Besides being a photographer, I am also a website developer and consultant here in Colorado. It is a lot of fun for me when I get a project where I can use my skills from both areas. Such is the case this week, where I am working on a couple of websites for a Boulder glassblower. My existing light tent was not adequate for this project (no underlighting), so I set out to build a new one out of PVC. This isn’t rocket science, and a lot of people have done it, but I needed mine to be just a little bit different. I decided I was going to shoot the glass items on top of a glass riser, with a fluorescent light fixture underneath. To that end, I set of for Home Depot.
Shopping list:
- 8 1/2″ PVC Side Outlet 90′s
- 4 1/2″ PVC T’s
- 8 1/2″ PVC Male Threaded – Slip adapters
- 4 10′ x 1/2″ PVC Pipe
- 1 Low profile fluorescent light fixture
- 6′ 14/3, rubber coated extension cord (just cord, no ends)
- 15A Outlet Plug
- 1 18″x36″x3/16″ plate glass
Why I bought some of this stuff:
- The threaded male / slip adapters were because the side outlet 90′s have one outlet that is threaded. Instead of spending the time with a Dremel removing the threads, I just spent a few cents on the adapter and called it done.
- Fluorescent fixture and associated cord, plug was purchased because the selection of plugin light fixtures was not adequate for my needs. Total cost for the fixture, cord and plug was around $35, IIRC. If you are not comfortable with wiring together electrical devices, you should look for a pre-wired fixture suitable for your needs.
Construction was pretty simple.
1. Measure 14 sections of 30″ each (or whatever length you want to use) on the PVC pipe. After cutting, I used a file to clean up the edges.
2. From the remaining length of pipe, cut 4 pieces 3″ long. These are the risers to go higher than the light fixture (depending on your fixture, you may need to go higher than 3″).
3. Put together the 90° outs and the slip/ threaded adapters.
4. Using a rubber mallet, put one piece of pipe into one end of a 90° out. Continue doing this, making a square base such that the threaded/ slip adapters are facing upward.
5. Insert the 3″ lengths of pipe into the threaded/ slip adapters.
6. Attach 2 PVC T’s to a piece of pipe, and then set the completed piece on top of the 3″ lengths on the base. Do this twice.
7. To the top of each T, insert a 30″ piece of pipe.
8. Same as step 4, construct a square frame from the remaining 4 pieces of 30″ pipe and the 90° outs (with the threaded/ slip adapters facing up).
9. Invert the completed square frame from step 8 and attach to the top of the frame from step 7.
10. Completed item should look similar to the photo above.
11. For good measure, I took a wet paper towel and wiped down all of the pipe.
That is all there is to it. You will of course need sheets or fabric to make the shell of the tent, and some kind of material for the backdrop. So far I used 3 single-size sheets to cover my tent, a piece of posterboard for the backdrop, and my clamp lights for lighting (I have 3 of those).
My immediate plan is to hit a fabric shop and get white and black muslin for the backdrop, and also get enough white fabric to make a proper slip cover for the tent. But for now this setup is working well. Here is a photo from the tent.
This tent is pretty big and portable. If it is too big for your needs, you could try this alternative design. I just might have to build one of these and try it out too.
[1/19/08 - I updated the fabric for the curtains and backdrops]
, but it is still a mouse. Kind of like when I am trying to drive a nail with the handle of a screwdriver. It works, but a hammer is more efficient. Well, now I have the right tool for this kind of editing – a 
Using a softbox
In the past I have done a lot of do-it-yourself photography projects. And yes, that included a DIY Softbox. The results were acceptable enough, but after a short time the softbox looked like it had been taken out one too many times. As I continue to do more professional photos, I want to also have a more professional look when on location. Also, I like the better spread of a bigger box. That said, I picked up an inexpensive 16″ softbox from Cowboy Studio
(they sell on Amazon).
It is priced quite reasonably, $35 at last check, and as you can see from the photo above, it delivers. I mounted my Vivitar 285 on the L-bracket and did a quick test session with my daughter. Once you get your flash dialed in (I think I need to get a light meter to make this faster), the results are great. I took a few pictures of my daughter with it, and am now quite comfortable using it. Next step will be to add a hairlight or background light (easy enough with my Cactus triggers and my other flash). In fact, thanks to a session I attended with David Tejada, I learned a couple of ways to position the box relative to the subject and also a bit about background lighting. Total sidenote, but I would recommend David’s blog and workshops to anyone.
In short, while making my own softbox was fun and interesting, it is hard to beat the 16″ Cowboy Studio 16″ softbox, especially given the price.