If you’re a photographer of any capacity, we’re sure that you’ve come across situations in which you had a way to control the 
amount of light that happened in a particular scene or appeared on a particular object. Light tents are designed primarily for product photography in that they’re enclosed housings that evenly distribute different shades of white light on a product 360 degrees around. Putting a product in a light tent ensures that the product is evenly lit the entire way around, so no matter what angle you decide to shoot the product from, often through openings in the side of the light tents, you’ll get an evenly distributed source of light with minimal shadows, really allowing you to focus on the product and not the distractions of the background scenery.
Backdrops
Light tent kits generally come with backdrops that are typically white, but sometimes other pastel colors. These backdrops usually have to be ironed when they’re taken out of the box so that they don’t look like a piece of fabric, but instead a solid color background. Backdrops are used to give the illusion that a product inside of the light tent is “floating in air” without being able to see the nylon light tent crumpling behind the product.
Stands
Light tent kits also typically come with stands to hold the products on. These stands are made out of clear plastic so that as you’re resting the product on top of them and taking photographs of it, you won’t see the stands in the shot. Stands are useful if you want to give the impression that the product is floating in air and that it isn’t sitting within a light tent, but rather amidst an aura of light. Stands can’t hold huge amounts of weight, but for standard consumer products like cameras and cell phones, these stands do the job perfectly.
Tripod
If you’re purchasing your first light tent, it may be a good idea to purchase a table top tripod at the same time. The reason for this is that as your light tent is sitting on the kitchen table or on a flat surface of any kind, you want to be able to keep your camera still in order to properly balance the light. As you adjust the light tent for an even distribution of light, if you’re unsure of how your final shot is actually going to look, it may be hard to get things set up in the tent. That’s why it’s important that your camera is always in the same position so you can look through the viewfinder and ensure that the shot is exactly how you want it, with the product floating in white light.
Lights
The term “day light” is thrown around in light tent advertisements all the time and often confuses newcomers. Day light is not the same thing as the light you find outside during the day. Day lights are white fluorescent lights that are used to simulate daylight in an inside environment. Day lights can be bought pretty cheaply, usually for about $50 for a pair, and can be placed around a light tent for different amounts of light shining through the nylon. The nylon of the light tent diffuses the light evenly over the product and helps give the illusion of natural sunlight hitting the product.
Light tents are a great investment for amateur photographers, or even people looking to sell their products online in a more professional way. They’re inexpensive to purchase and beginner light tent kits can be had for about $50 and can always be upgraded as your needs increase.
Related posts:
No comments:
Post a Comment