The light in the back of your subject is called the backlight. The main light next to the camera is called the key light, and the fill light refers to the final light on the opposite side of the key light. Place your standing light above and behind your subject to make it the backlight. Use lamps for the key and fill, which go under your subject on opposite sides of your camera. Make your brightest bulb or strongest lamp the key light.
Window light will provide your subject with a clean, natural look that studio lighting often has a hard time imitating. Choose an east-facing window if you want to shoot in the morning and a west-facing window to shoot in the evening.
White paper can have a similar effect, but it’s easily damaged and torn.
If the funnel won’t fit over your flash mount, hold the flat surface area 2–4 inches (5. 1–10. 2 cm) away from your flash bulb as you shoot.
The light will fill the room based on the angle that you’re holding the umbrella. Adjust its position based on the strength of the light that you desire.
Place your subject in the middle of the light box. This only works if you’re shooting smaller subjects. Set up multiple light sources around the box so that each side gets covered in light from the outside. Light boxes are sometimes called photography tents.
The measurements of your light’s edges will determine how long you make the base of your panels.
If you’re using a larger clamp light, make the sides of your panels a little bigger. Use the finished end of the cardboard as the longest baseline. This will ensure that your open end is even, and will make attaching the cover easier. Place your pieces in a square on a flat surface with the biggest base facing away from the center. Your panels are sized correctly if the exterior edges are flush.
Repeat this step 4 times, once for each panel. You can also choose to use the panels as a straight edge for your utility knife if you don’t feel like drawing the outline.
Make sure that you put the shiny side of the foil facing up! Do this one panel at a time to keep the glue from drying out before you get a chance to attach the foil.
Once you’ve glued your 4 panels together, run another layer of hot glue along the interior edges where the panels meet. You can move your panels a little bit as the glue is drying without breaking it, so don’t worry about making your softbox sides perfectly symmetrical. You can fix any minor problems by slightly bending the panels towards their correct position before adding the extra layer of glue at the end.
Use black tape if you want to make your softbox look more professional. You really only need to worry about the glue melting from the light’s heat if you’re using a clamp light for an extended period of time.
If you’re using a clamp light, match the sides of the gate to the edges of your tripod.
The shower curtain has to be white, and it has to be plastic. Any other material or color will turn your softbox into a simple light stand.
