Ok, Im totally a gadget person. I buy cutters, veiners and other things that look cool and half the time I dont have a use for them.
Well like others on here, I have a hard time getting really nice, professional looking cake pictures. No matter what I do, they dont show the details like I would like and always look pretty amateur.
Well looking threw my Christmas ads I found a Brookstone ad. Justing looking threw it and noticed they have a mini "studio" if you will, to take better pictures with! Comes with lighting, a stand for your camera, and a box to put your items in to keep the glare off of them! I totally want this now! Its only 16" high, so for my higher cakes I will have to rig it differently but still! This is the link if you want to look at it! And if anyone already has it, I would love some imput before I request Santa to put it under my tree!!
http://www.brookstone.com/store/thumbnail.asp?sid=110203&wid=11&cid=1102&search_type=subcategory&

I have a "photo cube" (ie the tent) that I bought from ebay.

But without the special lights, it's no use.

Looks very cool! But save Santa some bucks and go to amazon.com. Enter "photo lighting studio" in the search box and lots of options (with user reviews) come up. If you get one, let us know what you think. Looks like it could be a very fun gadget to have.

That is sssoooo cool!! I know what you mean about pics of cakes. I snap and snap away and the pics never seem to do the cakes justice!!! I keep joking that I need to take photo lessons offered by the community college!! I just may have to hint at Santa as well, since he usually ends up buying me lotion or perfume -- which is thoughtful but if "Santa" (aka. Hubby) left me that mini-studio under the tree, he would be all rosey in the cheeks because he would get a big, fat kiss!!
Thanks for the post!!
~ Jaime

Oh... I just went onto Amazon and they have other mini-studio kits, including the one from Brookstone for only $85.00.... others starting as low as $40's!! Save Santa some money is right.... now you can find more cake gadgets for the same amount of mulla as one studio off Brookstone website!! YEAH!!!

My DH made me a light box from sheets of foamcore made into a cube. We cut out a big window on one side and covered it with translucent paper. We shine a big work light into that window and it works really well. Cost = about $8.

Tubbs, only one wall has the translucent paper? Does it evenly diffuse the light throughout the whole box? If so, all I need to do is go buy translucent paper!! How exciting!

Oh, and by translucent paper, do you mean like vellum? Can you tell me how large of a hole is cut out of the foamcore?

Thanks so much!!
Sherri

oh, heavens, just use sheets and the lights in your house....cost $0 if the sheets are white. (tho' colored ones can do make for fun backgrounds)

Been there, done that. Unless they are ironed and without creases and wrinkles, sheets look like...well, sheet. And with my retina-burning tripod shop lights, I will definitely need to diffuse the light.

Tubbs, Tubbs, where are you??

I use a black sheet covering my island and a black science fair poster (three-sided) for taking my pictures. My DH is a photographer and has a picture box, sometimes we use that for the pictures.
Leslie

Wow, that's just awesome! I love how the light looks like it's sunlight coming in from one window, yet everything shows up well.

Thanks so much for the instructions! I will be making one of these too. Hugs to you!

Okay....

You can just make one yourself. So easy! and you can customize it according to what you need like how tall, wide, etc.

here's the link!

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07/how-to-diy-10-macro-photo-studio.html

HTH

A lil late but cupcakeshoppe, great link! Thank you so much! My husband who is a carpenter has been out of work for quite some time due to economic layoffs and has been trying to find something around the house to do to keep him busy and I've wanted one of these "photo tents" for a long time for cakes and ebay selling and that link has helped so much! He's going to get busy making this right away! He even said he's going to make a few in different sizes lol.. Anyway thanks so much! Great DIY tutorial!