digg

Facebook Connect Join Digg About
See the original image at digital-photography-school.com

How to Make A Inexpensive Light Tent - DIY

digital-photography-school.com — The following tutorial on constructing an Inexpensive Light Tent was Submitted by Jeffrey Bail over at our Forums. I thought it was well worth highlighting here on the main blog too! See Jeffrey’s Flickr Account here.

Who dugg this? Made popular Oct 30, 2008

Digg DudeWhat is Digg?

Digg is a place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web. Digg surfaces the best stuff as submitted and voted on by the community. Take the Tour to learn more.

44 Comments

show profanity settings
expand all
  • barnis, on 10/30/2008, -5/+221) go to Costco and buy an inexpensive light tent
  • PeppermintPig, on 10/30/2008, -0/+8This is a nice little instructional. I've seen light tents made of styrofoam monitor packaging, but this cardboard box solution is very simple, straightforward, and cheap.

    It's quite a bit more work, but I've done a light box/diffuser DIY project involving aluminum window screen frames, ripstop fabric and a hood made with large sheets of black paper and tin foil layered on the inside built in a trapezoid shape to reflect more light onto the screen. Mounting/elevating the units requires more work, but still a considerable savings compared to professional diffusers and mounting equipment.
  • gordonp, on 10/30/2008, -1/+5Ads? What ads?
  • compgeek, on 10/30/2008, -0/+4dugg for low cost and high functionality. this would make stock photography for ebay or whatever a heck of a lot easier
  • NextInstinct, on 10/30/2008, -0/+3That's viable if you have a few more bucks than time right now. There are plenty of folks who have an adequate camera and subjects to shoot (products), but can't invest the money. To the action takers who can stay up an extra hour tonight, and configure this, (and learn about lighting while optimizing it), it is good straight forward tutorial. The more people it reaches, the more it will help.
  • PeppermintPig, on 10/30/2008, -0/+3Could you post a link to the product you're referring to, and the price??
  • mr0nine2five, on 10/30/2008, -1/+4inb4 "Welcome to Costco. I love you."
  • veriix, on 10/30/2008, -0/+3You have to buy the paper, do you have that kind of paper lying around?
  • mrinsanity, on 10/30/2008, -0/+2How about you correct these too while you're at it:

    FTA: "If your extremely cheap and have some white under shirts laying around."

    and the one that makes me cringe: "This will line the inside of the box and will also serve as your back round"

    Back-round? What, is that Short-Round's cousin or something?
  • MourningLemon, on 10/30/2008, -0/+2Digg is a social bookmarking site.Digg has news,but is not a "News" site.If you are looking for the latest news stories you are in the wrong place. Hundreds of other people dugg this story,because they enjoyed the article,NOT because it is late breaking news.
  • kp2575, on 10/30/2008, -1/+3this was really helpful I never thought about setting up a light tent in this way
  • yohnstoppable, on 10/30/2008, -1/+2I was going to correct the grammar in the title, but I think that's a lower case "L" in lnexpensive.
  • beauley, on 11/02/2008, -0/+1We are told by the Vision Council of America That: The U.S., as of 2006 used vision correction such as eyeglasses or contact lenses, representing over 75 % of the country’s total adult population. That is a lot of lenses that can get dirty and smudged with oils from the eye causing vision impairment. Finally, there is a scratch free solution.
    http://www.gomestic.com/Do-It-Yourself/How-to-Make ...
    How to Make Your Own Scratchless Eyeglass Cleaner
  • barnis, on 10/31/2008, -0/+1I live in Japan and the Costco here had one for about $20. Sorry they have no online store here.

    I actually made my own light tent before buying it following a similar online tutorial...in the end the time and materials were more than buying one and I ended up with a giant flimsy box that was just begging to take up space, get dirty, get ripped and generally be a pain in the ass.

