a light tent at last

[monk]

a ss buckle done years ago for my stepdad. was a real beast to cut. the first tough thing i ever did with the gravermeister. my stepdad wore this to the very day he passed. any way this shot shows a vast improvement over my last foto done without the tent. still a bit to go on the reflections, but improvement nonetheless.

 

[Keith]

Hi Monk.
The photo looks good.
Did you buy the light tent or make it?
What do you use for lights?
Thanks,
Keith Pedersen

 

[monk]

keith: very lo tech. frame out of .5" pvc pipe and corner fittings. about 16 x 16 x 16". white sheet draped over the top and both sides. front open. illumination from 2 small aluminum clamp type reflectors with the spiral type flourescent bulbs rated at 75 watt level. exposure adjusted primarily by controlling the distance of the 2 lights from the sheets. i found this works best when there is no ambient light entering the front of the tent. i do the shoot with the room lights off. total cost reflectors, bulbs-- maybe 20 dollars. pvc frame made out of junk.

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hey Monk

That's your best photo yet. It just goes to show what a $20 light tent can do to show off your engravings. I think it's very nice you still have the buckle. Objects like that have real meaning in our lives and can trigger some very fond memories. It's a good way to keep our passed loved ones alive.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Sam]

Monk: Try shooting this photo from a slight angle. The way it is now the left and right sides reflect your white tent, but the middle is still dark. See if you can get the center of the buckle to reflect white as well. You're almost there! / Sam

 

[eastslope]

Can you post a pic of your light tent? Thanks, Seth

 

[Ozgraver]

Here's instructions for building a PVC pipe light tent and another link for a foam board light box.

You can also buy very inexpensive light tents and accessories off eBay.

 

[monk]

thanks sam, will give the next one a shot.

 

[monk]

seth i will do that later this evening. don't get your hopes up. it really is very simple.

 

[monk]

SETH:the large , dark gray back is to eliminate a very confusing background in my workroom. the "tent" is situated atop my laser machine just to take the pic. simple as pie made from pvc pipe and fittings i had on hand. the dimensions are simply due to the amount of pipe i had. in front of the camera is situated a small , shaped support. colored cloth can be placed over that. the camera support is a telescoping work positioner i had in my junk bin. the 2 reflectors and the spiral bulbs are the only things i purchased for this. missing is the white sheet and the camera. i needed it to shoot the tent. i am going to add a 3rd light over the top to see what effect that will have.this is very similar to the link ozgraver has posted.