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How to Make Your Own Light Tent for Product Photography

The clarity and detail that you see in product photography is usually thanks to a light tent, also called a white box. A light tent's interior is completely white and highly reflective to eliminate unwanted shadows or color shifts in the resulting photographs. Professional light tents can be purchased from your favorite photographic supply store, but they tend to be costly and fragile. With some basic materials and a bit of creativity, you can build your own light tent for use in your home studio.

Things You'll Need

Masking tape
Ruler
Box
Utility knife
Scissors
White construction paper
Bristol board
Glue stick
White cotton fabric

Instructions

- 1
  Close and seal the box's top and bottom flaps with masking tape. For best results, your box should be at least 1 foot tall by 1 foot wide.
- 2
  Orient the box so one of its four sides faces upward. With your ruler, measure 2 inches in from the side's edge and make a small mark. Measure in and mark for the three remaining edges. Connect all four marks with straight lines to form the outline of a small window.
- 3
  Repeat the previous step for the three remaining sides and sealed top of the box. Avoid making any marks on the bottom of the box, as this will be the base of your light tent. Cut out all five windows from the box using your utility knife.
- 4
  Cover the inside bottom of the box with a piece of white construction paper. Cut the white construction paper into strips and glue these to the inside of the box. Once you finish, the entire inside of the box should be covered with white paper.
- 5
  Shape a piece of Bristol board so that its width equals the longest side of the box and its length is roughly 4 inches longer than the height of the box. Secure the Bristol board to the top of the box's longest side and allow the other end to drape into the box. It should curve slightly once it meets the bottom of the box.
- 6
  Tape a sheet of white cotton fabric over the top of the box. Aside from the window that faces the curved Bristol board, tape a sheet of fabric over the three other windows.
- 7
  Place your product in the bottom of the box just before the curve of the Bristol board. Light the product from above using a desk lamp, flash or studio light for best results. To compose your photograph, aim your lens through the open window at the front of the tent.

Photography