Experiments with my DIY lightbox (or how an idiot learnt how to use his camera properly!!)

[yak face]

Hi all , some might recall I mentioned in my Tomahawk thread that I had made a light box for taking pics of my smaller models. Well I was quite chuffed with how it turned out and it seemed to give good pics . It has 2 small fluorescent striplights on the top (front and back) and a couple of bulb holders with clamps at the front sides. These had in them energy saving bulbs , but I thought I would get some Daylight bulbs for a more natural light , then the problems started. I took some pics of some old builds , the Airfix Short Skyvan and DH Heron , and they were terrible (the pics not the builds!!). The photos were very yellow except for a few that I took with a dark background , which looked normal. This started me thinking maybe the camera (Nikon coolpix L310) was auto adjusting to the now very bright conditions of the all white box and base and mucking up the colours. I was just about to post a plea for help this morning when my son came round , and after asking if he knew what was happening , he showed me the White Balance settings .So here we are several tries later , and a bit wiser (only a bit though!) I know a lot of members here are really into photography - Ive seen some of the discussions and they might as well be talking in Klingon - its way over my head , but i felt proud I had learnt a little something . The upshot of all this waffle is that Ive discovered that the Fluorescent setting in the White Balance menu gives the most natural looking photo under the conditions of my cobbled together box. No doubt I'll be posting some daft questions when I start to find other settings on the camera . The moral of this tale though , is if you dont know what youre doing , ASK - no man is an island , and someone will always help if they can. Anyway for anyone still awake after reading this text , heres some pics of the trial and error process, cheers tony

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[Deleted member 3568]

Very informative I have just bought a new camera ( well I say new its new to me ) its a dslr canon d 10 so that's a new setting to check on.

 

[eddiesolo]

I like the pictures, but like you, camera settings, F-stops, auto this that and other, chrome...blah, blah...is double Dutch to me. Point, click and hope is the best I can do. Do like your lightbox, looks superb Tony.

Si

 

[Paul P]

Cheers Tony, i have a fuji film fine pix sisco, lovely little camera with instructions that were like the encyclopaedia brittanica needless to say i havnt read it yet so my pics are crap, i shall endeavour to make a light box and read the instructions in the vain hope that i may yet take a decent pic

Paul

 

[InFlames]

good old White Balance setting which ruins lots of model photos made under artificial light...

If I were you, Tony, I would make some difussors for your lightbox. Now you have hard shadows under your model and even multiple shadows due to different light sources, while simple difussors would soften the light considerably.

A while ago I've written a tutorial about model photography and published it on my blog - hope it is of any use to you, or anyone that might be interested in this things - http://vvsmodelling.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/model-photography/

 

[Bunkerbarge]

A tip you might find useful, get a large piece of white card, the width of the box and stick one edge of it to the lower front edge of the base. Then curve the card up to the top back edge and stick that there as well. You will then have effectively removed the corner that runs across the backs of your pictures between the back and the base of the box. This can detract from the subject and you will have a model with a perfect plain backdrop.

 

[yak face]

A tip you might find useful, get a large piece of white card, the width of the box and stick one edge of it to the lower front edge of the base. Then curve the card up to the top back edge and stick that there as well. You will then have effectively removed the corner that runs across the backs of your pictures between the back and the base of the box. This can detract from the subject and you will have a model with a perfect plain backdrop.

I usually do just that Richard but as i was just playing around with the settings I didnt bother , thanks anyway ,its still a useful tip for anyone reading the thread , cheers tony

 

[flyjoe180]

That illustrates the WB nicely Tony. The inandecent setting make sit look blueish, but you're right, the fluorescent setting gives a nice natural look.