Model Railroading > Basic photo booth?

Can someone share some details and pictures of their cheap, but effective photo booth to photograph trains?   I finally have room to make my own but don't want to spend much money on it.   I already have the camera, just need the materials and lights. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/17 07:06 by sp8192.

I have seen some decent photo boxes built from white foam core with a couple lights near the front.

My set up is pretty cheap and temporary. I set up on an un-sceniced section of my layout but you could do the same on a desk or counter. I use a piece of white bristol board taped to the backdrop so it curves down under the model I am photographing. Usually I also put a piece of 1/2" plywood underneath just because that part of my layout is not level and I set up over the track, I shim the plywood level so I can move whatever I am photographing around without it falling over.

My layout and room lighting is all 5000K fluorescent and LEDs but is not bright enough for good model photos. After pricing proper photo floods I picked up a couple work lights with reflector and clamp attachment at Home Depot and put 100W equivalent LED bulbs in them. I clamp them to the valance or hold them by hand depending where I want the light. You could also build a couple poles to clamp the lights to using a 2x2 for the vertical and pieces of 1x3 or 1x4 for a base.

Hope this is helpful.

Andrew C



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/17 08:44 by andrewcastle.

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This is a pretty good writeup on building a home made photo booth: http://www.aeroscale.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=features&file=view&artid=6819 .  I think I'll do something similar once I have the space.

- Chris

Christopher Slemp
South Hadley, MA
Milepost 15

I often use some white or off-white matboard and LED lights. However, a couple years ago I bought a Polaroid portable photo booth from B&H Photo in NYC. Seems like it was $60-70 and included the lights plus a booth with 4 different backdrop colors (white, red, blue and black). It is pretty handy although it takes a while to set it up. Here's a shot done with the blue background.

Tom Y

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Dear ?,

This may do the trick.

http://www.micromark.com/Photo-Studio-in-a-Box-Cordless-LED-Lights-No-SIB-106

Bruce

sp8192 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Can someone share some details and pictures of
> their cheap, but effective photo booth to
> photograph trains?   I finally have room to make
> my own but don't want to spend much money on it.
>   I already have the camera, just need the
> materials and lights. 

brfriedm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dear ?,
>
> This may do the trick.
>
> http://www.micromark.com/Photo-Studio-in-a-Box-Cor
> dless-LED-Lights-No-SIB-106
>
> Bruce
>
> Very similar to the B&H Polaroid 20x20 studio (lights look slightly different) which is $89.99.
They also now have a 16x16 version for only $46.

Tom Y

I've got one of the tents with the lamps. But I often have very small items to photograph that I want the camera right above them. I've got an idea how to do it but my standard tripods are not ideal. I am open to ideas.

Victor A. Baird
​http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/17 18:19 by wabash2800.

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> I've got one of the tents with the lamps. But I
> often have very small items to photograph that I
> want the camera right above them. I've got an idea
> how to do it but by standard tripods are not
> ideal. I am open to ideas.
>
> Victor A. Baird
> ​http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

I have a little tripod thingie that I bought once from LL Bean called a Gorillapod. It can get pretty close on small things. Also has bendable legs that can be attached to rocks, irregular surfaces, etc.

Tom Y

In the professional world they would have a fixtures on the wall that would extend over the work, or an arm that swivels from the wall. There is a horizontal extension for some tripods, however hanging a weight off a typical tripod has some obvious limatations. There may also be something like the wheeled ladder contraption that some folks use to reach across a layout, find a tripod 'head' that can be fitted to the wheeled ladder for example. The B&H Photo Catalog is used in every Studio that I have heard of and a few other places as well.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Complete-Tripods-with-Heads/ci/2635/N/4075788742

Another approach would be to fixture the subject on it's 'side' to face a typical tripod. Indeed turn the whole setting on it's side for that cooling fan photo. But that's all in a different world where ice cream never melts.

wabash2800 Wrote:
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... small items to photograph that I
> want the camera right above them...

The current issue of RMC has a feature on building a simple photo booth.