Flax & Twine

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DIY Photo Light Box – a finish fifty project

Did you ever wonder how people get those beautiful endless finishes in their photos? White and bright shots of their products?  This is how (or, at least it is an inexpensive diy substitute). By taking photos inside a box that diffuses natural light from all sides, you can remove shadows and give a white, magazine-like finish to your photos.

I first learned how to make a light box from Alessandra Cave, a beautiful photographer, from whom I took a great class at the Makerie, a lovely retreat in Boulder, CO.  I built the first light box for my jewelry tutorials, 24 Days of Glam. Taking photos using the box seriously elevated the level of and look of this this blog as a whole.

My old light box had died a slow death in Boulder and was not worth moving. Making a new one landed on my Finish Fifty list the minute we walked in the door of our new house. I kept putting off building it, though. I tried to take photos every which way in an attempt to get good shots without it–a frustrating proposition.

The box is inexpensive to make. It’s simply a cardboard box, white paperboard and some tissue paper. My excuses piled up–I don’t have the right size box (um, hello, I just moved) or I couldn’t find the tissue paper, (again, with the move). But truly, the light box is so simple and fast to make and the impact on photo quality is SO enormous, I have no idea why I waited. So, here is project 3 from my Finish Fifty list along with a full tutorial.  You can see complete Finish Fifty projects here.

Have fun with this!

DIY Photo Light Box Tutorial:

Materials:
Cardboard box
Tissue paper
Craft knife
Packing tape
White posterboard (should be at least 30% longer than the box length)

Cut off the tops of the box.

Cut out a rectangle 1″ shy of sides on three of the four sides of the box.

Pop out the side

Box should look like this after all three sides are cut.
Piece together tissue paper with packing tape to a size large enough to cover one side of the box.
Attach tissue paper to each open side of the box with packing tape.

It should look like this after you cover all three sides.

Cut white poster board the width of the box.

Place the poster board in the box such that it curves inside the box.

Place object inside box at flat part of cardboard.  Place box in as much light as possible. Take photos.
 

Cropped with a little brightening and voila!

Here is another side-by-side to compare. Before:

After:

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Great Design! I laughed out loud when I read this post. The font makes the a kind of look like an o. So I read “Thanks for this DIY Anne! I can’t wait to make this!

      …Not.”

      <3

      Reply

    • Oh man, this little thread just made my night! Sheer hilarity. I would probably cry if someone left that comment on my site.
      But seriously, thanks so much for the tips, Anne! Unfortunately I’m left with some pretty low-budg looking pictures of my earlier work because they were gifts and thus, no longer available for reshoots. And even though I’ve since upgraded to the open window/full lighting shots, your light box technique will help take things to the next level. So thanks for helping me take my photog skills to 11 🙂

      Reply

  2. Hi Anne,

    I cannot tell you how happy I am to have checked out your blog and Whitney @ Elm Street Life to find DIY’s on how to get better photographs. It is one thing I am trying to improve on my blog and with my work in progress project I am so incredibly grateful for your help. Love the blog! and thanks 😀

    Reply

    • I use a Canon EOS Rebel. It is a very old camera body. But, my lens, which is a 50mm 1.8 fixed focal length, makes a huge difference in my photos as well.

      Reply

  13. Thanks for this great tutorial! I’ve seen some posts where they light from the sides – would you recommend that and if so do you know what kind of bulbs I can use to have the correct color/lighting?

    Reply

    • I try at all times to take photo during the day when its sunny out. If you’re trying to do it at night, use at least three desk lamps with adjustable necks or clamp utility lights. Use at least 100W daylight bulbs. Orient a light through each window of the lightbox and take some test shots. Adjust the lighting as necessary. I still think they will come out better during the day in natural light, but sometimes you’ve got to work with what you’ve got! Let me know if you have any more questions.

