Lightbox help please

[RobN185]

So, I've been given one of those "lightbox studio in a bag" as a gift (which was nice...).
It opens out to form a 2 foot cube with white diffused sides and top, and you get a couple of halogen spotlights and a mini tripod with it.

Tonight I gave it a go, and tried my hand at "product" photography. At first I thought, yeah this should be easy, stick the lights outside the box and the diffusion would give a good light to whatever I put inside the box.

NOT TRUE!

Here is my best of the night (31 shots to get this!) and I am gutted - It seems that I just cannot catch what I see?
To get this one I used one light from front right (through the diffused side) at about 45 deg.
Can anyone give any advise on using these little boxes, or any advice on product lighting - please?
Maybe, I've jumped in the deep end by trying to photograph glass, but well lit glass is so appealing.
This is dull, flat and very unappealing.

I know the "product" is ill-prepared and not spotless (came straight out of my hand ), so I'm not looking for comment on cleanliness, or backdrop creases. My problem is much more fundamental - how the heck do I light these simple objects??


DSC08807 by Annoying Flickr SPAM

I've left the annoying Flickr link on the photo, so you can click and go see the original hi-res if it helps.

 

[Mully]

For what you are shooting the soft box needs to be very close to your product, straight up and down with the bottle and you will need a fill card on the other side as well.

 

[KmH]

I've left the annoying Flickr link on the photo...

+1 - Annoying Flickr SPAM.

As far as product lighting, get the product photographer's lighting bible - Light Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting

 

[RobN185]

For what you are shooting the soft box needs to be very close to your product, straight up and down with the bottle and you will need a fill card on the other side as well.

Thanks Mully - I think I may have confused the issue by using the wrong terminology.
This is the "studio" thingy I have been given...http://www.amazon.co.uk/Portable-St...-Tripod/dp/B00140RTJU/ref=tag_stp_s2_edpp_url

I've left the annoying Flickr link on the photo...

+1 - Annoying Flickr SPAM.

As far as product lighting, get the product photographer's lighting bible - Light Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting

Thanks for the info, I will see if I can blag a copy from someone.

 

[Designer]

In light of the fact that I don't have any experience with this, I see maybe two things to question:

Seems the light is rather localized still. I see a concentrated area of light in spite of the fact that it is shining through the diffusing fabric. Do you have one or more strobes? Perhaps a strobe would put more light in the box.

There doesn't seem to be enough light coming from above your subject, as in from the top of the light box.

 

[HughGuessWho]

For what you are shooting the soft box needs to be very close to your product, straight up and down with the bottle and you will need a fill card on the other side as well.

Thanks Mully - I think I may have confused the issue by using the wrong terminology.
This is the "studio" thingy I have been given...http://www.amazon.co.uk/Portable-St...-Tripod/dp/B00140RTJU/ref=tag_stp_s2_edpp_url

I've left the annoying Flickr link on the photo...

+1 - Annoying Flickr SPAM.

As far as product lighting, get the product photographer's lighting bible - Light Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting

Thanks for the info, I will see if I can blag a copy from someone.

Those lights dont produce nearly enough light for the most part. Trying the tent with two flashes, even if they are cheap ones, will produce much better lighting.

 

[kenerickson]

I have some experience photographing product. I have built a few different light-box's and this is my current one.
The product that I shoot often times has a mix of polished reflective surfaces combined with dark non-reflective. This being the case I find that a tripod does not work real well for me. I need to shift the camera in many dimensions to eliminate or control the reflections. I have found that my 18-55 kit lens works well for this work. As I hand hold I try and keep the shutter speeds at least 1/150th or faster.

Here is a picture of my current box and a few examples of what can be achieved. The body of the box is simply constructed out of white foam board. The top is a semi-translucent board that acts as a diffuser. Both the foam board and diffuser panel were purchased at a office supply for under $10.00
The light tent holds 4 5500K bulbs. The reflector bulb fixtures on the sides each hold one.


The scissors were handy so I shot a quick few pictures to illustrate.



A few more examples.

 

[Light Guru]

So, I've been given one of those "lightbox studio in a bag" as a gift (which was nice...).
It opens out to form a 2 foot cube with white diffused sides and top, and you get a couple of halogen spotlights and a mini tripod with it.

Tonight I gave it a go, and tried my hand at "product" photography. At first I thought, yeah this should be easy, stick the lights outside the box and the diffusion would give a good light to whatever I put inside the box.

NOT TRUE!

Here is my best of the night (31 shots to get this!) and I am gutted - It seems that I just cannot catch what I see?
To get this one I used one light from front right (through the diffused side) at about 45 deg.
Can anyone give any advise on using these little boxes, or any advice on product lighting - please?
Maybe, I've jumped in the deep end by trying to photograph glass, but well lit glass is so appealing.
This is dull, flat and very unappealing.

I know the "product" is ill-prepared and not spotless (came straight out of my hand ), so I'm not looking for comment on cleanliness, or backdrop creases. My problem is much more fundamental - how the heck do I light these simple objects??


DSC08807 by Annoying Flickr SPAM

I've left the annoying Flickr link on the photo, so you can click and go see the original hi-res if it helps.

The image your trying to do is more of a "still life" then a "product" photo. Still life images need a much more dynamic light set up then what a light box will ever give you. Especially because you are shooting a clear glass against a dark background and your wine bottle is a dark and against a dark background.

Start with something much more simple that does not have reflections we can total see your camera in the bottle.

 

[KirkS]

For my product shots, I use 3 strobes. One on each side, and one above. Angle of the ones on the sides varies depending on the item.

Remember that light will reflect in the opposing angle. With a round glass bottle, you'll really need to play around with the location of the lights. As KmH said, get yourself a copy of Light Science and Magic. Invaluable for understanding lighting and photography.

 

[pgriz]

The book that Keith mentioned describes these types of shots very well. What you are dealing with is the "family of angles" being reflected in the bottle, and for a smooth appearance, the entire "family of angles" should be filled in by a light source. Your light source is just too small to do this. If you did NOT have a reflective surface, then the lighting problem will have been of a different type.

 

[andrewkurcan]

Those tents can be the worst thing ever - there is such a thing as too diffuse light. You need to be able to get some texture. The only time I use a tent is for flatware, and even then I add a LOT of black cards to bring back texture and form.

Your light sources need to be larger to start with. Follow the suggestions of texts, and using hard cards, black and white to define highlights and edges.

A great thing to do also is to make a shooting blind with a piece of foamcore - cut out a spot for your lens. Ditch the tent - or better yet cut it up so you have some silk panels to play with.