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Hands Occupied

Contemporary yarn crafts by Heidi Gustad. Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame.

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How-to: Make a Light Box

August 29, 2011 1 Comment

In recent weeks, I’ve been mentioning how much I have wanted to improve the photography on this blog.  If you follow me on Facebook, you already know that I’ve purchased a new camera recently. My new Canon t3i works really well on its fully automatic modes (it’s just a much better tool than an iPhone 4 for photography). Despite that, I did some research on how to really make good photos and had a good friend of mine hook me up with some photo tips. One of the first things I did after buying my camera was make my very own light box, a.k.a a mini photo studio.

From what I have learned, light boxes essentially help you to mimic natural light, which is the best light to capture photos in. Here’s how to make a quick and fairly cheap light box to help take better photos.

Supplies

3 cheap utility lamps

3 100-watt daylight bulbs

1 grounded extension cord with three outlets

1 large cardboard box (at least 12 or 18 inches on all sides – I realized after making mine that it’s easier to work with a light box that is a perfect cube)

tissue paper

box cutter

duct tape

scissors

fabric for a backdrop for your photos

Directions

Tape the bottom of your box shut. Cut “windows” in to three sides of your box and cut the flaps off of one end. The end will be the opening through which you take your photos when your light box is complete. Remember to leave two inches of cardboard on all sides of your windows for structural support for your box. I made mine slightly differently and, as you’ll notice from the pictures, had to cut four sides of my box since it wasn’t cube-shaped.

Next, cut tissue paper in pieces large enough to cover each opening. Tape a piece of tissue paper over each of your three windows. Create a backdrop inside your box using the fabric of your choice. I experimented with a couple backdrop options, but my favorite is ultimately an old, shrunken sweater mounted to cardboard with straight pins.

Once you’ve done this, all that’s left is to light the box by aiming your lamps at the top, right and left sides of the box. What I learned was not to place my lamps too close to my box and to tape a layer of tissue paper over each of my lamps to help diffuse the light a little more.

Easy peasy! Now on to the hard part – learning how to take better, consistent photos. One of my early, over-exposed attempts:

Related Information:

How to Build a Light Box at (never home)maker

How To: DIY $10 Macro Photo Studio at Strobist

 

 

 

Filed Under: How-to Tagged With: diy, light box, photography

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is an artist, author and crafts designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame. In addition to running the Hands Occupied Blog and Pattern Shop, you can find her making videos & co-hosting the Very Serious Crafts podcast.

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi, an author, yarn craft designer and content creator specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. My work unapologetically features primary colors and vintage-meets-modern style. My first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is now available!

Professionally I’m most known for: advanced intarsia knitting design & modern latch hook design.

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knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

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Head to the link in bio for an update on my 2021 p Head to the link in bio for an update on my 2021 plans for Hands Occupied. The two words that best describe this post are self-care and boundaries. 😜 
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Much love to everyone who sent supportive messages about taking time off and creative burnout. I often deflect with humor, but it was genuinely touching to connect with folks who understand. I’ll have something new for y’all later this week, so stay tuned! ❤️💛💙 
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Pictured: An unblocked pile of four striped sweater panels in primary colors sitting on a blanket in my lap.
There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s ab There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s about how I’m going to take the next 2 weeks off to rest & recharge. ☺️🧶 No new content for y’all means I can also take a moment to zoom out & plan what’s next. Link is in bio. 
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A note on Very Serious Crafts: In the post I discuss stepping away from the @seriouscrafts podcast to give myself more time to devote to some minor medical issues. Don’t you worry - my health will be fine, & @molliejohanson @redhandledscissors and I are still pals, and after a short break of their own, the podcast will be back! Just sans moi. 💁🏼‍♀️😆 
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Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it shoul Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it should be. ☺️🎄The past few days have been filled with a lot of catching up on festive zoom calls & raising toasts to the camera. 🥂 Connecting with people has been a welcome change of pace! Now I’m feeling ready to meet my inevitable end-of-year deadlines. 😆
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Warmest wishes for the season, my friends! ❤️💛💙
Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker beh Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker behind Hands Occupied! 👋🏻 I’ve been enjoying making Reels a lot lately, but I wanted to bop in to share a regular photo & say hello. 🤓 
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rather than giving you my bio right now, I have a question. I just got this new sweater & I can’t stop imaging how funny it would be to wear this to a knitting class ... is that bad? 🤣🤣🤣
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Pictured: a blond woman with glasses wearing a sweater that reads “all your sweaters are ugly” standing in front of a Christmas tree.
Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is o Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is one of the most common methods for finishing a knitting project and helping ensure its final size and shape. Learn basic blocking for absolute beginners in an easy-to-follow (non-Reel!) video tutorial! Catch the tutorial on YouTube or the Hands Occupied Blog, link is in bio. 🧶 #handsoccupied #stopswatchandblockit #KPAmbassadorsDec20 #sponsored
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