      Reply

  14. I never knew this was so simple! I’m often photography jewelry and I often photograph it on my wooden table but this would definitely be ideal!! Definitely a very worthwhile project so thank you so much for sharing! xx

    Allie @ callmesassafras.wordpress.com

    Reply

    • It’s best not to use a flash at all. When you use a light box, all of your light should come in externally, either with daylight or artificial light pointed at the box from the outside. No flash . . .

      Reply

  17. Love this tutorial! So do you use the light box with or without lamps? I made a light box this past summer, but it didn’t work right. I’m not sure what was wrong with it, but there was always a really harsh shadow from above. I had a lamp on each of the three sides, played around with their position, but the harsh shadow was still there. I don’t use it much anymore, but I would love to be able to take pictures at night.

    Reply

    • I try at all times to take photo during the day when its sunny out. If you’re trying to do it at night, use at least three desk lamps with adjustable necks or clamp utility lights. Use at least 100W daylight bulbs. Orient a light through each window of the lightbox and take some test shots. Adjust the lighting as necessary. I still think they will come out better during the day in natural light, but sometimes you’ve got to work with what you’ve got! Let me know if you have any more questions.

      Reply

  20. I have a light box that my husband purchased for me on eBay, however I hate moving it around the house…we use it in the basement for eBay photos, but I like to take my blog photos in natural light upstairs. I should make one of these – looks so easy – thanks!

    Reply

  24. This is great! I’ve been trying to improve my photos and this may be just the thing! And hey. . .I’m a blogger. . .I have boxes laying around for sure! The trick will be to keep the twins from treating it as a dollhouse.

    Reply

  26. Honestly the best idea I have ever seen. I was just about to hire someone to take photos for me because i didn’t have a Photo Light Box. Now I can save myself some money. EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply

  36. I haven’t been motivated to photograph my jewelry because I didn’t have the right setup, thank you so much for the tutorial! I just made one and can’t wait to use it!

    Reply

  41. This has made such a huge difference in the photos I add to my Etsy shop. It just makes them look more professional. You do still need to do some photo editing to make them pop but I love that I can capture the light and not have all the surrounding background competing with the product I’m trying to capture.

    Reply

  43. I use wax paper…it’s more durable. And if you don’t want to spend a buck on a roll of wax paper, save a couple of bags cereal comes in! It’s even more durable than wax paper!

    Reply

  44. We are hoping to make this really soon.

    What was the poster board size that you bought for this project?

    I have seen some white poster boards in the store, but I was thinking they might not be long enough for a dish pack box.

    The instructions and photos are great to follow along! I will make sure to give you credit on my blog when I finish the box. I think this will greatly improve my photos! Yeah!!!

    Reply

    • Hi Judi, the box length is 28″ and the poster board is 40″. I got my poster board in an art store where they have larger pieces. I’m glad you like the diy! You’ll be amazed at what it does to your photos! Good luck!
      Anne

      Reply

  46. I’ve been putting off buying an actual photo light box for my new website because of the cost. Now I have no excuse to procrastinate and hot finish my website! Thanks for the extra push!

    Reply

  53. I finally made this last week and it turned out awesome! I ended up using tracing paper since I ran out of tissue paper and it worked great! I’m so excited to use it now. Thank you for this amazing tutorial!

    Reply

  54. Wish I’d seen this before my husband spent the money on a “real” one. I have a question, though: What kind of lighting do you recommend using. My husband has a watch business and I’ve tried to take photos for him, but they aren’t that bright and if I use the flash, I get a shadow.

    Reply

    • Don’t use a flash. I almost always use daylight to take my photos. But, if you are going to take photos at night, I use 100W daylight bulbs in gooseneck desk lamps. I orient the lights one on each side and one coming down from the top.

      Reply

  55. Small biz guy here…often put up photos of product for customers to peruse. But I’m soooo not a photographer. My pics come out way better now, and it’s made sales a lot easier (which rocks, cuz I’m not a sales guy, either….)

