Do it yourself – Light tent on the cheap

The easiest way of getting those professional looking macro stock photos is by using a light tent, however like most things in photography it costs more than what it is necessary worth. So after reading this post, I was inspired to make my own DIY light box for next to no money. Here is an example of what I was able to achieve with this tent and a simple desk lamp:

Ingredients (bought in Singapore) Total: SGD6.36:

• Carton box, as square as possible. I got a wine box from a friendly attendant at NTUC Fairprice. The dimensions of my box are 34x24x32cm (WHD).
• Baking paper. I got Glad Bake paper (5 metres long, 30cm wide) from NTUC Fairprice. SGD2.81
• One black piece and one white piece of poster paper. Got it from Popular. SGD2.00
• Cutting knife. Got it from Popular. SGD1.00
• Black tape. I got isolation tape, but I think that black duct tape would be better. Got it from Popular. SGD0.55
• Light source. I used my existing simple desk lamp.
• Glue.

Step 1:

• Flatten out your box.
• Cut off the side that would have been the bottom of your box.
• Cut “windows” in the three remaining sides, leaving about 3cm at the edges for stability.

Step 2:

• Fold your box into a “box” shape.
• Reinforce the back of your box with plenty of tape.

Step 3:

• Tape the baking paper firmly in place, try to get it as tight as possible.
• Cut a piece of the black poster paper to fit on the back of your box, and then glue it in place.

Step 4:

• Drape your white poster board/paper inside your box.
• Point your light source(s) into the box to gain the desired lighting.

Viola! now you can do those pro shots!