PhotoCubes/LightTents

This may sound like a dumb question but is it really easy to get the fabric for backgrounds to stay up?

 

in the photo tent that i have it has velcro strips on it so i just stick some velcro on the back of the fabric i use to hold it up.

if im just taking pictures with out my tent i usually use a clip to hold up the fabric up where ever im taking the picture.

 

Wow you're fast. O_O

I think I'll look into getting one of those. ^^ Thanks!

 

MysteryAya what size tent did you get?

 

the one i got was 25" tall but i want to get a 32" one so there is more room for my dolls to stand inside.

 

Thanks for the info, MysteryAya! I think I know what's next on my wishlist

 

Sorry for the silly question, but how do you meter the light in the first place? Special technique/equipment, or just a case of what you see infront of you?

(I have a tent waiting for some space to be cleared up in the spare bedroom, really looking forward to testing it out!)

Also, what type of bulbs do you all use? What wattage? Brighter the better? Coloured? Whatever takes your fancy? ^^

 

ah, this was great advice! Thank you so much

I too am curious on the lighting though~

 

I always use a light tent and 2 photograph daylight spotlights
invaluable for photographing miniatures ,I couldnt take my photographs without them
check ot Ebay , they are on for a wide range of prices so check before you buy

Uk dont buy bulbs from the US ...just wont work ...they blow real easy

 

zagzagael- i suppose i could get the wrinkles out if i used the iron.....hmmm i wonder where the iron is in my house, lol. i dont meter my pictures because i just have a point and shoot camera right now.

 

Most point and shoot digital cameras automatically handle light metering, or have an automatic mode.

A light meter (either built in, or a separate meter) measures the amount of light that is hitting your subject, and then allows you to correctly set your shutter and aperture, to get the end result you want. (ie Preventing a picture from being washed out or too dark.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_Meter

 

I just got a light tent off of eBay! Still waiting for it to come. The one I got is 36" square. I can't wait to start using it- I'll post pics here when it comes!

 

This is great! Hopefully I can get one soon. Because I'm tired of taking pictures of my girls in just random spots or on the couch. I don't like having clutter in my pictures in the background :P

I am wondering how did you put/install lights? Do they come with them? If not what kind are they?

And does anyone think a 24" or 30" would be decent for a Unoa? Even for her to stand in?

 

i just bought a couple of clamp lights from the hardware store for like 5 bucks each and have them clamped on objects outside the tent. just make sure you dont get them to close to the tent because they do get hot. i usually turn the lights off between poses.

 

ahh! thanks! i thought that they were inside the tent for some reason :P
I guess I could even get some cheap desk lamps. does placement usually take a big part on how well the pictures turn out? you said two on the side and sometimes one in the back? any in front?

and also, what size doll did you have in that image? because the biggest I have is a Unoa and I'm wondering if a 24" or 30" would be the best size.

 

The front flap is to diffuse any light that might shine thru from the front, especially if you use the cube outside.

Your pics look really good!

 

It's to close off the front, so you can put your camera lens through, and take a photo of something very reflective. Otherwise, you and your camera and anything else in front of the opening would be pictured in the object.

That's a great first shot!

 

what a great shot i like the background you have too. im also a sucker for yder's. and what the others said about the front flap. its to prevent a glare or from something that reflects

 

I don't see myself needing to use the front flap but I might just because.

That background material is really cheap stuff I got at Walmart and I love it but it's really heavy. I was just wanting to try this out really quickly so I used stick on velcro and it held for about half an hour before the fabric fell. It reminds me of a cheaper version of the stuff you see medieval style dresses made out of it quite often.

 

YOU FIT INSIDE THE 30"!?! Dang, you must be tiny lol. But I suppose 30" is kind big :P
What a great first shot! I can't wait to get mine ^^; and what size doll was that? I'm hoping a 30" should be fine for my Unoa.

 

If 30" is fine for me I think it'll fit your Unoa. *L* I'm 5'2" and I was sitting in it slightly slouched which is how I normally sit when I'm on the floor. If I sat up my head touched the top but didn't really push it out much. I was surprised at how big it is (and I have no idea how to fold it back up all tiny) but I was also surprised at how big Key was when I first got him even though I knew how tall he was beforehand.

 

LOL!! That's so funny! Yeah when I opened mine up, my 2 year old twin girls immediately took up residence. Mine's 36" so they had more than enough room inside.

I think I'm going to invest in a card table or something to put mine on.

I haven't been able to take any good pics with it yet- hopefully this weekend I can.


A sort of off-topic question for you all- do you use a tripod??

 

LOL that's too cute about your girls ^_^
I don't use a tripod, doubt I ever will. I have a d-SLR camera, so I don't really feel the need to.

 

i have a light tent and I TOTALLY gave up on it...

 

onnawufei- trying to get that tent back into the size it was is so hard. I finally figured it out after about 50 times trying to get it back into the case

and yes i use a tripod as i have a point and shoot camera

 

Is anyone besides me reminded of those old clothes hampers they made a few years ago that came in different colors? Because I might go to target and buy one to see if has the same effect. *is dirt poor*

~suppi

 

lol my son still has one of those clothes hampers.. very similar to my light box tent... just noway near as big....

