Hello, Pinners!
Welcome to the August Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop, hosted by My Pinterventures. The purpose of this Pinterest Challenge is to motivate all the participants of this hop (and you too) to not just pin, but to make it happen! This month, I chose to make my own Pinspired light box for taking better photographs for My Fashion Haus and Tasty Tuesday posts. And I am happy to report that I am able to access Pinterest again using Google Chrome. Not sure what the issue was but glad it was resolved.
My light box project had a couple of things going for it. The supplies were readily available and free or almost so. It was something I could do quickly and easily. And bonus, the end product was something I had been wanting to try using with my photography. Don’t know about you, but free and easy speaks to me every time. The pins that were my pinspiration for this pinterventure are here and here. Let me show you how to make one of these for yourself.
Pinspired Photography Light Box
A lot of the bloggers I follow and ‘hang out’ with in the blog world have upped their photography game. I keep saying I am going to start using my good camera, tripod, light kit more often. But bottom line is I’m a lazy photographer. I don’t feel like dragging all of that stuff out all the time. Hoping my new toy will encourage me to put more effort and care in my blog photography.
The Supplies
- cardboard box, mine is about 12″ x 12″ (which turned out to be too small)
- ruler
- marker or pencil
- box cutter
- tape
- white tissue paper
The Directions
- Measure a square ‘window’ to be cut out of 3 sides of your box. Each window should be the same size with a 1 1/2″ frame around the opening
- Use the box cutter to cut the 3 windows out of your box. These little box cutters were really too flimsy to do the trick so I would invest in a heavier duty box cutter, if you don’t have one.
- Leave the bottom and one side of the box uncut
- Spread one sheet of tissue paper over each opening and tape it in place. I used Scotch tape to tape down the corners. Then used packing tape all the way around to adhere the tissue paper to the box.
- Next cut off the top flap of the open end of the box to allow more light in. Might be good to cut off all of the remaining flaps.
- The last step is to measure and cut a piece of poster board that will become the floor and back ground for the light box. White poster board, of course.
- I measured the width and length my poster board backdrop would need to be and decided – IN ERROR – to make it a little smaller so it would fit easily into the box. Mistake! Because I have little brown edges showing where the poster board doesn’t cover the box completely. I should have measured and cut the board almost exactly the right size. This is easy to fix…later.
Purrsnickitty was such a doll to hold my poster board still while I measured it. Who says you can’t get good help these days! Had to chase her out of the light box so that I could put the back drop in.
So, I got to here writing my post and realized something was missing. I had never taken picture of the finished project. Or the light box in use! Which is the whole reason why we are here, for pity sake.
Ta-da! You’re welcome. When I get crazy like that and forget what I’m doing, feel free to nudge me.
I set up the light box on my ironing board (which I should be putting to proper use right now!) and put my lamps at approximately the same height and distance on each side of the box. And then I began taking pictures of items inside the light box.
What do you think? Here’s another image of a science experiment Cady and I did together.
I think this next one turned out best. Saw gingham pumpkins at Hobby Lobby and have twice put them in my cart. Then, upon hearing my PC’s voice in my head saying “No more decorations…especially pumpkins!”, I’ve set them back down. Today when I was buying my poster board for this project, I stumbled across this little plaid pumpkin. It was half the price of those at Walmart and was whispering my name. Surely my Prince won’t mind just one more little pumpkin, especially since I saved money on it!!
Have a third light that I am thinking of shining down from the top. And will need to play around with the settings on my camera to get the best shots. But overall, I am pleased with how my project turned out and the photos I have taken using it.
One thing I did discover…my box is really too small. Waaaaaa! Hate that! So, for it to be of real use, I need to make another using a larger box. As soon as I cut this one out, PC received something from Amazon that was about 6″ big…maybe a baseball?…packed in this ridiculously large box. I set the box aside thinking it would have been perfect for my light box. And now I can make a larger light box with it.
This was certainly a project my Purrsnickitty enjoyed. I guess I need a third box to make her her own light box.
Your Turn
Is this a project you might try? Would you have use for an inexpensive=free light box for some of your photography projects? I think this little one will work okay for photographing plates of food, or jewelry or maybe shoes, as long as my foot doesn’t get much bigger. Will get busy on that second light box this weekend.
Do you have a Pinspired project to share. Join us! To join next month’s #pinterestchallenge, click here to sign-up ⇒ September Pinterest Challenge. You can bet I will be there!