    I am all for DIY but in this case a nice little collapsible tent is much more practical.
  • EthosProduction, on 10/30/2008, -0/+1I found this DIY a few months ago, and built it, and I love it. I use it quite often for random stock photography that I do. Sure, I could have bought one for fairly cheap, but it was a fun project. Highly recommended! :)
  • mrinsanity, on 10/30/2008, -0/+1and the 4chan invasion continues....

    inb4 "accidentally a whole something"
  • reliablesoft, on 10/30/2008, -2/+3an excellent tutorial on how to build a light tent with no cost!
  • dpollitt, on 10/30/2008, -0/+1I prefer IKEAs DIY lightbox - just use a clothing hamper.
  • freehunter, on 10/30/2008, -0/+1I think he made the same mistake I did at first, until I read a little more. I expected it to be a light tent as in the weight and make of the tent were light in design. I am not a photographer, so I had no idea what a light tent was used for in photography, but I am a camper, and I know what a light tent is used for in camping.
  • Griff431, on 10/30/2008, -0/+1Anyone else notice the fact that the ads are advertising light tents and boxes starting at $20?


  • breamo, on 10/30/2008, -1/+1An
  • HipOldGuy, on 10/30/2008, -1/+1I wish I had this a few months ago. Looks like I now know what I will be doing to come down from my sugar high this weekend.
  • xbanned, on 10/30/2008, -1/+1That is pretty cool step by step tutorial. Thanks for sharing
  • danj484, on 10/30/2008, -0/+0It's the natural log of expensive, though then he forgot the parentheses.
  • FTAFIRE, on 01/26/2009, -0/+0… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ______
    … … … … … … … … … … … … ..,,,--~~": : : : : :"'~~--,,
    … … … … … … … … … … … ,,~": : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :"~,
    … … … … … … … … …__,,~": : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : (¯¯): "-,
    … … … … … … … ..,,~": : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ¯¯: : : :'
    … … … … … … .._,/,,,_: : : : : : : : : : : :,,--,,_: : : : : : : : : : :O: : :'
    … … … … … ..,,-" : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : "-: : : : : : : : : : : : : |
    … … … … ...,," : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :--~~~--,, : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : |
    … … … …,~": : : : : : : : : : : : : :___ : : : : : : ": : : : : : : : : : : : : : : |
    … … …,,-"~~--,,,,_: : : : : :,,--~". . . "'~,,_: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : /
    … …,,-". . . . . . . . "-,"~,,,-". . . . . . . . . . ',"~-,,: : : : : : : : : : : : : /
    … .,/. . . . . . . . . . . . . .,/. . . . . . . . . . . . .,. . |: : : : : : : : : : : : /
    … .|. . . . . . . . . . ._,,"~",. . . . . . . . . . . . . .|. . |~--,,,_: : : : : : : /
    … ..,. . . . . ,,,-~"': : : : : . . . . . . . . . . . . .,/. ./: : : : : :"'~~--,,,/_
    … …"~,,_,-": : : : : : : : : :"-,,_. . . . . . . ,,-". .,/: : : : : : : :,,-~"`"~,"'~-,,
    … … … ,/ : : : : : : : : : :"~,: : "~~----~"-----~": : : : : : : : : :,,-~: ,/… ..."
    … … …/: : : : : : : : :__,,,-": : : : : : : :"'~~---: : : : : : : : : :/': ): :/
    … … ..(_: : : _,,--~": : : : : : : : : : : : |: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ,": /
    … … … ,"-"" : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ,: : : : : : : : : : : : : : |: /
    ..__,,-~"' : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : "~,,: : : : : : : : : :"~": | Good news, everyone!
    .",,_ : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ',: : : : : : : "-,_,,"
    … ..¯¯"'~~~-----,,,_______,,,-~~-,,_: : : : : : ': : : : : : : :
    … … … … … …,: : : : : : : : : : : : "-: :: : : : : : : : : : : :'¯¯"'~-,,
    … … … … … … ."~--,,: : : : : : : : : :,,,-": : : :": : : : : : : : ',_. . . ."-,,
    … … … … … … … … ,: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ',: :,. . . . .,,_
    … … … … … … … … .."-,,_ : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : ',: : : |: :::::::::::. . . . . ,."~,,_
    … … … … … … … … … ...,"-, : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :,: : "-,/:::::::::::. . . . . .. . . ."~,,
    … … … … … … … …......_/. . ,: : : : : : : :-,: : : : : : :':,,-":::::::::::::. . . . . . .. . . . . ."'~,,
    … … … … … … … … ,,-"./. . .|:"-,: : : : : : ::: : : : : :,,-"':::::::. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "'~,,
    … … … … … … … .,-". . .|. . . .,::"~,,_: : : ,_,,,-~"::::::::::::,-". . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . ."~-,,
    … … … … … … …,/. . . . |. . . . .,::::::::"`"`"`":::::::::::::::::,,-"::l:. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .
    … … … … … … .,/. . . . . |. . . . . . ",-,,::::::::::::::::::::_,,~":::::::. . . . . . . . . |. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . '
    … … … … … ...,/. . . . . . |. . . . . .,/:::::"'~~-------~~"::::::::::::::. . . . . . . . . .|. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
    … … … … … ../. . . . |. . . . . . . . .|:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: . . . . . . . . .|. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
    … … … … … ,/. . . . . . . .|. . . . . .|:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::. . . . . . . . . ,/. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
    … … … … … |. . . . . . . . .. . . . |::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::/. . . . . . . . . /. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    http://www.ftaprofessionals.tv
    http://www.ftavip.com
    http://www.ftafire.com
  • crypticquill, on 10/30/2008, -1/+1Very cool :)
  • AtraNoxVII, on 10/30/2008, -2/+1"I thought it was well worth highlighting here on the main blog too!

