Photography Tricks – The Light Box

What a difference lighting makes.

Take a look at the two photos on the left. These were done with a single desk lamp with a white paper towel as my back drop. Shadows are harsh and the contrast overemphasized. Now look at the two pictures to the right. These pictures were done in a homemade light box using two desk lamps and a piece of white bristol board (a.k.a. Poster Board to my American readers) set up as an infinity roll. What a difference!!!  The model is the exact same with the exception that I added the decals for the pictures on the right.

The pictures on the left are lit with a single desk lamp. The harsh light casts shadows and overemphasizes the contrast on the model. I used a home-made light box and added a second lamp for the two photos on the right. The light box softens the light and paints a far better representation of my hard work.

The light box makes a huge difference and I am very pleased with my new photos. Check out how great my British Commander looks under the light box. My lamps are still under-powered, but it is a vast improvement over the shots that I was posting earlier. From here forward, the images that I will be posting will be truer representations of the models that I have painted. Now that I have a light box, I went back and re-shot some of the pictures for my Frostgrave Dwarfs Post and my Post Comparing House Models. Please check them out again for their upgraded photos.

Below is a sampling of some new photos that I made with the light box.

Mad Daddy by RAFM Miniatures

Scourge by RAFM Miniatures.

Major  Ternadust by Warlord Games.