When showcasing products on an online store or social media, capturing their photos at the correct angle makes all the difference. That’s where the photo light boxes with portable setups come into play and reduce the harsh shadows to make sure your product pictures are clear and detailed while you take them. In this article, we’ll explore the 10 best options, their features, pros, and cons so you can select the right one for your DIY product photography.
Light boxes work very well for DIY photography to highlight details of the products without distracting reflections or shadows. Collapsible Softbox
Natural lighting changes all day, which decreases the quality of the photos you capture. The best thing about a light box is the consistency it offers. It provides steady, diffused light to make sure the outcome is astounding, regardless of the time of day.
If you are a beginner, a photo light box is incredibly user-friendly for DIY. You can set it up quickly, usually without the need for any other equipment, as lights are often included. Most of the time, you can simply place your product inside, turn on the lights, and start shooting!
Photo light boxes are not just for e-commerce; they’re also perfect for adapting to different subjects and styles for creative projects, like capturing handmade crafts, food photography, or even pet products, and they come in a wide variety of sizes.
It’s 2024, and DIY product photography is at an all-time high for small businesses. While some larger scale projects might require, or at least benefit from hiring a professional service, many projects can run on a low budget to make room for more profit. Even if you don’t own professional camera gear, you probably have a smart phone, which provides a decent quality camera and access to photo editing apps. As a small business owner, it makes sense to invest a small amount of money in a good quality photo light box that will help you take clear and detailed pictures of your products to stand out in the online marketplace.
To help you with this, we’ve listed our 10 best choices below, separated into small, medium, and large sizes:
You’re not going to find a lot of bells and whistles with the PULUZ mini photo studio light box, but considering the size and price, as well as the box’s basic functionality, you’ll still find value, especially if you snage one on sale. With its built-in 96-piece LED light beads, this tiny box provides big enough light for capturing small products, including everything from jewelry and toys to other small objects. You can set it up in seconds and quickly switch out the available backdrops to suit your needs.
Find the PULUZ Mini Photo Studio Light Box here.
DUCLUS offers a range of lighting kits and softboxes for product photographers, and their 12×12 Photo Studio Box Light Box provides a solid option for photographing small to medium-sized products like jewelry, toys, food, and more. This particular kit will give you flexibility with light power and colors, with 10 brightness levels and a color range from 6500K white light to soft light or a tungsten-style 3200K warm light. The latter option will come in handy if you go back and forth between shooting indoors and outdoors, day or night.
Find the DUCLUS Mini Photo Studio Box here. Other sizing options are available
If you are on a budget and only need to photograph smaller products like jewelry, kid shoes, watches, and other items, then the Glenden Portable Photo Studio Light Box might be the one you want to try. The compact 12 x 12 inch size and the lightweight of 2.2 Pounds make this box highly portable and a breeze to set up and use.
Find the Glendan Portable Photo Studio Light Box here. Other sizes are also available.
Need to snap some killer product photos but don’t have a studio? Look no further than the Neewer Photo Light Box. This handy little gadget turns your tabletop into a professional-looking photo studio. The Neewer Photo Light Box comes in various sizes, but the most popular is around 24 x 24 inches square, and it won’t take up much space in your home.
Find the Neewer Photo Light Box here.
No matter you’re into product photography for an online store, social media, or just enjoy capturing crisp, detailed shots of your collection, the LimoStudio 24-inch Light Box is an excellent choice for smaller items. Its dimensions are 24 x 24 inches, and it includes a plethora of tools, including a mini tripod for your camera, to help set you up for success. Please note that some of the products pictured in the boxes are not actual size, so it’s important to pay attention to the dimensions.
Find the LimoStudio 24-Inch Light Box here.
In DIY photography, you always want your products to look sharp, serve you well, and operate without haveing to use extra equipment. The triple LED lighting system of Foldio3 Studio Light Box gives you just that with a uniquely designed and well-lit environment. This photo studio light box measures 25 x 25 x 22 inches and weighs 3.7 pounds, which you can quickly fold up into a briefcase with a carrying handle. While a smaller size is also available, the 25″ model works well to cover a wide range of products, many of which we’ve discussed for similarly sized boxes.
Find the Foldio3 Portable Product Photo Studio Light Box (With Halo Bars) here. Also available with different lighting and accessory options.
The Amazon Basics Foldable Photo Studio Box is a game-changer for a quick, easy, and professional DIY setup for product photography. At around 14 pounds, it’s designed to be portable, with a pop-up feature that gets you ready to shoot in seconds. The studio box measures 25 x 30 x 25 inches, making it spacious enough for medium to large items, such as electronics, shoes, or even home decor.
Find the Amazon Basics Portable Photo Studio here.
Featuring a user-friendly velcro design and weight of just under 10 pounds, the Travor Photo Box Studio Light Box is your trusted travel buddy to capture product photos on the go. Measuring 32 x 32 x 32 inches, this photo box has enough space inside to take photos of bigger products like toys, cosmetics, or even cakes. Furthermore, with its adjustable LEDs, you can quickly change the angle of light bars and brightness to get the shot you need for your products.
Find the Travor Photo Box here. Like many other options on this list, other sizes are available to suit your particular needs.
The Fositan M90 Photo Box is like a small to medium-sized portable studio that comes packed with a number of features to help you capture better product photography. For instance, it has double 126 pieces of LED light beads with 12000-13000LM that gives you nice, even lighting. Weighing in at round 16-17 Pounds, the Fositan Photo Box dimensions are 35 x 35 x35 inches, which is big enough for most items you’d want to photograph, like shoes or small gadgets.
Find the Fositan Photo Box here.
This photo light box from Sedgewin falls on the larger side and is a must if you are looking to capture big products like furniture, models, or props. The eight-light LED panels provide excellent brightness, and different background options (black, blue, and white) are great for creative experimentation. With dimensions of 47 x 39 x 78 inches and a weight of 36.5 pounds, this photo light box bigger and heavier than many others on this list, but it is still quite easy to transport and set up in different locations thanks to its convenient carry bag, simple design, and velcro fasteners.
Find the Sedgewin Photo Light Box Photography Studio here.
Whenever you choose a light box, especially for DIY photography, you need to keep a few things in mind:
To get the most out of your photo light box when doing product photography yourself, here are some simple tips:
Buying a quality photo light box can change your DIY product photography game. With so many options available in 2024, it’s easier than ever to find one that fits your needs and budget. All of the top choices in the list can get the job done with professional results.
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