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Ez Cube Lightbox

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I photograph beads for my wife. I have had a few problems. First they are small, so macrophotography is needed. Second they are silver, so getting the white balance right is tough. Third they are shiny so reflections are a killer.

 

Look at this bead:

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You can see the reflections behind me.

 

Or check out this one, it's even worse:

Posted Image

 

You can see me holding the camera. I think it makes my hands look big, don't you?

 

Then along comes EZ Cube. It is a commercial lightbox. Made of white nylon, it provides smooth light. Stops all the harsh shadows and reflections. What a difference. Check out this bead:

 

Posted Image

 

Much nicer. And the white balance was a snap.

 

Here is a link to their site. I have no affiliation with them, except as a happy customer.

EZ Cube

 

They have a lot of accessories to go with the basic box. Check it out.

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Is there a way to stop these reflections? I mean they need to be photographed at least for commercial purposes right?

 

Is it only photoshop that can do the magic?

I think reflective silver is about the toughest thing to photograph. The EZ Cube is the best aid I have found. You still get some reflection, but not much.

 

Here is another bead that is mirror like.

Posted Image

 

Inside the cube you see soft white reflections instead of pictures of me or the walls and ceiling of the room. This makes for a very acceptable photo.

 

My only criticism is that the surface is dulled. Looks more like pewter than polished silver. But I haven't found a way to get the full reflective surface without the reflections that are so distracting. If anyone else has ideas, I'd love to hear them.

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using a studio type od box is great especially when it comes to small things such as jewlry. and also alot has to do with lighting and angles but having the EZ Box im sure is great.It really does show a big difference from the first few shots to the last couple.

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Is there a way to stop these reflections? I mean they need to be photographed at least for commercial purposes right?
Is it only photoshop that can do the magic?


There is a way to reduce (but not completely remove) reflections which is widely used when water-sports, cars, objects behind glass etc. are photographed - a CPL filter. What is a CPL filter? CPL is a Circular Polarisation filter which has two pieces of glass and mounts on top of your lens (if you have no way to put it on, holding it in front of the camera will do the trick :P). The front element polarises light (natural light is not polarised), and the other one changes it polarisation angle, depending on how it is rotated. This is why the two elements can rotate. Besides dealing with reflections, it also gives better colours on some occasions, especially when photographing a piece of sky with distinct white clouds. After a UV filter, it is a must-have for any serious photographer.

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The second one is the best, I like the way it's 'blurred', and I like the focus, it gives good opinion for the photography. The first one is too blurry, which I don't like-it's not that good really. The last one is also good, but not as much as the last one. I think you are a pretty good photographer, and I like how the colors are being exposed in the two of your photographs(the second one and the third one). Also, it is good to see how the slot you have taken the picture at is exposed(on the third photography), and I like the way it's blurred. Good work.

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