# Poor Boys photo tent



## Chromey

I'm just a poor country boy, trying to scrape by. Take 1 box, 1 led light kit from Amazon Amazon.com: LE® 12V Flexible LED Strip Lights Kit, LED Tape, Daylight White, 300 Units 3528 LEDs, Non Waterproof, Light Strips, Pack of 16.4ft/5m, All Accessories Included: Musical Instruments ,and some cheese cloth. The leds can be reduced to 50% / 25% / 100% with remote included with lights. Please see attached pics. I hung cheese cloth over lights so the photos were not to reflective of leds. This is still a work in progress, and I am not a photographer by any means, just looking to make my pics better. Enjoy!


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## CommGuy107

That'll do it. Some folks get caught up in how the setup looks, or who made it. Others focus on getting the photo right. Congratulations on accomplishing the latter.


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## hcpens

It's not a POOR BOY's photo tent it is a SMART BOY's photo tent. More money to spend on the pen kits!:smile-big:


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## mike4066

Glad to see you got lights and box setup.  The pictures are a strong improvement over the other "SOYP" photo's that you've posted.  

I would put a piece of paper along the back/bottom so that it makes a curved surface. That will get rid of the background color difference that runs through the middle of your pen.

When I setup mine, I re-did photos of pens I had to see the difference. Comparing the before/after helped me tweak my setup more.


Good work, keep at it!


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## farmer

*LIGHTS*



Chromey said:


> I'm just a poor country boy, trying to scrape by. Take 1 box, 1 led light kit from Amazon Amazon.com: LE® 12V Flexible LED Strip Lights Kit, LED Tape, Daylight White, 300 Units 3528 LEDs, Non Waterproof, Light Strips, Pack of 16.4ft/5m, All Accessories Included: Musical Instruments ,and some cheese cloth. The leds can be reduced to 50% / 25% / 100% with remote included with lights. Please see attached pics. I hung cheese cloth over lights so the photos were not to reflective of leds. This is still a work in progress, and I am not a photographer by any means, just looking to make my pics better. Enjoy!


 
Hi chrome
I guess I will be different about your DIY Box.

LED lights do not produce electromagnetic polarized waves.
But once LED light is reflected or softened it does , And once those polarized waves strike any nonmetallic smooth surface it creates polarized reflection.  AKA glare.

You also have UV rays that create reflection or glare to.

Every light will create some kind of noticeable glare line on your pen.
The more lights and the more the light is reflected the more the glare lines to the point you are washing out the pen with reflection or glare.

Part of photography is technics used on certain types of photography like land scape or portrait photography.

If you think your DIY photo tent is a good idea and you think your picture are good then please join a photography forum and show them your pictures and tell them what technic and equipment you are using.

I think you pen looks very nice but honestly I thought your photograph could be done allot better.

I thought it was partially whited out with glare or overexposed....

I am not saying this to be anything but to be practical .
How many lights do you need to light up a 5 inch pen ?
Point being One light one glare line ...............................................

I don't know of any Professional photographer who is surrounding his subject with lights ........................................


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## Chromey

farmer said:


> Chromey said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm just a poor country boy, trying to scrape by. Take 1 box, 1 led light kit from Amazon Amazon.com: LE® 12V Flexible LED Strip Lights Kit, LED Tape, Daylight White, 300 Units 3528 LEDs, Non Waterproof, Light Strips, Pack of 16.4ft/5m, All Accessories Included: Musical Instruments ,and some cheese cloth. The leds can be reduced to 50% / 25% / 100% with remote included with lights. Please see attached pics. I hung cheese cloth over lights so the photos were not to reflective of leds. This is still a work in progress, and I am not a photographer by any means, just looking to make my pics better. Enjoy!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hi chrome
> I guess I will be different about your DIY Box.
> 
> LED lights do not produce electromagnetic polarized waves.
> But once LED light is reflected or softened it does , And once those polarized waves strike any nonmetallic smooth surface it creates polarized reflection.  AKA glare.
> 
> You also have UV rays that create reflection or glare to.
> 
> Every light will create some kind of noticeable glare line on your pen.
> The more lights and the more the light is reflected the more the glare lines to the point you are washing out the pen with reflection or glare.
> 
> Part of photography is technics used on certain types of photography like land scape or portrait photography.
> 
> If you think your DIY photo tent is a good idea and you think your picture are good then please join a photography forum and show them your pictures and tell them what technic and equipment you are using.
> 
> I think you pen looks very nice but honestly I thought your photograph could be done allot better.
> 
> I thought it was partially whited out with glare or overexposed....
> 
> I am not saying this to be anything but to be practical .
> How many lights do you need to light up a 5 inch pen ?
> Point being One light one glare line ...............................................
> 
> I don't know of any Professional photographer who is surrounding his subject with lights ........................................
Click to expand...


