How to Build a Light Tent for Photography
Building a homemade photography light tent is a quick, thrifty way to achieve professional-quality photographs. For expert photographers on a budget, or novices experimenting with a camera, the do-it-yourself light tent requires minimal effort to build and the necessary materials are nearly all typical household items. Its small, simple design won't take up much space and it's recyclable in the end. Build one or two, or multiple of all different sizes--there are so many options.
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Things You'll Need
- Ruler
- Marker
- 2 sheets of white Bristol board
- Cardboard box
- Scissors
- Tape
- Glue
- White fabric
- Small lamps
- Camera
Instructions
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Building a Photography Light Tent
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1
Measure 2 inches inward from the edge of the box on any side. Mark that spot with the marker. Hold the ruler level with that spot and mark several increments along that line, creating a dotted line across the side of the box. Connect the dots, while still holding the ruler to make the line straight. Turn the box clockwise and repeat the process. When finished, there should be a completely connected square that measures 2 inches inward from the edges of the box. Do this for four sides of the box, but not the top or bottom.
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2
Cut out the marked squares on all four of the box's sides, along with the entire top of the box. The box should be nearly hollow, but with 2-inch borders on each side and the bottom intact. Do not remove the bottom of the box.
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3
Measure 2-inch increments on the Bristol board and mark each line with the marker. Do this 16 times, creating 16 lines that are 2 inches apart from one another.
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4
Cut the Bristol board on the marked lines with the scissors, making 16 strips.
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5
Glue the stripes on the inside of the box, matching the strips to all of the 2-inch box borders. The goal is the cover all of the cardboard with each strip of paper. The sides of the strips with the markings should not be seen. The inside of the box must be all white.
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6
Cut a second sheet of Bristol board to fit the precise width of the box, but leave the length much longer than the box.
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7
Place the second sheet in the box, allowing it to curve inside the length of the box. Do not crease the Bristol board, as this would appear in the photos. Cut any excess board off the top if needed.
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8
Cut the fabric in three squares to fit over the side holes of the box. Cut a fourth, larger piece that will cover the hole on the top of the box. One of the sides holes does not require any fabric.
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9
Tape the fabric onto the holes, covering three sides and the top. Leave the side that faces the Bristol board open. The Bristol board serves as the background for the photos.
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10
Light the top of the box with a small desk lamp or a clip lamp. Digital Photography School suggests lighting the sides if unwanted shadows appear when photographing.
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