DIY: How To Make a Light Tent

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Taking consistently-lit photos of an item can be difficult. In my apartment, there isn’t a lot of available natural light or plain backgrounds for taking photos. I therefore found out how to make a light tent that I can use outdoors where the natural light lives. A light tent is a device used to light an item from many angles. You can buy them at a range of prices, or easily make one yourself with household items. The light enters the box through the open sides of the box, is diffused by the translucent paper, and then bounces around inside the box and lights your product.

Equipment

a large box, at least 1 ft² (30 cm²)

translucent white paper (wax paper, parchment paper, or tracing paper)

tape

boxcutter

a large sheet of thick, white paper

 

Directions

1. Place the box with the opening facing you. Using the boxcutter, cut large windows out of the sides and top panel, leaving the back and base intact.

2. Tape the translucent paper over the windows. I used parchment paper.

3. Tape the large sheet of thick, white paper to the top back of the box, and have it run out through the front opening of the box, creating a ‘runway’.

4. Place the light tent near a light source, near a window or even outside.

5. Place your item inside the tent, then start snapping photos!

Here is a photo of my sugar bowl without the light tent, just on my dining room table:

And now here is the same sugar bowl, in my light tent! What a difference!