Make Your Own Light Box

Suddenly I am struck with an urge to dig into food photography.  I have always been obsessed with food, so why not with taking beautiful photos of it?

Stir fry is one of those things I am still trying to master photographing.  This is a picture of crock pot orange chicken that I made a few weeks ago.  It was pretty tasty, but I am not sure if you get that for this shot.  The point is, the light box made this photo look a thousand times better.

Here is a sample of what my photos used to look like.  Lots of clutter, weird lighting, and unappetizing photos of delicious food.  ENTER: light box 

Instant improvement.  I wish I would have started using one of these the day I bought my DSLR.  Bummer.  Not to dwell on the past though, we have a bright future together, the light box and me.

Here is a completely un-edited shot to give you an idea of what it looks like.  If you use your camera's manual mode to adjust the shot to your liking, you really only have to crop.  Which makes for quick work and simple photography.  I am in love.  Of course you can bust out an awesome program like Lightroom and do some minor adjustments, but we can talk about that another time.  Right now we are talking about the simple, cheap fix called a light box.

Want to make one?

COST: Under $5

TIME: 20 minutes

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Large cardboard box ( I used a diaper box)

Box cutter

Tape

Tissue Paper

Poster board

Cut 3 large windows out of 3 sides out of your cardboard box.  Next, cover them in tissue paper, this will diffuse the light and create soft lighting for your photos.  Then tape a piece of poster board into the bottom and up the back of the box.  This creates a seamless backdrop.  DONE.  Super easy and quick.  Now place your box in front of a window and angle it to get nice soft light for your food or product photography.

Want to know more? Here is a great article  that breaks it down really well and also has lots of tips on lighting and photography.