Now let’s see what other things Pinterest inspired! Head over and visit the other hosts to see what they crafted, cooked, built, or tried!
Erlene – My Pinterventures • Jenny – Cookies Coffee and Crafts
Alexandra – EyeLoveKnots • Joanne – Our Unschooling Journey
Chelc – Inside The Fox Den • Erin – The Usual Mayhem
Beverly – Across the Boulevard • Lynne – My Family Thyme
Laurie – My Husband Has Too Many Hobbies • Lydia – Lydia’s Flexitarian Kitchen
Leslie – Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After
Lauren – Mom Home Guide • Emily – Domestic Deadline
Debra – Shoppe No. 5 • Roseann – This Autoimmune Life
Terri – Our Good Life • Lisa – Blogghetti
Kelli – The Olympic Nest • Rebecca – Hello Central Avenue
Bri – Halfpint Design • Cherryl – Farm Girl Reformed
Julie – Sum of their Stories
Thanks, dolls, for always supporting the crazy that is me and my world. I appreciate you stopping by and hope you will come back again and stay even longer next time. Have a great week.
Hugs and kisses,
Jenny
Great idea! I also made a light box once, but I needed better lighting, It’s amazing how easy it is to make. What kind of lights do you have? I love your pumpkin, you can never have to many & your cat is adorable!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Hey Jenny, thank you for your compliments about my light box. I have an inexpensive light kit my daughter bought me for Christmas one year. It has been excellent. She found it on Amazon. Here is the link. I have had it two years or so now and it has been perfect for my needs.
https://www.amazon.com/Photography-Portrait-Umbrella-Continuous-LimoStudio/dp/B005FHZ2SI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1535331088&sr=8-3&keywords=light+kit
Rebecca Jo
OK – that’s pretty nifty!!! I’m trying to think of some of the sizes of my latest Amazon boxes now to try that with 🙂
Leslie Roberts Clingan
If you try making one of these light boxes be sure to use a larger box. Mine is really pretty teensy. Something at least 20″ or so. I need to make a second larger one now. It is so easy to do that it won’t take but a few minutes. Hope you will give it a try.
ShootingStarsMag
What a fun idea! And your cat definitely seems to love it. 🙂 I don’t have any lights, so not sure this would be a good idea for me, but when it comes to blog photos in general, I really do want to try and get better. I don’t have a nice camera, so I’m stuck with my phone but alas, I do my best! 🙂
-Lauren
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I really have wanted to up my blog photography game. I need to set up everything in my guest bedroom and leave it up, my lights, my tripod and good camera, by light box. But sure as I drag it all out, I have company and have to put it all away. You could use some little desk lamps with a light box, if you want to try it without spending any money. Just put lamps beside the box.
Photos with your phone are great, too! I think it is more important the message we are conveying than the quality of the photograph!!
Dara
I could definitely use one of these! Thanks for making the instructions easy to follow!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Make a light box. Will only take an hour and you will love it!! Thanks, sugar.
Mother of 3
Great tutorial! I have been thinking I really NEED to make a light box. I have tons of ample light in the spring and summer but my photos are so awful and dark come fall and winter. Thanks for sharing with us today. Pinned!!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you for stopping by, commenting and pinning my light box post. I plan to make a larger one next weekend. Be sure to use a box that is at least 20″. Mine was really too teensy to be very useful. Just set aside about an hour and that’s all the time you will need!
Shirley Wood
This is a good idea. I made a light box years ago before I purchased my lighting kits. It would have been much better if I had known how to properly use it. Love your kitty. Mine want to be involved in everything I’m doing!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Aren’t our kitties faithful friends? Mine help me scrapbook, work on my mosaic, put together my light box. One is sitting here on the couch beside me as I type this comment. Maybe you can make another light box now that you have your light kit. I really want to up my photography game and hope this light box will help me do just that. Thanks for stopping by.
Kelley
I need to make one of these, thanks for sharing! Pinning for later. Love the picture with your cat, mine would be in there too.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, Kelley. I am thinking that I should make my kitties a light box for themselves. Not that they use the camera much but it seems that light boxes are very comfortable! Thank you for pinning my little project. Hope you will give it a try.
