How To Use A Light Tent: The Definitive Guide

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How to use a light tent

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Introduction

Before starting my small handicrafts business I didn’t know how to use a light tent. Like a true Gen Z, I promoted my store using social media. But why didn’t I get any engagement?

As you all know, social media such as Instagram and Facebook show followers the content based on the frequency of how much they reacted to the posts. Since I started selling my handicrafts to earn some side money, I didn’t use paid promotions to popularize my account.

All my friends and family tried to help me. But, the real game-changer was when I bought a light tent.

Another great application: You must need a light tent to grow your plant in a artificial environment.

More and more people started to love my stuff because of the cool and clear pictures I now posted.

Light 

To understand what a light tent is, we must first understand how light travels. Let’s start from the top. Light is a form of energy.

It is often intertwined with heat energy so it seems like light emits heat while spreading out. That’s incorrect. Transfiguring other types of energy into light energy creates heat energy as a residue.

This transfiguration is done by the source of the light. While light travels in all directions after creation, its luminosity and intensity decrease the farther it goes. Thus, when it runs into obstacles (objects) in its path it creates shadows of differing depths.

The position of the shadow depends on the position of the light source and the direction of the ray.  So, when we take photographs most of us unconsciously or consciously try to find the best lighting to brighten the pictures.

This ‘best lighting’ or ‘best angle’ is where objects cast the least amount of shadows on the subject in a specific environment. A light tent paved the way for an artificial method of achieving the ‘best lighting’ anywhere.

What Is A Light Tent?

A light tent is a box-like contraption with translucent walls. It defuses the light outside the box and anything placed inside will have no reflection. That is because if light shines from all sides there is no backside of an object to create a shadow.

How To Use A Light Tent: (Set Up A Lightbox)

It is very easy to set up a portable photo studio. First, select the place you want to place your light tent on. Remember, hold the image in your eye and then select a table or a surface.

Then, set up the lightbox. There is not much to do. It comes basically assembled.

It is better to buy it from a brand that provides the other small essential props. Some models come equipped with different colored backgrounds. I use the white one mostly.

If you want to make your own backdrop, you can do so. You only have to measure the dimension of the given backgrounds and cut it according to size. After that, place the object in the middle of the box or circle.

You should buy a version with switches and extension cords so that it is easier to light it up. Lastly, take your tripod and fix your camera. Then, click away!

I am joking. Take pictures and see if you need to zoom in, zoom out, move the tripod closer, adjust white balance, etc. As long as you correctly set up the lightbox, it is not necessary to move it here and there.

But, you can move the lights. Also, this is a trade trick but I am sharing it with you guys. Buy a special overhead light.

It must not be the ghastly orange-ish light every kitchen has. You can find them in a camera store. Put them overhead and they change the photo quality like a fairy godmother.

Plus, they don’t even cost ninety dollars at most. Trust me; this is something worth investing in. If you are going to use a lightbox, go all in and never fold.

The light tent I use came in a slim bag. It contained the tent (obviously), some backdrops, some lights, and a mini tripod. To attach the tent with a surface, mine has Velcro straps. Some other types have magnets.

There will also be a way to attach your background to the tent. Mine again has Velcro straps. I prefer them because they are comfortable adjusting.

Light Tent: Pros and Cons

Other than changing your whole game in the marketing or photography business, light tents have other uses or other ways to make your life comfortable. Learning how to use a light tent will give you fixed benefits.

The best useful quality they have is their portability. You can carry them anywhere. The bag they came in is perfect for this.

One of my friends is a jeweler. To promote his ornaments, he uses a light tent. He especially suggests it to everyone in his line of work.

There is a reason for it. Gems have a reflective surface like a mirror. It is difficult to set up a gem and have the light hit it at the perfect angle. 

It also removes reflections from inside the gem so that it looks unblemished. Lightboxes are a great way to photograph many objects in one setting. But, it can be very bland to take photos, in the same way, all the time.

Plus, sometimes they don’t flatter glass things. Besides, you will never learn how to manipulate light with reflectors and using natural light to your advantage if you keep yourself enclosed in a small box.

It can limit your growth and creativity. I mostly recommend them for small businesses like mine.

Conclusion

As the days go by, I came to cherish my lightbox as the child I will never have. In this age of digital marketing, it is especially necessary to know how to use a light tent.

In social media, everyone puts their best foot forward. It can seem like they have a perfect life. Sometimes you can feel superbly inferior due to this and not make a move to start your business or personal journey.

Showcasing the things you find beautiful in a way that other people can enjoy and appreciate its beauty from their devices will give you a huge confidence boost. If you want to find satisfaction in your life while making money, then buy a light tent today! 

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