    So just one more thank you, but in this case your lightbox is helping me collect portraits. Of dead presidents 🙂

    Reply

  57. Hello there,I have just put a link to this fabby tutorial on a Blog friends page so she can come and have a look-I hope that was ok,great tutorial you made thank you 🙂
    Best wishes,Nessa xx

    Reply

  61. I made this today after a quick trip to the dollar store for some poster board and tissue paper. It worked like a charm! I ended up using a serrated kitchen knife to cut the holes from the sides, because I am lacking in a lot of “professional” tools, but I made it work with what I had, and it made my product photos look professional and beautiful. Thank you! 🙂

    Reply

  62. Thank you so much for this tutorial! Made one, took the picture which look great as is! Can’t wait to upload and edit. This will make photographing my jewelry for my etsy shop so much easier, thank you!

    Reply

  68. Thank you so much for sharing this tutorial! I’ve made two different sized light boxes to fit my needs, and I shared my how to post (including a link to this particular post of yours) over at my blog: thenostalgicnightingale.blogspot.com!

    Reply

  70. This is FANTASTIC. I run an Etsy shop & all of my photos of my items have always been so…. sadly common? Is that the best way to put it? I mean, you see my living room in the background. Or my crappy couch blanket. Or leftover coffee cups that have yet to be washed. This light box was PERFECT for my need to step it up in the photos department… just had a bunch of orders I shipped but I photographed the crap out of them before boxing up!

    I found it key to brighten/adjust contrast in Gimp (what I use to edit photos) after my shoot, however, as my home office does not get direct sunlight the way I’d hoped. Still, a huge improvement from my previous attempts!

    (And, in case anyone cares, my shop is here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/N3rdWool…. and an example of one of my SUPER CLASSY photos can be found here: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3697/11121291365_aa54fc06aa_c.jpg)

    Long story short… THANK YOU.

    Reply

  75. Thanks so much for your comment Kiersten. Isn’t it funny how we can put something off for so long, then when you do it – it seems a breeze :). Have fun with it!
    Anne

    Reply

  79. I just saw this and it is brilliant. I want to post quality pics of my product on my website, but the lighting and background never seemed to work. I will try this weekend. Thank you for this simple, brilliant idea!

    Reply

  86. Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It really useful & it helped
    me out a lot. I hope to give something back and help others like you aided
    me.

    Reply

  94. Stumbled upon this searching pinterest. This is the GREATEST solution for my small business! I’ve looked for many different options, and this one is by far the best. I might consider doing a thin white fabric instead of tissue for more lasting durability. What do you use for lighting?

    Reply

    • Hi Madeline, great idea for the fabric. Mainly, I shoot with natural light. When I have to, I use gooseneck lights with 75 -100 watt bulbs until I get the look I want.
      Good luck!

      Reply

  97. Now this is a great DIY tutorial! Thank you for great step by step pictures. I am definitely going to be making a light box out of one the many boxes in my basement from moving.

    Reply

  101. Boy, am I glad I found your post! Where I live, we don’t have photography equipment easily accessible to purchase, so this is exactly what I needed. Thanks x100000 for this! Pinning it ASAP!

    Reply

  104. Thank you so much for thus tutorial!!!!! I have been looking for a way to produce better photographs for years! Thank you thank you thank you!! I love my new light box.

    Reply

  105. I just made this lightbox yesterday and am SO excited to get started with it. Do you shine light on it from a certain angle? What’s the best place to shine light on it? Or is daylight best?
    Thx!!

    Reply

    • Hi Kari – lovely post! Thanks so much for coming back and leaving a comment and sharing your link. Beautiful jewelry and the most perfect photo studio I could imagine! xo

      Reply

  108. Thank you so much for this helpful tutorial!! There are so many similar projects out there, but yours made it simply and (FINALLY!) motivated me to actually build it today! Still in need of some poster board or seamless paper to complete it, but at least I’ve got the structure down. Can’t wait to see how it elevates my blog photography! Thank you again! 🙂

    Reply

  110. This is absolutely amazing! I’m so excited I think I’ll go make one right after dinner! Thanks for sharing this simple and cheaper alternative than spending the money I don’t have for professional photography items.

