Light box

My camera is a very basic Sony point and shoot and needs all the help it can get.  I promise you it isn't me - I can take photos OK given the right tools.

I get fed up with its inability to deal with uneven light levels and camera wobble - all of which its advertising bumf claims it does brilliantly. Maybe I am pickier than their average customer.  Any way I decided a small tripod (borrowed from him indoors) and a light box might help.

This is an obvious bit of construction if you want to try it and costs next to nothing.  Take one cardboard box: cut out the  top and two sides, leaving roughly an inch frame all round each hole, cover the holes with baking parchment to filter the light a little.  This particular parchment may be too dense.  White tissue paper would probably do better.  I now need three lamps all exactly the same.  I tried jiggling around with two lamps but their lights are totally different and they keep fighting with each other and producing masses of shadows.  I did end up using the best light as a single spotlight.  It is standing on a couple of boxes to gain enough height behind the light box.  Even as basic a set up as that gave better results than just taking photographs of stuff balanced on desks, windowsills and beds trying to catch the best light in the room.

I did have 37 to do as I am taking bits and bobs to EBay in America so I really noticed the difference.  I might just invest in three lamps if I can find some really, really cheap ones.