Photography Shotbox

Donnie

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Making a new Photography Shotbox.
7 Foam core sheets 40" x 32" (1016 mm x 812.8 mm ) some pieces will be cut in half and added to make more vertical height.
4 White Florescent Screw in Bulbs (not shown yet)
4 Small Bell Housing (not shown yet)

shotbox.jpg
 
Let us see what you are doing out of these elements -
 
Ok, getting more materials ready. The smaller BELL Lamps are 6 inches (152 mm) diameter at widest. I would like to have all the same size, but since I have some larger ones, I will use them. The larger BELL Lamps are 8.5 inches (215.9 mm). The Foam Core sheets are (1016 mm x 812.8 mm ) for the metric.

The larger BELL Lamps will be used on Top of the Box and will be glued. I will cut a hole (obviously) to allow light to pass. The sides will use the CLAMPS to hold the Lamps on the side of Box and can be adjusted. This produces a near "shadow-less" image as we have light from top and sides. I do not know what these fluorescent bulbs light will produce. It might be too bright, but camera should compensate.

A tip on Photography. If anyone read my tutorial on photography, you will note that if you want to have an almost infinite depth of field, you need plenty of light and the camera should be a manual setting for Aperture and Speed. The Camera MUST be tripod mounted as the speed of shot will be slowed down to about 1.3 seconds. Therefore, since the shutter is open for so long, the Lens opening shall be shut down to a small amount to allow less light in. Final Camera adjustments will be approximately fStop 24 and Shutter Speed to about 1.3 seconds. This is ONLY if you want your object to be in focus from the front all the way to the back. This setting will capture all the rigging and all the details IN FOCUS.

Now - on with the project. I hope this works well.

shotbox-02.jpg
 
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Very interesting about the snakes !

Well, I decided to make a video - actually had time to do this as it explains better. This is making the Top of Box.

 
Glued lamps and waiting to dry. This glue sticks very fast so make sure you have lamps in place. Some images are a little out of order - sorry. The white duct tape will be used to put the walls together.

shotbox-03.jpg

shotbox-04.jpg

shotbox-05.jpg

shotbox-06.jpg

shotbox-07.jpg

shotbox-08.jpg
 
...and TONS of light - might have to get a dimmer or use a paper filter. Ha !! Of course - here you are looking AT the light. Once it is pointing down on the subject matter, the light might not be enough. Have to wait to see.

shotbox-09.jpgshotbox-10.jpg
 
Results are in. Pretty good. The other light on the right side is not even on.
The Camera Settings are .25 seconds at f 25. This gives the depth of field to maintain focus throughout the subject. The last images are NOT retouched. Just a very small percentage of sharpness to make it a little crisper. There are no other software image adjustments.

This first image is a ship that is located inside to show the overall size of box.

shotbox-17.jpg


Below are the results and a little tweaking needs to be done like wiring up the light on the right side. This should help in eliminating shadows.

results01.jpg

results02.jpg


 
Very Nice work gonna get on this right away where did you find white duct tape?. I have been raising Snakes most of my life it started as a rescue and I enjoyed it so I bought and started breeding rare snake Phases. I raise Pythons, corn snakes, garters, Kings, Milk, and even had a copperhead for a spell that needed rehab. I go to a friends cabin every year and remove the timber rattlers from his Property they like getting in his wood pile and shed. there are a lot of rodents there so its always gonna be an ongoing issue till he eradicates that food source. I catch and release all the snakes in another location off his property.
 
The Admiral has (white duct tape) in her store at Hobby Lobby. $6.99
 
Zoltan,
the dimensions of the foam core is (1016 mm x 812.8 mm ) So, the box is 1016mm wide and is 1016mm height. It is 812.8mm deep from front to back.
 
Results are in. Pretty good. The other light on the right side is not even on.
The Camera Settings are .25 seconds at f 25. This gives the depth of field to maintain focus throughout the subject. The last images are NOT retouched. Just a very small percentage of sharpness to make it a little crisper. There are no other software image adjustments.

This first image is a ship that is located inside to show the overall size of box.



Below are the results and a little tweaking needs to be done like wiring up the light on the right side. This should help in eliminating shadows.




It’s really good, I love it. I will do something like that soon and will post the photos.
Thank you for all the good info.

Let me ask you something ;
How about if the sides are made with some kind of translucency substrate and instead if placing the lights on front like you have it, with the translucent sides you could apply the lights on the sides therefore giving you more shooting front space.
It’s that posible?
 
It’s really good, I love it. I will do something like that soon and will post the photos.
Thank you for all the good info.

Let me ask you something ;
How about if the sides are made with some kind of translucency substrate and instead if placing the lights on front like you have it, with the translucent sides you could apply the lights on the sides therefore giving you more shooting front space.
It’s that posible?
what would you use for translucent?maybe plastic bubble wrap
 
I meant translucent 1/8” (opaque white) acrylic.
Rigid material, good to make the side walls or maybe all of the shoot box.
I work for a Display company and we have a few of this different diffuser whites that we use them to light up renderings of all kinds.
I just thought just it might be a good idea.
 
Here is a better explanation of my idea.
It’s only an “idea”.
Does not mean that is the best way because someone “always” will come up with a better way.
Maybe at first some forum participants didn’t understand what I meant by substrate.
This is an acrylic material that comes in all kinds of opaqueness, and we use them to create light boxes.
That been said, my idea is to create the shot box “Sides only” with this material.
Having the box built this way, you can place the lights directly on sides and this will give you a free front to shot different angles.
What do you think?
I will value everybody’s criticism on this.
The more ideas we get, the better.

Here is a sample of a light box.

30684AB3-0E90-413B-9AF0-D2A6346D1FA0.jpegD1713EC1-F36C-40DD-8027-4EAADF149C6F.jpeg
 
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