Shooting an electronic flash without a soft light box gives harsh lighting results.
An electronic flash can add light when there is not enough natural light to illuminate a face for portraiture work. Making a soft box light will soften the effect of the electronic flash to highlight, not overpower, the person's face. A few supplies from a craft store and some household items are all you need, along with an electronic flash to use with the soft box. Your soft box can be removed from the electronic flash at any time and does not violate any warranties it might have.
Instructions
1. Put a sheet of newspaper on a table, with the cardboard on top.
2. Measure an inch in from one edge of the cardboard and make a dot, repeating several inches along the edge, and then do this on the other three edges of the cardboard.
3. Draw a rectangle on the cardboard by connecting each set of dots, extending the four lines until they meet.
4. Cut out the rectangle on the cardboard with the utility knife. Discard this inner rectangle.
5. Put the linen muslin on the newspaper with the 4-inch edge facing you.
6. Put the cardboard on the center of the linen muslin. Tape the sides of the cardboard to the linen muslin with duct tape.
7. Stand a wooden dowel on each corner of the cardboard. Tape the wooden dowels to the corners of the cardboard with duct tape.
8. Place the electronic flash on the newspaper with the lens at the front end facing up.
9. Tape the ends of the two wooden dowels on the left side of the cardboard to the top and bottom of the left side of the electronic flash.
10. Tape the ends of the two wooden dowels on the right side of the cardboard to the top and bottom of the right side of the electronic flash.
11. Pick up the electronic flash. Put the bottom of the electronic flash into the hot shoe of the digital camera.
12. Drape the folds of the linen muslin over the cardboard and the wooden dowels so as to form a tent over and around the electronic flash. Turn on the electronic flash. The soft box light you have made is now ready to be used.
Tags: electronic flash, linen muslin, wooden dowels, cardboard bottom, cardboard with, duct tape