Rangefinder Magazine
February 2006

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First Exposure Terry Deglau
Web Photo Supply's Studio in a Box

PHOTOGRAPHS OF COINS, jewelry, glassware and polished metal can be difficult to achieve, but when done properly, the results are often exciting works of art.

Because of shine, mid-tone detail and distinctive blacks, lighting such objects can be extremely difficult. So, where do you start? You could build a sweep or a light tent. You could try to use directional lighting while making sure to keep the lights out of the frame. You could cut a hole for the camera and try to avoid reflections. Or perhaps you might simply ask yourself if there isn’t a better, easier way to do this. My answer is emphatically yes—there finally is.

Web Photo Supply of San Marcos, TX, now offers a unique lightbox that makes these types of shots quick and easy. The box comes in two sizes, 10.7(w) x 8(d) x 8.3(h) ($359) and 18.9(w) x 15.2(d) x 15.2(h) inches ($735). Rheostats control the interior lighting for the sweep, the direction of the light, the fill light, and the illumination of the product. Each light is powered individually to give you ultimate control.

This new digital lightbox sits up on a table. It provides a window to allow you to position your object; it also has a window on top for your camera. All exposures are made at about 1/15 at f/8, ISO 100. The color temperature is 5200¢ªK and the color rendition is above 90. This digital lightbox is the fastest to operate easiest to illuminate, produces the purest tones, and has the most exact color rendition of any similar product I¡¯ve tested.

Several examples are illustrated in this article. The first shows two shiny silver coins standing vertically on the sweep. Normally this might prove a tough assignment, but with the Virtual Backgrounds box, it’s really quite easy. Look carefully at the detail of the coins’ impressions: You’ll see complete detail from highlight to shadow, with such wonderful texture that you can almost feel the impressions. Lighting a shot like this is very simple: We placed the coins in the box; turned each rheostat on high; and then turned each light down to control the direction of light, midtone detail, and brightness of the scrim. Exposure compensation varied by 1 to 1½ stops depending on the levels of the lights. We also photographed the martini glasses with the exact same lighting setup at an exposure of 2 seconds at f/11.

Our last example is the jewelry photograph. This image shows fine silver on a ceramic base, which then rests on top of the scrim. The 90+ color rendition of the lights produces nearly perfect color; notice the subtle gradations of color in the silver and stone parts of the jewelry. I can’t imagine trying to photograph this jewelry in any other way.

The possibilities with this tabletop lightbox are endless, as are the profit-making opportunities. If you are a photographer who has trouble taking good photographs of small products, think of the trouble the amateur has. Try doing this with a simple on-camera flash and the results will be much less than appealing. With this in mind, this little box could become a real profit center. Imagine offering your friends and customers the opportunity to have high-quality digital images of their precious small products—all of a sudden the little box could be making you money and paying for itself many times over.

Why didn’t someone think of this a long time ago? I don’t know, but it’s here now and the price for each box is quite reasonable.

Web Photo Supply calls this remarkable new product a Studio in a Box; that name pretty much sums it up. For more information visit their website at www.webphotosupply.com. For small products, it really does function as a complete studio in a little box.