Photo Light-Box

I did it, I finally made a light photo-box. After himming & hawing for several weeks, I finally made myself a photo light-box. I looked at it as investment for my Esty shop. I picked up supplies from my local Staples: a box, poster board & packing tape. Once home I gathered all my supplies plus the several sets of instructions I acquired from Etsy's Storque & various blogs. I glanced over all the instructions once then I went to work.

There are some great instructions out there including my sources: http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/fortys-foto-tips-2-make-a-light-box-244/ and http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-inexpensive-light-tent . I am not going to re-create the wheel here, but share my experience of making the box.

I chose the size box, 12"x18"x12" because I wanted a large field & the ability to change the background & be able to use my 13" Ott Lite table lamp. To allow the flexibility I wanted I made the windows large & completely cut off 2 sides. I made an accident right off the bat & completely cut off the wrong side; that's what happens when you are dyslexic! Besides being the wrong side, it left the box too unstable. I ended up resolving this by making a foam board window for that side & eventually L brackets on the outside. I made a total of 4 windows. The next step was to line the inside with white poster board. You could make the whole box out of white foam board & eliminate this step. I decided not to attach diffusing fabric to the windows for several reasons so I used a curtain draped over the box as a make-shift diffuser. I forgot to purchase fabric & I want to be able to have access through all the windows to change to layout. I think it turned out pretty nifty. Another feature that was necessary was that it had to be compact, I live in a studio apartment & shoot pictures in my very large window. My photo box allows me to take nice pictures & not depend on the weather or time of day & keeps my workspace relatively neat.

Labyrinths 101

Believe it or not, i just realized I have never blogged about labyrinths and that is a focus of my artwork... this deceased estrogen stuff is getting to me. What exactly is a labyrinth? Labyrinths are ancient, sacred, symbols, that have 1 path in and the same path out. They are one of the oldest contemplative and transformational tools known to human kind. Labyrinths have been used for centuries for prayer, ritual, initiation and personal and spiritual growth. It is a form of moving mediation that engages the the body, mind and spirit together. I have a difficult time staying still, so this concept worked well for me! Walking the calming circuitous path addresses many psycho-spiritual needs: it can be a path to healing and wholeness in the face of change, facilitates the flow of creativity, provides inspiration, acts as a mirror to our life - reflecting an image of ourselves or serve as a moving mediation or form of prayer. Labyrinths are identified by the number of circuits or concentric paths with the the most familiar being the 7-circuit Cretan and the 12-circuit Chartes Cathedral Labyrinths. A finger labyrinth is a portable version of the full sized walking labyrinth, providing all the same benefits of a labyrinth in an accessible package. One of my missions as a healer and an artist has been to create accessible labyrinths initially for my self, now for others. Creating with the image of the labyrinth has been a healing mediation for myself.