Habiba
Leslie, I love myself inexpensive and easy craft projects, too! They are the best! I have a mini light box my man got for me as a Little surprise, but it is what it is: mini and None of my DIY projects fit. Same as you I don’t feel like dragging out all the photography supplies all the time. My solution, I simply leave them out. Which, on the downside, makes my little craft coner in my bedroom looking like a photo stutio with all those umbrella lights. But they come quite handy when crafting, too. Not so much when it is blistering hot anyways. But that is just during those view super hot summer month a problem. Anyways…I am rambling. Love your DIY project and will pin it for future reference.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Habiba, I had never thought of using my light kit to craft by! What a genius idea. Our house is so dark. We have dark paint on the walls and that makes it even darker. Sure going to get my light kit out and keep it out! Thank you for the great suggestion.
Try making one of these light boxes with a larger box. You can still use your mini from your sweet, thoughtful honey when you are photographing mini things but have the larger one ready for bigger projects. I plan to do that this coming weekend.
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom
Love this craft and it’ll get great use!! Plus, you had everything at home for it (extra bonus!). My cats love to get in ANY box or hamper I have laying around. LOL.
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Hey sweet potato! Aren’t our kitties precious angels? My kitties love the laundry baskets, boxes, shelves in our closet, the pantry, and cozying up in the bathroom lavatory. I think Santa may bring Purrsnickitty and Purrsimmony a light box of their own!
Nikki Gwin
Who knew it would be so simple?! I need to do this. Thanks for the trial and error demonstration.
🙂 gwingal
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Please give light box making a try. So simple and it will be useful for your blog photos!
Kelli
Right there with you regarding photography laziness. Just today I thought I need to find a photography class. I like this idea. I’ve just propped up two pieces of large white railroad board and snapped some pictures that way. This is a lot better. Pinning.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you, Kelli! Making this light box is a snap. Set aside about an hour and your will be in business. I am debating between taking a photography call in the fall or a mosaic class. Wish I could do both!
Debrashoppeno5
Love your helper, he is a cutie. You have inspired me to give this a try, Thanks for sharing.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Oh, Debra, please give this light box project a go! You just need a box and about an hour’s time. Hope it will help you take photos to a new level.
Roseann Hampton
I think a project like this is definitely in order – great pictures are everything!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Yay, Roseann, hope you will give this light box project a try. I plan to make a jumbo light box over Labor Day weekend. And then I am going to really try to improve my blog photography.
Alexandra
I am always in awe of the professional-like photos done with the beautiful white background, but I just don’t think it’s my style. These came out great though. The pumpkin looks really good against it.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I always like having color in the background of my photography, too. But with certain things, when I am showcasing maybe a meal or ingredients for a recipe. Or maybe accessories for an outfit? I often take flat lay photos on a piece of foam core board of my outfits. Might be able to use my larger light box for those, too.
Thanks for coming by!
Erlene
Love your helper 🙂 This is a great project, especially for bloggers! I think adding a light from the top would be a great addition.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
This week I am going to get all of my photography stuff out and start using it!! Ha! Have a larger box to make a larger light box with and want to stop being so lazy about my photography!! Thanks for this great pinspiration series and link-up. I am always inspired to try new things because of YOU!!
Lauren
Great project! I’d love to make a DIY light box!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Thank you!! Hope you will give it a try!
Lydia from Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen
I’ve made a similar box and used it more than I thought I would. Your cat is gorgeous and reminds me of a little calico we used to have. She would have climbed into the box as well (and any bags we left open, or a pile of fresh laundry, or…). She was a champion mouse, bird and cricket hunter and delighted in sharing her catch of the day with me!
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Hi, Lydia, I believe my Purrsnickitty must be related to your kitty because she does everything you described your kitty doing. Especially jumping into the clothes basket with the warm, clean laundry! We don’t have a single piece of clothing that isn’t somewhat fur covered.
Hoping I will get some use out of my light box, too. Promised myself that this week I will get a larger one made because the one I featured in my post is pretty small. And then set up my lights and my camera on the tripod and leave it all in place so I will start taking more professional looking pics!
Bri Adams
What a fun project! And I love that it’s so affordable that you could have several different sizes depending on your needs.
Leslie Roberts Clingan
Great idea to have several light boxes I am going to make a larger one this weekend. And get my informal ‘photo studio’ all set up. Thank you for visiting!
Emily @DomesticDeadline.com
This is a great tutorial. I had made one years ago and recently broke down and bought one since it finally needed to be replaced.