I need to shoot a trophy and they want me to use a lightbox or light tent as they referred to it, any help?? Its about 18" tall, I have never done this before, Any recommendations for economical gear?? How many lights do I need?? i was thinking of using a dark background inside the box because the trophy is chrome and is engraved. thanks for the help.


ps can i simply find a dark background in the room and set my camera on a tripod and use available light?? or bounce flash?? I'd rather not purchase any more gear. ty

I do have umbrellas and a softbox and two flash units, can i go this route??

A light box will give very soft, even lighting all around, and eliminate reflections of nearby objects in the room from the metallic surface of the trophy.

You can get a similar effect by using flats of foam core or card stock, bedsheets hung from a frame of some kind, etc.

If you have a sturdy tripod, you can also shoot multiple frames, moving your umbrella or softbox for each shot, and combine them in post processing for the best look. (The soft box will probably work better, with its smooth, symetrical face. Umbrellas can sometimes show their ribs in reflective objects.)

Available light can work if you can avoid shadows cast by the reflection-masking setup.

You can also make a light box pretty cheaply:

http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--wO67tpj8I&feature=related

thanks brian!