I understand your point, as stated I'm not a professional photographer, just wanted my pics better....which the consensus says they are. I am not concerned with the uv, led, tungsten or any other light ray source just wanted my pics better not perfect.  I post on a pen forum, not a photo forum with a cheap point and shoot camera. No offense taken, and I appreciate the constructive input.


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## mike4066

Farmer, 

Do you have any suggestions for helping make this setup work a bit better? (That's not meant in a snarky  kind of way, I'd actually like to know.)


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## Rockytime

I think your pens look wonderful. I used to be a photography buff. Had lots of equipment and spent lots of time trying to make perfect exposures. I got over it though. I now shoot only with my Samsung cell phone. All my equipment went to charities like Good Will, etc. I appreciate excellent photography. If I were marketing my pens and things I would try to get as perfect results as I could. Since my passion for photography has disappeared along with my youth I just want something that is serviceable for posting on this site and others. I have a little folding tent with the crappy little lights and they work well enough to photograph some of the things I sell on ebay or craig's list. Enjoy your self.


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## Chromey

Rockytime said:


> I think your pens look wonderful. I used to be a photography buff. Had lots of equipment and spent lots of time trying to make perfect exposures. I got over it though. I now shoot only with my Samsung cell phone. All my equipment went to charities like Good Will, etc. I appreciate excellent photography. If I were marketing my pens and things I would try to get as perfect results as I could. Since my passion for photography has disappeared along with my youth I just want something that is serviceable for posting on this site and others. I have a little folding tent with the crappy little lights and they work well enough to photograph some of the things I sell on ebay or craig's list. Enjoy your self.



Thanks Rocky!!


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## Sylvanite

I suggest covering the front of your light box with a piece of white paper or fabric with a hole in the front just large enough to photograph your pen through.  That will help minimize the reflections from the room.

Regards,
Eric


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## farmer

*Photography*



mike4066 said:


> Farmer,
> 
> Do you have any suggestions for helping make this setup work a bit better? (That's not meant in a snarky  kind of way, I'd actually like to know.)


 

NO, that DIY set up that he made is partially working against him.
It might work well for photographing clothing or something that doesn't have a smooth reflective surface.

Way to many lights, way to many glare lines.... for smooth surface reflective subjects .

A LED flashlight or desk lamp. Desk lamp would be the best because you don't have 4 arms and hands.
  LED lights do not create allot of heat, ( safety issue heat )
and they do not produce electromagnetic polarized waves until the light is either reflected or softened and then it does....

The LED light will need to be softened , ( old tee shirt, white pillow case )

Optional If your camera can have a CPL mounted on the lens then I would buy a small piece of Linear polarized film and put it over the light and the material that is being used to soften the light. ( in other words the Linear polarized film goes on LAST ).
And us a CLP on you lens 

That's what I would do if I was trying to photograph pens on the cheap.

PS if any of you are willing to try this technic here is a link for where to buy the linear polarized film.
Polarization.com


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## Rick_G

I use a white styrofoam cooler to take my photos in.  Thanks for the link to the led lights.  I've been wanting some of them for a while to use in a display stand but any I found were just to expensive.  These should work nicely.