 

Oh! This is super cool! I just ordered one so when it come I can take pictures too! ^__^

 

Oh this is definately going on my list as well. I think I'll get the 30", as both of mine are 60cms. eBay, here I come.

 

I just bought two 250 lights on stands, with umbrella reflectors... Tungsten lights, and the woman at the camera shop said I could change my camera (which wasn't with me) to the tungsten setting, to use them. Well, my camera (about 4-5 years old) has no tungsten setting. Go figure, right? Does "incandescent" perhaps mean the same thing? I'm so discouraged... I can't use a light tent because of setting up a set, so I'm stuck with making the room landing strip bright, with reflector action going on. Any suggestions for the camera setting? Maybe I'll have to return the lights. I've been using two 60watt spots - regular bulbs - forever, and I'm sick of dealing with them. I want LIGHT and clarity... So annoying that the stupid camera doesn't have a tungsten setting. Maybe I need a new camera. Yup...

 

Yes, you can try using the incandescent setting for tungsten lights. Try it and see how they turn out. Otherwise, are you able to do a manual white balance on your camera? If so, I suggest you also try this.

 

I'm embarassed to say that I don't know what the white balance is! I'm not a real camera person....more of a "user". I really need to take a class I think. Anyway, I'll have to find the manual to find out where the white balance is. If I have the setting on "automatic", in general, will that make adjustments? I'd love to get rid of the indoor "yellow" look.... Thanks for your help!

 

Oh nice, I might have to get me one of these heh, I can't even say how much trouble with have with diffusing light for out photos, one of these would be great.
And like Dolls, the shipping is gonna be what kills me >.<

 

A quick tip from the land of cheapskates

I'm not sure if anybody will understand what I mean; but if you've ever seen those tardis wire + canvas laundry baskets that are about 7 inches across when you take them out of the packet, and once you shake them out, they pop open like a light tent

The one we have is quite small - not big enough for an SD to stand in when horizontal - only vertical; but you can get bigger ones. The only trouble with them is that if you're not careful you can sometimes see the spiral of wire showing through round the sides of the cylindrical basket; but it works pretty well if you've got a little savvy ;D

That, and you can get them from about $4 upwards (I got mine in a pound store ^^); so it might be worth looking into for those of you who aho are unsure about jumping right in and splashing out on a light tent ^^ I'll try and get some photos of it later, I know my descriptions aren't great. XD

 

i know what your talking about. the pop-up hampers like this one-
http://handylaundry.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=35
except that its not made of mesh material. i couldn't find one that was solid.

 

I think I've seen some that are solid before but I'm not sure where it was. The only thing I would worry about when attempting to use those hampers as a light tent is that the material might not be heat resistant. Remember, if you are going to be putting this tent under hot lights while taking pics, you want to be sure that the material can hold up.

I know when I bought my light tent, I made sure the material was made of some type of heat/flame resistant material.

 

MysteryAya - Yeah, that's the ones - we've got a round one as well as a solid one like that. It does have a tendency to roll off by itself if it's not wedged in place, but it makes for some interesting shots.

The lights I use are a pair of standalone snake-style forearm fluos, rather than clamps which actually have any contact with the tent itself, so flammable/meltable fabrics isn't something I really have to worry about (not more than anything else, anyway - of course, it's important to be aware.) n_n That, and I never leave the setup with the lights on when I'm setting up or not actually there and actively taking photos.

 

Ok, I'm dredging up info from my head that I haven't accessed in ->cough< - many years. I used to take pictures of people's pets (and still have a scar or two as proof!)

No matter how much light you use, or what wattage light bulbs, if you use regular incandescent bulbs, you'll still have a yellow cast. That's because the light regular incandescent bulbs produce is heavily in the yellow range.

The thing with tungsten bulbs is that the color itself of the light they produce is shifted towards the blue end, and give a "cooler" cast to things - The ideal is midday sunlight. Tungsten bulbs you get from a photography store more closely approximate that. I've forgotten how they measure where the light is on the spectrum - is it degrees Kelvin? If you don't have a photography store, every craft store sells "daylight balanced" screw-in fluorescent bulbs. There's Ott and another company that is cheaper than Ott stuff.

I used to use tungsten bulbs in clip-on reflectors and then clip them onto single-pedestral (and telescoping) aluminum tripod stands. You can also use a floor lamp pole, any tubular-framed chair or daybed, or even sheet-music stands, if you find any at a garage sale. My reflectors were from a photography store, but they're basically the same as those they sell in pet stores for bulbs for lizard tanks, except that the clamps were part of the unit rather than screwed onto the base. They're aluminum colored inside, although, there was an old trick to paint the inside pure white to soften the reflectivity and the quality of the "bounced light".

