Are you looking for a great way to capture well-lit images in a controlled environment? Enter the exciting world of light box photography. With this blog, we'll delve into the basics of how light boxes work, discuss the different types available, and provide tips for setting up your light box photography setup. Whether you're a seasoned photographer or just starting, find out how light boxes can improve your product photography for your e-commerce store, still life and macro photography. Let's get started and unlock the potential of light box photography!
What is a light box for Photography?
A light box could best be described as a closed box that provides diffused lighting for photography. This diffused and even illumination minimises shadows, creating a consistent and controlled environment for capturing images. Wondering who uses light boxes? Light boxes are popular for still life photography and macro photography, as they allow for detailed shots of small objects with minimised shadows. They are also widely used in product photography for e-commerce and catalogues, ensuring a clean and professional presentation of items. Additionally, a lightbox for clothing photography effectively showcases garments by minimising wrinkles and highlighting fabric textures.
As you are placing your subject within the light box to photograph it, you have the ultimate control over all aspects of your image. You can adjust it to find the best composition and the perfect angle for light direction.
How does a photography light box work?
A light box photography setup typically involves a light source placed outside the box. This light source, which can be an LED panel or strip, illuminates the translucent material of the box. The light then diffuses evenly through the material, illuminating the subject placed inside. Photography light box backdrops are often included within the box, providing a neutral or customisable photography background for the product. This controlled lighting environment minimises shadows and creates a clean and professional look for the captured images.
What are the best camera settings for light box photography?
Light box photography settings will vary depending on your camera and the specific subject. However, some general guidelines include:
Shooting Mode: As always, using Manual (M) mode for the most control over exposure.
Aperture: A wider aperture (lower f-stop, like f/2.8 or f/4) will create a shallow depth of field, isolating the subject. A narrower aperture (higher f-stop, like f/8 or f/11) will increase depth of field, ensuring the entire subject is in focus. For product style lightbox photography, we usually want to use a narrow aperture, so much of our product is in focus, as we want to maximise the details we are capturing.
ISO: Start with a low ISO (like 100 or 200) to minimise noise. Increase ISO if necessary to achieve proper exposure in low-light conditions.
White Balance: Set your white balance to the appropriate setting for your light source (e.g., daylight, fluorescent, tungsten). Don't forget, most cameras offer a custom white balance setting if you want to adjust it for your liking, and if you shoot in RAW, you can make these adjustments in post-production.
DIY Light Box vs Ready-Made Light Box
As with most things photography, if you are keen to investigate light box photography, you can either take the easy route and purchase a ready-made light box photography kit, which comes with everything you need to start shooting, or you can piece together your lightbox.
The benefits of a ready-made light box are that it is much simpler to get started.
The DIY route also has its advantages for your photography, namely, you can tweak things to suit your style! If you need your lightbox to be larger to facilitate larger subjects, this can be managed. You can also experiment with light sources of different strengths and with different features.