Let there be light (tent)

Photographing models is one of those tasks that always seems to be harder than expected.  The background is cluttered, or the shadows are obscuring details, or the lighting is too direct or the photographs are inconsistent.

So I decided to invest in a photographic light tent, a simple, portable lighting diffuser that acts as a mini-studio which is ideal for photographing small objects under more controlled lighting.

This particular light tent is made in china and sold by a large number of different ebay sellers.  I bought mine for £15 including postage, which seemed to be the average price for them.  I bought the 80cm version as that seemed like a size that would give the most flexability.

The light-tent folds flat in much the same way as a photographic reflector, so the package is fairly small and the entire tent folds into a circular bag.

The kit includes a selection of different background colours (white, red, blue) but these are made from the same lightweight material as the tent itself and consequently they are creased and do not lie flat.  I recommend using a piece of white or coloured art paper as a backdrop instead.

 These shots show the results of my first test shoot.  The light tent gives a much more diffuse light and makes it much easier to achieve more professional results.  The wider angle shots require a large backdrop so I will need to experiment until I find the best method for creating a miniature infinity cove for the background.

Overall I am very pleased with this purchase, and I suspect that it is going to come in very handy for beauty shots of finished models.  If you are looking for a way to improve the quality of your model photography, then I can recommend giving one of these light-tents a try, at £15 or less you really can't go wrong.