    Reply

  111. I think this is a cost-saving alternative, I like the way that is simple yet has outstanding results, I think with using old cardboard with a size of 30 X 40 centimeters is ideal to create a lightbox, because the object that is normally used is not too big. This article inspired me to write useful content for my website, I have also been bookmark this site so that i can get useful information anytime, and anywhere. Thank you, still share something useful about the world of photography!

    Reply

  112. Its looking really easier for me to make it by myself. If I can make it myself I would be so happy! Thank you and I am going to follow your instruction!

    Reply

  113. Thank you so much for posting this DIY light box tutorial! I have procrastinated long enough & must do this. I do have a question. The use of tissue paper around the cardboard frame reminds me of an opaque plastic (Rubbermaid or Sterilite) box container. Do you think that would work in place of the cardboard box frame (with the curved, white poster board insert installed, of course)?

    Reply

  118. Good idea, thank you very much for this information! Can you tell me what kind of lighting did you use?

    Reply

  121. Anne,
    You have mentioned taking pictures during the day light. Do you mean taking the pictures outside or in a well sun lighted room? If outside, what is the best part of the day? Direct sun light on the box or on an angle. Thanks for your time.

    Reply

  122. Wow how awesome! I just bought a huge jewelry close-out for my closet on Poshmark. I’ve never sold jewelry so I was getting nervous about how much money I spent and not knowing how to get the proper pictures. I’m making this first thing tomorrow and I’ll let you know how it turns out. For sure it will be better than my present photo booth which is nothing, lol!

    Reply

  124. Update: Made the light box last night. It took about an hour to make. Started taking my photos today and I’m beyond thrilled! My photographs look fantastic! It’s as if they were taken in a studio with professional lighting and equipment, not a $5.00 light box and a cell phone! This is really important to me since I am in business for myself and my income depends on it. Thank you so much!! XOXO

    Reply

  127. Thank you for the idea! I just built it and used it for my Etsy shop! The pictures look amazing. I used a blue poster board with a opaque/translucent poster board on top of the blue to give it an amazing fade effect. I can’t believe how professional the photos look. It really took my listing photos to the next level. (I know it might be a little hard to visualize what I was speaking about with the blue/opaque poster board, so if you head over to my shop you can see: LaurphenLiving.Etsy.com)

    THANK YOU again.

    -Jarrod

    Reply

  129. Made it this morning and well pleased with the result! Cost me £1.70 for the poster board, I’d already got everything else. The only thing you have to be careful about is cutting the holes when 1 or 2 have already been cut. I found the box wanted to collapse a bit. Still, going at it slowly sorted it out.

    Reply

  133. Thank you SO much for the clear explanations and photos. Most DIY light box tutorials are so complicated and lengthy. I’m so excited to make this!

    Reply

  137. Do I have to use white tissue paper? Can it be a light blue or something? I don’t have any white, but still want to make it.

    Reply

  138. Amazing post. DIY light box is extremely heplful for professional product photographers. You made it easily. Thanks for sharing your ideas.

    Reply

  139. I made this today after a quick trip to the dollar store for some poster board and tissue paper. It worked like a charm! I ended up using a serrated kitchen knife to cut the holes from the sides, because I am lacking in a lot of “professional” tools, but I made it work with what I had, and it made my product photos look professional and beautiful. Thank you! 🙂

    Reply

  140. Anne, thank you kindly for your easy-to-understand light box tutorial! I am disabled and needed to figure out a way to take photographs from my bed, but our home has abysmal indoor lighting. This sounds like the answer! I read through all your additional information in the many comments you’ve received, so I am ready to ask my patience husband to get building! Thank you again for such a wonderful, inspiring project, Lisa

    Reply

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