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## Chromey

Sylvanite said:


> I suggest covering the front of your light box with a piece of white paper or fabric with a hole in the front just large enough to photograph your pen through.  That will help minimize the reflections from the room.
> 
> Regards,
> Eric



Thank you Eric...I will try that!


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## Chromey

farmer said:


> mike4066 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Farmer,
> 
> Do you have any suggestions for helping make this setup work a bit better? (That's not meant in a snarky  kind of way, I'd actually like to know.)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> NO, that DIY set up that he made is partially working against him.
> It might work well for photographing clothing or something that doesn't have a smooth reflective surface.
> 
> Way to many lights, way to many glare lines.... for smooth surface reflective subjects .
> 
> A LED flashlight or desk lamp. Desk lamp would be the best because you don't have 4 arms and hands.
> LED lights do not create allot of heat, ( safety issue heat )
> and they do not produce electromagnetic polarized waves until the light is either reflected or softened and then it does....
> 
> The LED light will need to be softened , ( old tee shirt, white pillow case )
> 
> Optional If your camera can have a CPL mounted on the lens then I would buy a small piece of Linear polarized film and put it over the light and the material that is being used to soften the light. ( in other words the Linear polarized film goes on LAST ).
> And us a CLP on you lens
> 
> That's what I would do if I was trying to photograph pens on the cheap.
> 
> PS if any of you are willing to try this technic here is a link for where to buy the linear polarized film.
> Polarization.com
Click to expand...


Thank you Mike! I am experimenting with this until I get better camera.


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## TurtleTom

Sylvanite said:


> I suggest covering the front of your light box with a piece of white paper or fabric with a hole in the front just large enough to photograph your pen through.  That will help minimize the reflections from the room.
> 
> Regards,
> Eric
> 
> This is my first post at IAP, I'm new to penturning but not photography.
> I would suggest the same thing but also add a dark or colored rod to one side to produce a dark shadow line somewhere other than in the middle.  Imagine how dull a large ball bearing would be photographed in a box like this.  You can add colors to the chrome by adding colored rods and have them move on diagonals by slanting them radically.  It's easier than airbrushing in later.


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## randyrls

Russell;  Something I have found helpful.  Go to a local fabric shop and look for some colored background material.  I bought several colors in 2 yard pieces and it cost me very little.  Get some fabric that is "silky/shiny" on one side and matte on the other.  Use as a background for your pens to increase the contrast and make the pen stand out.

Hope this helps.


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## Charlie_W

Sylvanite said:


> I suggest covering the front of your light box with a piece of white paper or fabric with a hole in the front just large enough to photograph your pen through.  That will help minimize the reflections from the room.
> 
> Regards,
> Eric



And also from whatever color shirt you are wearing!


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## farmer

*back drop paper*



randyrls said:


> Russell;  Something I have found helpful.  Go to a local fabric shop and look for some colored background material.  I bought several colors in 2 yard pieces and it cost me very little.  Get some fabric that is "silky/shiny" on one side and matte on the other.  Use as a background for your pens to increase the contrast and make the pen stand out.
> 
> Hope this helps.


'


Most cloth is not reflective, but it does wrinkle  <  creates shadows <  and collect lent.

Sometimes I will use raw hide or a large piece of leather ,
A office supply store that has 24x24 colored construction paper .
White, black , and gray seem to work good.

PS the silky shinny clothe doesn't work with strobes or flashes.
I tried using silk with my strobes , it was weird I got a rain bow of colors in the silk .


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## Skie_M

If the subject being photographed is sufficiently lit, a flash is not necessary.

I would go with the options of ....

Space your lights around the outside of the box (top, left, and right) equally, with some kind of thin white cloth to softly diffuse it.

For the background, white cardstock paper that gently slopes down from top to table level.  Under the pen for contrast would be either something natural (slab of rock or wood) or some colored cloth to help bring out the colors in the item.  Optionally, you could drape the colored cloth along the white cardstock background to change the background color.

Block out the front of the box except for a hole for your camera lens, to minimize color contamination from outside.

Don't use a flash.

Turn off the other lights in the room while you take your picture, to minimize outside light interference.


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