What Is Photo Light Box And How Does It Help You In Photography
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Did the shot turn out as well as you expected?
If not, maybe you aren’t getting the proper lighting conditions that a professional photo shoot requires!
Even the most expensive camera will fail to impress you if a shadow falls on your subject or the background muddle with the visibility of the subject.
Especially, when it comes to product photography, there is hardly any room for making a mistake!
Whether you use a professional camera or your smartphone, you will need a proper setup and environment for capturing the real beauty of a product that will showcase them in the most attractive way possible.
And that's where a photo light box comes into play!
It helps create beautiful photos by providing diffused illumination from several different sources and making your product the “STAR” of the entire setting!
Want to learn what is photo light box and how does it help you in photography?
Let’s give you some ideas to get started!
What is Photo Light Box?
A photo light box is also known as “Photography Tent”. It’s basically a translucent surface that has sides made from semi-transparent materials, which allows light to enter into the box in a controlled manner.
You might wonder at this point, is that ALL this thing does for you?
Well, let me tell you one thing. When it comes to photographing an object/product, it's super crucial for you to get ONLY the light illuminated from behind in a way that it doesn’t cast any shadow around the object.
Usually, the tent also comes with several accessories like Speed light flashes, fabric background, poster board etc. to make your photo shoot go as smoothly as possible.
Types Of Photo Light Box
We can categorize the photography tent in terms of Size and the source of its Light.
According To Size
- Large Studio Box
Light boxes aren’t always used for capturing the image of small products inside it!
Depending on what types of business you do, you can showcase clothes, shoes and other decorative items inside the tent. Some extra-large photo studios can even accommodate a person inside it in case you want clients to see how the advertised clothes lookin real life.
Large Studio Box
- Portable Light Box
Do you work for a small jewelry business?
If you need to showcase ornaments or other small products such as toy cars, watches, hair clips, smartphone etc., then a portable, average-sized photography tent would be better suited for you.
Portable Light Box
These portable versions don’t take up much space and can easily be folded into a bag so that you can carry this product with you wherever you go!
According To Source Of Light
- Light Emitting Diode (LED)
It’s one of the most popular choices in terms of background lighting options.
Although LED consumes lesser amount of power than a CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb) does, it usually shines a bit brighter. Depending on what brand you are using, the LED has a value between 110 and 130 Lumens per Watt.
- Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb (CFL)
CFL can act as both the main source or a supplementary option for a photoshoot session.
CFL tends to increase the temperature inside the tent as it needs more power to illuminate the whole place. It has about 70 to 90 Lumens per Watt and usually lasts for a decent amount of time.
- Incandescent Light Bulbs (ILB)
These bulbs are typically used at home. However, the lights that are used in this photography tent are much more amplified to meet professional demand. If the brightness seems too much to you, then you can alter the intensity by using diffusion material, reflectors etc.
Benefits Of Using Photo Light Box In Photography
1. Eliminate Unwanted Details
The biggest advantage of using a photography tent is that it helps eliminate reflection and any shadows that might appear on your product during the photography session otherwise!
To get a nearly shadow-less picture, you will need 3 lights covering the product from all sides except the backdrop. In case, you want a shadowy picture for a 3-D effect, you will need to remove 1 or 2 lights for that purpose.
2. Budget-Friendly
We all know that professional photographers use fancy studio equipment for illuminating the scene.
However, considering the budget-friendly price range of these boxes, you can easily purchase one of these tents at the beginning of your photography career in a much more reasonable price range!
3. Consistent Environment
The same types of products from different manufacturers usually contain some unique characteristics that might be hard for buyers to understand if you showcase each one of them in different environments.
The photography tent helps keep the environment consistent by providing you with the exact type of backdrop that you used for the previous session.
4. No Detail Will Go Missing!
By using this tent, you get to capture a clear, descriptive image of a product for your clients and it's a huge plus point, to be honest!
Every tiny detail comes up with this type of setup and unless you Photoshop or edit the images in any way, the buyers will find their products EXACTLY as shown in the picture.
5. Have Total Control Over The Setup
Feel like the diamond necklace is shining too brightly and seems to put you off for some reason?
You can dim the lights if you want in that case!
The background is getting too much boring?
Change the backdrop to a more colorful one in an instant!
You have total control over how you want the surrounding environment to be and easily adjust it to your advantage.
Final Words
Whether you are a businessman who deals with selling products online or a crafter who is trying to share his/her experience with the rest of the world, the photography tent might be a really good investment for your work!
Hopefully, we have been able to give you a clear idea about what is photo light box and how does it help you in photography in this article and inspire you to take a look at these tents so that you can take your advertising skill to a more professional level.