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How to Make a Photographic Lightbox

Used by professional photographers, lightboxes -- also known as softboxes or light tents -- are small, illuminated boxes usually covered with a transparent fabric or paper, into which small objects are placed so that they may be properly lighted. An ideal project for a photographer on a budget, simple lightboxes may be constructed from cardboard and thin paper. Quick and easy to make with little to no professional skills or expertise needed, this lightbox is lightweight and produces the same effects as its professional counterpart, at a fraction of the cost.

Things You'll Need

1 medium or large square cardboard box
Box cutter
Ruler
Marker
Tracing paper or translucent white fabric
Scissors
Glue
Desk lamp with light bulb

Instructions

- 1
  Remove one side of the box using the box cutter. Cut the top flaps from the box as well.
- 2
  Create windows in three sides of the box using the ruler and a marker leaving a 2-inch border on each side. Cut the windows from the box using the box cutter.
- 3
  Glue sheets of tracing paper or pieces of transparent white fabric to the inside of the box, ensuring that the entire interior is covered.
- 4
  Slide a sheet of tracing paper into the box or stretch a piece of the fabric so that it faces the open side of the box and curves upward towards the top of the box. Glue down the top and bottom of the paper or fabric to hold it in place.
- 5
  Cover the top of the box with a sheet of tracing paper or fabric and glue it down to finish the lightbox. Position the desk lamp at the side of the box so that the light shines in through one of the covered windows. The object being photographed should rest at the base of the curved sheet, with your camera facing the object through the open side of the box.

Photography