space-efficient and transportable, so it's easily possible to take something like that light tent on an airplane.

 

[table1349]

Go here, order the size you want. Get it a few inches longer. It rolls nicely.
Get 4-6 of these or at this price buy a whole box. They are really handy
Get a roll of duct tape.

Where ever you are at any solid surface will work. You will need a solid surface for the tent so that surface will work. Attach the top edge to of you poly sheet to the wall etc. with clams or tape. Give it a nice bow and clamp or tape the other end to the surface. All done. A couple of flash units with diffusers and you are set.

 

[fmw]

It should work fine. If you are looking for shadowless images that float in a sea of white you will want two opposed lights to light the tent and one to shoot upward through a translucent base to light the bottom of the tent. You can use a fourth light to light the back of the tent if necessary. I use a light tent often for product photos. All I want in those particular shots is to be able to show a customer what the product looks like without any distraction. Nothing artistic about it.