I also remember an easy trick for really coloring the light. Sheets of transparent colored cellophane (stock up around easter time!). With a light tent, you can just drape it over the outside. Without a tent, we used to put some cellophane in a cardboard frame and either clamp it in front of the reflector, hang it, or get our friends to hold it in place! For a much softer look (although you want to be careful around hot lights, unless using daylight screw-in fluorescents), colored tissue paper is very useful, and you can use one to several layers depending on how well you want to diffuse the light source. (Also - if you want to diffuse glaring shadows on a really sunny day outside, you can take your light tent and use that, if the side and back flaps open up. Or, you can use some sort of circular or square frame for a sheet or sheets of the tissue paper, and either brace it above, or have someone hold it between the sun and the things you're photographing. Instant softened but bright light. I knew a girl who made a diffusing screen out of tissue paper and a hula-hoop!)

Of course, you can do most of this digitally now, but we had to do manually. If you're outside, a sheet of white foamcore board is great for fill-light. Too grey of a day? Keep some gold foil or gold wrapping paper on hand and tape it over the foamcore board. (Just remember to finely crinkle it before use, to minimize any sharp reflections. A gold textured wrapping paper is also good.)

Right now, I'm planning on making a size-changing light box - I had this 10x10' tent left over from my craft-show period. The cloth part has shrunk beyond use, but I still have these nifty thin aluminum lengths from the framework, with connectors. I'm going to see how well they can be convinced to give me a "sized as needed" box.

 

well for coloured light I have a huuuge pile o coloured gels from my days in tech theatre (for those who know it's the old cinemoid gels, might have some lee os rothco left over too) that should easily fit over any clamp light opening. I have a variety of colours for anyone who wants some. Just pay for the shipping (ie enough for the stamp and envelope) and maybe $0.75 for the gel to cover my cost for when I bought them

If anyone actually wants specific colours I don't have, the local lighting rental place sells them and I can pick some up but you'd better want a full sheet XD

 

Ooh, great tutorial, it even has some great Photoshop tips! Thanks for posting that!

 

EEE!!! Mine just arrived today!! I can't wait to try it out tonight. The only thing is....I popped it open to take a look at it, and now I can't get it closed again. I have tried twisting it....it just won't go. Can anyone explain the process of closing one of these things....

 

getting those things closed are a pain in the butt!!!
i can't actually say i know how to close them. i just push in the sides until they collapse and i can roll it up and put it back in the bag.

 

Closing them is tricky, at first! Hmm, maybe someone could post a little video on how they close theirs? It's too late for me to do one now but if no one can, I'll try and post a video tomorrow for you.

 

Well...after more frustration I decided to check online for a website that has instructions. I was lucky enough to find a site that has good clear directions. I'm not sure if it will work with all of the different types of tents, but... it worked for me!!! Here is the link:http://www.tabletopstudio.com/documents/Folding-the-cube.htm I hope this helps. Thanks guys.

 

In that first picture, you got the right idea with the lights being on each side. Just don't put them right next to the doll a little closer towards you yet still facing towards the doll inside the cube.

How far the lists are from the cube is up to you. The best thing to do is experiment and see what distance works best.

 

Great! Thank you!!

 

Question that I hope is okay to post here: If you have a phototent and flood lights and can invest in the umbrella and barndoors for the lights, is it helpful/good idea to do so or is it a waste of money?

I'm pretty new to the idea of photography in general and my friend who is a graduate color major for a photography tech school has told me I should buy a few flood lights, umbrella, and barndoors. To be honest, I don't really know much about umbrellas and barndoors except what I've read about purchasing them XD I can find them for a decent price, but if they aren't really going to do much help or will hinder the pictures with a light tent, then...

Thanks in advance! ^^

 

If you're only going to be using the phototent for taking pics of your dolls, I don't think you need to get umbrellas and barndoors for the lights. You can get away with using just cheap clamp lights you can buy at Home Depot/Lowes. No need to go full out on photography equipment.

 

I've been putting off asking this because it's not actually doll-related, but... My light tent bows at the front, it dips, unless I put the velcro'd front bit on. Is my tent bust, or is it something I'm doing/not doing?

 

my tent dips down a little bit, not badly though.

 

Can you take a pic and show us how it looks? I'm curious to see this. From the way you describe, my light tent doesn't do this.

 

Aimee, what did you set the ISO to when you shot those pictures? Did you have it set on ISO100?

 

ISO, on some of them 100, some 200.

 

Not sure if this link has been posted or not, but it's how to make a light tent from a $10 Ikea hamper!

http://sodoityourself.com/the-ikea-hamper-light-tent/

 

I am looking to buy a rather nice photo tent in the up coming month. It comes with smooth card board, which I really like. Also has velcro clasps. I'd also to also make some sweeps. Is it possible to make my own? How is that hard?

 

This is the most awesome thread ever! I've learned so much about photographing my dolls here, and I can't wait to get a phototent!

 

The softbox light tent is a good idea, although in some photos you can see the wrinkling of the cloth... and also, you may never lean your subject against the back of the tent (for the dolls who cannot stand on their own). I guess it's just a few points I wanted to point out. I almost rushed to BIN a softbox light tent...but realized it's probably not too practical for what I need (photographing blythes without using their stands).