How to Build Your Own Softbox
Many small businesses have a need for quality photographs, especially those which sell items via online auctions or ecommerce websites. Hiring a photographer can be expensive, especially when new items must be photographed over an extended period of time. While photography equipment can be purchased, if the equipment is needed for online auction photographs or other small-scale projects, then it is often more economical to build portions of the equipment yourself. One piece that can be built is the softbox, a lighting shroud that helps to provide illumination while softening the effect of the light.
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Things You'll Need
- Cardboard box, preferably square
- Knife, box cutter or other cutting tool
- Aluminum foil
- Tape
- White trash bag or other thin white material
- External camera flash or other light source
Instructions
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1
Cut a hole in the bottom of a cardboard box large enough to accommodate your flash or other lighting device, making each side of the hole parallel with the respective side of the box. The hole should be located as close to the center of the box as possible and should be square.
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2
Measure each side of the box opening, each side of the hole and the distance from each side of the box opening to the related side of the hole.
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3
Measure and cut four pieces of aluminum foil. The pieces should be wide enough to cover the width of the box opening and long enough so that there is approximately an inch more foil than the distance from the opening to the opening of the hole. Tape two pieces together if a single piece isn't wide enough to cover the width of the box opening.
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4
Cut the foil pieces at an angle so that one end of each piece is the width of one side of the box and the other end is the width of the corresponding side of the hole. Tape the four pieces together so that they create a funnel-like shape with one end having the dimensions of the box opening and the other end having the dimensions of the hole opening.
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5
Insert the foil into the box carefully, fitting it through the hole opening in the bottom of the box. Use the foil overlap to tape the foil securely to the box, taping it at both the box opening and the hole opening.
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6
Stretch a white trash bag or other thin white material over the opening of the box, and tape it in place, making sure that there are no wrinkles in the material that could create shadows.
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7
Insert your flash or other lighting device into the hole. When the light is on, the aluminum foil will help magnify it to produce high-quality lighting while the white material will soften the effect to produce soft white light.
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Tips & Warnings
A more sturdy and long-term softbox can be created by using higher-quality materials such as wood, aluminum sheeting and white nylon.
Do not keep the softbox on a light with a bare bulb or that produces a high wattage, or any light that will be turned on for an extended period of time as this can present a fire hazard. Softboxes are typically used with flashes that are only on briefly to reduce the amount of heat produced.
References
- Photo Credit Creatas Images/Creatas/Getty Images
