# Photo Tent -- Is it worth it, What is Good



## RyanNJ (Jun 13, 2010)

Is it worth it to buy a photo tent to capture good pictures?

Can one be made or where is a good place to get one


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## witz1976 (Jun 13, 2010)

I got mine on ebay for $25 plus shipping (like $10 or something)  Made a world of difference on the lighting.  I would say it is worth it.


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## jpr28056 (Jun 13, 2010)

Here is a DIY one and there are a bunch more.

http://www.pbase.com/wlhuber/light_box_light_tent


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## RyanNJ (Jun 13, 2010)

witz1976 said:


> I got mine on ebay for $25 plus shipping (like $10 or something)  Made a world of difference on the lighting.  I would say it is worth it.


do you remember what size or the seller you got it from?


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## RyanNJ (Jun 13, 2010)

I may go DIY but i am looking on ebay right now i am having trouble knowing what is good and what is bad because i have never used one before


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## tim self (Jun 13, 2010)

To answer your first question, YES.  It is worth it to get good pictures.  For simply posting here it is not required but for submission to an art show or such, it is a must.  Also for posting on a web site for sale, the better the pic, the more likely to sell.

The DIY link is worthy of building.  Most of the cheaper tents on EBay are small or have underpowered.  Regardless of where you acquire the tent, Good lights are a must.


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## toddlajoie (Jun 13, 2010)

You can DIY a photo tent for dirt cheap. The advantages of the purchased ones are typically the portability and storage, as they break down very small. The few I have seen that come with lights, the lights are not worth the plastic they are generally made from. If you are buying one, I would also pay attention to the size, as I saw one that was TINY (!!), barely large enough for a Jr size pen.

To DIY one, you just need some reasonably cheap thin white material (nylon fabric would be my choice), and some way to hold it in a dome or cube shape. I've used clamps and scrap wood. For lights, you could use the silver dish clamp lamps that every little store sells (HD, HF, Lowes, Walmart, etc), or another person was using aquarium strip florescent lights. Just be sure to use all lights of the same type (i.e. don't mix florescents with standard light bulbs) or else you will have strange color casts in your photos.


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## RyanNJ (Jun 13, 2010)

so basically make a cube and stretch fabric over it? i will toy around with that


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## mredburn (Jun 13, 2010)

I made one from 1/4 dowels and white liner frabric. just made small cubes for the corners and drilled them with a 1/4 drill and glued it together. 18inches cubed, you can drape the fabric over it and use small clamps or those fold over clips from the office supply stores.


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## toddlajoie (Jun 13, 2010)

You don't necessarily need to "stretch" the fabric. it should just be reasonably non-wrinkled, and ideally it would be attached to the inside of any frame you make (or paint the frame white) as any dark lines around the tent would show in the reflections in our little shiny subjects...


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## RyanNJ (Jun 13, 2010)

mredburn said:


> I made one from 1/4 dowels and white liner frabric. just made small cubes for the corners and drilled them with a 1/4 drill and glued it together. 18inches cubed, you can drape the fabric over it and use small clamps or those fold over clips from the office supply stores.



do you have any pictures of yours?


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## RyanNJ (Jun 13, 2010)

toddlajoie said:


> You don't necessarily need to "stretch" the fabric. it should just be reasonably non-wrinkled, and ideally it would be attached to the inside of any frame you make (or paint the frame white) as any dark lines around the tent would show in the reflections in our little shiny subjects...



ok thanks for the help

how many lights would i need and where would i place them


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## RyanNJ (Jun 13, 2010)

these are the one i was looking at on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/19-5-Photo-Tent...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f366f791

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?LH_Pref...&_sticky=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_sop=15&_sc=1


the second one looks like what i should be trying to make


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## RyanNJ (Jun 14, 2010)

Any input on either of those or is there a better one?

This still has me torn as to weather I make or buy one


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## witz1976 (Jun 14, 2010)

RyanNJ said:


> do you remember what size or the seller you got it from?



It was a 20" tent package, included lights, backdrops, tent and camera stand.   Here is a link to their e-bay store.  http://stores.ebay.com/lightingsaving

I checked your e-bay listing and it is pretty much the same thing.  I like it, quick, easy and works pretty darn good.


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## RyanNJ (Jun 14, 2010)

So the one for 33 +10


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## witz1976 (Jun 14, 2010)

Yea but I paid less, check around on the store listing page under photography.  I found that there was the same thing listed multiple times at different prices


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## Jim Burr (Jun 14, 2010)

I used a good sized (24"x12"x12") Cardboard box. Cut "windows" in all sides and hot glued white fabric, Walmart, all around. I use a small box as a platform and hang a sheet of fabric inside and over the box. Picked up a 100w DayLight from Lowe's and a shop type reflector/worklight and Shazam! $14 was my total cost. Not real pretty on the outside, but good results so far


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## mick (Jun 14, 2010)

Jim Burr said:


> I used a good sized (24"x12"x12") Cardboard box. Cut "windows" in all sides and hot glued white fabric, Walmart, all around. I use a small box as a platform and hang a sheet of fabric inside and over the box. Picked up a 100w DayLight from Lowe's and a shop type reflector/worklight and Shazam! $14 was my total cost. Not real pretty on the outside, but good results so far


 
  I did this for a long time until the box just flat wore out. then I built one from PVC pipe. Basically I bulit a cube but you could just put together a square of PVC pipe any size you wanted and put 4 legs on it...again any length you want and drape a white sheet over it. I light mine with those halagon work lights, one on either side and one above


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## toddlajoie (Jun 14, 2010)

The PVC pipe would be an excellent method, since it is already white, you could go over it with the fabric and not worry about dark lines reflecting.



RyanNJ said:


> how many lights would i need and where would i place them



depends on your needs, 2 lights would be bare minimum, 3 or 4 would be better, 100watt bulbs should provide more than enough light. As for where to put them, that's the magic. They should be mobile so you can put them where you need them for the pen and the results you want. Generally I like a light from above to be at the rear of the tent, and then one on either side, pushed either forward or back depending on the pen, direction and style. Often another one in front with either a lower wattage bulb or pulled way back will just add some fill into any shadows (only do this if your tent has a front fabric with a lens hole to shoot from....) but the great thing about movable regular lights is you can just play with them while you look until you see it the way you like...


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## Laurenr (Jun 21, 2010)

Studio in a Box. Amazon.com about $98. Comes with lights.

Check out my stuff in the photo gallery. It is a simple setup, that for the money can even elevate my mediocrity. ;-)


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