# Light box



## WriteON

Any reason not to by this? Would use an iPhone Xs on a Mini tri-pod. Thanks for any constructive replies. https://www.amazon.com/ESDDI-Adjustable-Brightness-Professional-Photography/dp/B07DDGGZNT


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## KenB259

That’s the exact one I have and it works great. I think you would be happy with it. 


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app


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## WriteON

KenB259 said:


> That’s the exact one I have and it works great. I think you would be happy with it.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app


Thank you.


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## WriteON

Got it today. Set up and ready to go. I realize there is no substitute for trial and error but I need a starting point. Background, low light, etc. I’m using an iPhone XS. Help. Thanks.


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## Ironwood

WriteON said:


> Got it today. Set up and ready to go. I realize there is no substitute for trial and error but I need a starting point. Background, low light, etc. I’m using an iPhone XS. Help. Thanks.


I'm not much help with a phone camera. But if you haven't read Sylvanites articles in the library, they are a great resource for getting the basics and more , well worth the read.


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## TonyL

Enjoy! I have made two of my own and they are a PITN to use )so I don't use them).  I was looking for something like this Have fun with it.


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## Sylvanite

Light boxes/tents can be very useful tools, but they are not a cure-all for pen photography.  One still has to get the lighting right.

I'm not a fan of units with built-in lights.  They take away the ability to control the amount and direction of the key and fill lights, which (I feel) tends to defeat their purpose.  Internal LEDs also create point reflections in any shiny surfaces.

Regards, 
Eric


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## WriteON

Sylvanite said:


> Light boxes/tents can be very useful tools, but they are not a cure-all for pen photography.  One still has to get the lighting right.
> 
> I'm not a fan of units with built-in lights.  They take away the ability to control the amount and direction of the key and fill lights, which (I feel) tends to defeat their purpose.  Internal LEDs also create point reflections in any shiny surfaces.
> 
> Regards,
> Eric


I’m learning from
Square 1. For now I’m just looking to get a clean shot. I have a professional photographer moving next to me. I will not bother him but maybe he’ll give me some pointers. He has been primed. I gave him and his wife a pen each.


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## FGarbrecht

I don't like the little light boxes like this with the zillion little LED light sources because I always got tiny little reflections of each LED in the shot.  I ended up getting a couple of bigger light sources on tripods with light diffusers on each -- problem solved.  I also never was able to get decent photos with the iphone.  One thing that helped with iphone shots was getting a tripod mount for the phone, but the lack of good exposure compensation and light balance control in the iphone photo app make product photography challenging (at least for me).


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## Sylvanite

FGarbrecht said:


> I also never was able to get decent photos with the iphone… the lack of good exposure compensation and light balance control in the iphone photo app make product photography challenging (at least for me).


If you are running into problems with focus, exposure, or white balance (et. al.) with your phone camera, there are a number of camera apps (iOS and Android) that will give you all the manual controls (even raw mode) commonly seen on DSLRs.  Most are under $10.00 and some are free.


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## FGarbrecht

Sylvanite said:


> If you are running into problems with focus, exposure, or white balance (et. al.) with your phone camera, there are a number of camera apps (iOS and Android) that will give you all the manual controls (even raw mode) commonly seen on DSLRs.  Most are under $10.00 and some are free.


I tried a couple of apps for the iphone and found them lacking; limited functionality, kludgy interfaces made them frustrating to use.  Any ios applications that you can recommend?  I haven't looked for awhile, and frankly I'm tired of paying for apps that promise more than they deliver.


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## Sylvanite

WriteON said:


> I’m learning from
> Square 1. For now I’m just looking to get a clean shot.


Check out:

https://www.penturners.org/threads/photography-basics-why-use-a-light-tent.121808/ where I discuss why a light tent may be useful.
https://www.penturners.org/threads/...ng-concept-into-practice.128555/#post-1727402 where I show how to set up a simple shot with a translucent light tent.
https://www.penturners.org/threads/polarization-and-glare.133334/post-1801831 where I show how a translucent light tent can be used to control specular highlights.
https://www.penturners.org/resources/pen-photography-concept-and-practice.261/download for an explanation of photography concepts and how they affect pen pictures specifically.


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## Sylvanite

FGarbrecht said:


> Any ios applications that you can recommend?


I haven't tried any myself, but you might be interested in one of:








						TOP 7 BEST FREE CAMERA APPS FOR IPHONE IN 2021
					

Check out this list of seven best free camera apps for iPhone, using which you can turn your phone into a full-fledged camera. Camera applications installed by default don’t provide photographers with enough opportunities to express their creative vision. In most cases, you just need to focus...




					www.meldium.com
				











						Discover The Best Camera App For Your iPhone Photography
					

What is the best camera app for iPhone? Discover the top four iPhone camera apps. And let us help you choose the best one for your needs!




					iphonephotographyschool.com


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## WriteON

Gray card. No light used. Some adjustments w/ Snapseed. Fire away. Comments/Criticism please.  Detail is not great...could be sharper.


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## howsitwork

nice work but photo not sharp and edges grainy . Doesn’t do them justice. display singly and on a base of some kind ? 

Hope that’s of use ?


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