    High lighting, get it?
  • krellor, on 10/30/2008, -2/+1Ok, two worlds collide. I saw the title and was like, no way I would want to sleep in a tent that I made, I like my MSR too much. Then I opened the link and looked for pictures of the end result and I saw a cut up card board box.
  • InTheBurbs, on 10/30/2008, -2/+1I was going to make a joke about attractive women, making a tent - but I'm sure you're way ahead of me.
  • micklerlop, on 10/30/2008, -2/+1come on thats so strobist!
  • davidfinch, on 10/30/2008, -2/+1Great tutorial! Thanks for the tips. This is a lot easier then I thought it would.
  • cowboytf, on 10/30/2008, -2/+1Nice tutorial!! Looks super easy!
  • Groomglecom, on 10/30/2008, -2/+1Sweeet! Thanks :D
  • ncjane, on 10/30/2008, -3/+1very savvy tips for the photo minded
  • shiftB, on 10/30/2008, -3/+12) set up inexpensive light tent
    3) ????????
    4) PROFIT
  • dha07030, on 10/30/2008, -3/+1We really need a DIY guide on how to put a light in a cardboard box?
  • raublekick, on 10/30/2008, -2/+0Huh... I have definitely seen this guide before, pretty sure it was on DPS too... It's a good guide for sure though.
  • boiceboy, on 10/30/2008, -2/+0Yeah, I was hoping to find out how to construct a backpacking tent......
  • gtvone, on 10/30/2008, -2/+0I need to go get me some big role of white paper... I want to make a dinner table sized "endless stage"
  • dajuggernaut, on 10/30/2008, -6/+3FTT: "how to MAKE an inexpensive light tent"
    and not
    "where to BUY an inexpensive light tent"
  • sid1987, on 10/30/2008, -3/+0thanks!!
  • dpollitt, on 10/30/2008, -5/+1This is only around 2 years old now. Great new content Digg, thanks. If you seriously couldn't find an article like this on your own without seeing this on Digg, you need help. I've seen tons of variations, and DIY solutions for a simple lightbox, and none of them are very hard to find.

    This is a fine option, but there's nothing special about it. Personally I found the PVC option that is floating around there to be much better and more adaptable. Link to PDF - http://filebox.vt.edu/users/kmckevin/itma_kevin/pr ...
  • adjohnson916, on 10/30/2008, -5/+1or photoshop...

  • Add a Comment

    Login or register to comment!
    Or, sign-in super fast with your Facebook account ...

© Digg Inc. 2009 — Content created and posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain | Terms of Use Updated | Privacy Policy
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.