Someone told me 1/3 of success is based solely on how something looks. I don't know how accurate that is, or even how one would even measure that, but it's true that good image accounts at least partially to effective marketing. Many things go into making that perfect image. Quality photography equipment, product placement, and lighting are all a few things that go into that perfect shot. This instructable focuses on lighting; I will show you how to create a simple light box for small to medium sized crafts or projects (perhaps one of your instructables projects) for under $10.

Step 1: Tools Needed

For this instructable you will need the following:

An empty box.
Poster board, fabric, or spray paint.
Box Cutter or other sharp knife
Tape
Object to be photographed
LED Strip Light

Step 2: The Build

First you need to decide on the type of back ground you are looking for. For me I decided to spray paint the inside of the box white; however buying a piece of poster board would have been much easier. Poster board or cloth can be hung, or clamped to the top rear of the box forming a draping background similar to those seen in studios. If you decide to do this great, if not, painting the box your desired color is always an option.

After you've decided on the appropriate back drop, you will need to start with the build. Cut a small hole in one of the bottom open corners of the box. This is where you will lead the beginning of the LED strip into the box, and the power cord out of the box. Then begin unraveling the LED strip lighting and tape it to the inside of the box. The light strip is pretty straight forward, and easy to stick to most surfaces.

Step 3: Take Photos to Your Hearts Content

Once you're finished with the box, play around with it. Take photos, and see what works best with what you are capturing. If you decide on a poster board or fabric back drop you can easily swap out different back grounds to capture your vision.

The images you see here were taken in my DIY light box for my ETSY shop. You can easily see how easy it is to make professional photos on a shoe string budget. Expensive Cameras and studios really aren't necessary with a little DIY.