Make a Lightbox to Photograph Food
Controlled whited-out surroundings is the key to object based studio photography, especially in food photography. The aim of food photography is to make the food pop in vibrancy, texture and color that is usually not seen in real life. White, or light, boxes are the best way to create concentrated white light void of shadows for small studio objects. Light boxes will take a few hours to create, but will last for many years.
Instructions
1. Collect boards to piece together to form a 50sided box. Boards can be made either out of white foam board or white cardboard. The box should be 2 x 2.5 feet (width to height) to accommodate both small and larger dishes or foods. The width can extend longer than the sides and roof to accommodate possible low-angled shots.
If you do not wish to create a box from boards, use an already made box such as a large postal shipping box.
2. Cut a small flap into the top of the box (or board that will be used as the roof) to be used as a light window. Use a cutting tool such as a knife or exacto knife. Do not cut an open hole into the board, or it will appear reflected in shots with glossy or metallic subjects. Instead, make a three-sided cut that is about 4 x 4 inches and opens on a hinge.
3. Join the outer edges of the side boards together using a clear packaging tape. Cover all the joining edges with tape to ensure that there are no black spaces as they will show in the photographs. If you are already using a ready-made box, make sure that the joints of the box are completely closed. If not, force them together and secure with tape.
4. Line the inside of the box (floor, ceiling and sides) with white paper that is thick enough to cover and the brown or impurely colored walls inside of the box. The inside must be purely white. Browse the paper selection at an office supply store for long, thick ultra-white paper. Skip this step if you are using white foam board instead of cardboard.
5. Attach a horizon-blocker on the (inside) backboard of the box. This is a long piece of paper that should bend in an arc over the backboard bottom joint, thus disguising it and causing any shadow to disappear. Tape one end of ultra white paper (the same used to cover the insides of the boxes) to the backboard and allow it to slope down at an easy, natural angle. Tape the opposite end to the baseboard of the box. Do not use packaging tape or the sheen will appear in the photos. Instead, use a matte masking tape.
6. Open the flap (on top) and position a lamp so that it eclipses the opening and angles toward the backboard. Use only daylight bulbs known as daylight CFL, or compact florescent lights. The bulbs must have a color temperature listed as either 5,000 or 5,500. Do not use regular incandescent bulbs as they have a warm color temperature and produce a soft yellow glow that will project into your box and cause the box to appear yellow rather than white in the shot.
7. Place the other two lamps at the front of the box looking in, each angled toward the opposite sides of the box. The beams will cross, refract the light against the walls and eliminate virtually all shadows.
Tags: color temperature, foam board, food photography, into board, Lightbox Photograph
