How to Make an Inexpensive Photobox

 

Photoboxes are fantastic because they softly and evenly distribute light and eliminate distracting backgrounds. They are used mainly for small items and food. Next time you visit a cooking or recipe website, really take the time to figure out how they got the shot they did and odds are you'll be able to recognize that they used a photobox. It's also one of the best ways to showcase small objects that you want to sell, like homemade crafts, or even just objects you want to turn into wall art, like your wedding ring or a perfect flower you picked from your garden. Depending on the size of the box you make, the possibilities are endless!

What you'll need:

• a box (I chose the "large cube" box at the Post Office because they give them for free!)
• white tissue paper
• a white, flexible poster board (CVS sells a smaller size by a random brand for 99 cents)
• a sharp chef's knife or an x-acto knife
• scissors
• duct tape (I found 10 yards at CVS in the dollar section!)

Making your box:

• Time: 30-40 minutes

1. Close the bottom flaps of your box (without overlapping) and tape them tightly.
2. Lay the box on its side with the top flaps facing you.
3. Take the flaps and duct tape each together (at 90 degree angles), so that the box is longer.
4. Using the knife, cut rectangles out of three sides, leaving a 1'' border (I marked where I would cut with a pen first).
5. The side you didn't cut is now the bottom of your photobox.
6. Take your poster board (which will be the backdrop) and cut it to fit perfectly from the upper back of your box to the front of the bottom (don't make a crease in the bottom back corner, just let it naturally curve).
7. Tape the top of the poster board to the top of the box, with as little tape on the board as necessary.
8. Take 2 sheets of tissue paper (one for each side) and tape them over the open sides.

Your box is done!

There are a few things to keep in mind when you're using this homemade photobox:

• Place it near a window for natural lighting, letting the light fall through one of the sides.
• If you're going to use a lamp or flashlight, make sure it's far enough from the tissue paper so it can't cause a fire. (And please turn them off when you walk out of the room, just in case!)
• Turn off your camera's flash, it will ruin the effect of the box!
• You can either shoot from the front opening, getting an eye-level shot of your subject or you can shoot through the top and get an overhead image.
• You can experiment with different backgrounds by using other colored poster boards, patterned scrapbooking paper...if you are artistic you can even paint or draw your own!
• Don't worry about getting your backdrop dirty either, because you can always replace it! (In other words, if you bake and frost cupcakes with your kids, feel free to let them position them inside the box, getting a little frosting on the bottom will just add character to the image!)