How to make a soft box, what are the skills?

Nowadays, soft boxes are not so expensive. You can buy a good soft box. But what if there is a way to achieve the same effect more cheaply? This is how we will make a professional soft box ourselves.

Step 1: What is a soft box?

Flexible box is a kind of light modifier, which is specially used for portraits of studios or amateurs. It produces soft diffused light by guiding light through a diffusing element. The light reflects from the inner wall, which is covered with a shiny material (usually aluminum foil) on the white diffuser.

It can be used with any stroboscopic or continuous light source. The main purpose of soft box is to produce soft and uniform light, which is usually used as the main light source. In addition, it is an ideal choice for studio lighting where every area is important.

The second step, the necessary materials

To make a soft box, we need:

Cardboard (box can be cut)

Acrylic foam tape

aluminium foil

glue

scotch tape

Screws and nuts

A roll of paper

black varnish

Step three, we draw and measure.

In this tutorial, we will show you how to create a 60x80 cm soft frame, which is suitable for any size, just don't forget the scale, otherwise it will display incorrectly in geometric form.

First, you need to draw four sides of a trapezoidal soft box. The first two faces are bigger, and then the other two faces are shorter. The bottom of the big trapezoid will be 80 cm long. The angle of the side wall is 45 degrees. The top of the mold should be about the length of the burr, which is 7 cm in my example. Then, we repeat all the operations again, and finally get two big faces of the soft box.

Below is 60 cm, and above is the height of the flash head. The tilt angle here is not important, but it is slightly more than 60 degrees.

Step four, cut the cardboard.

Now that we have all four sides of the soft box (two big ones and two small ones), it's time to do some excellent work on the cardboard. Leave a small amount of cardboard at the top, about 2-3 cm long, because this is where our flash will pass. Cut each piece with a knife and put the finished product aside.

Step 5: After cutting all the necessary contents of the collage board, please stick the aluminum foil on each board with a small amount of glue (but only on one side). Aluminum strips can be used around the edges to make the structure stronger. This part will reflect the light from the flash and make it stronger. Only by using two layers of aluminum foil can the surface keep reflective for a long time.

Step 6, add double-sided tape.

Now, take two short walls-the short wall at the top and two tapes. 15 cm, 5 cm smaller. In addition, there is a little secret. Two layers of adhesive tape can make our structure more stable. These two straps can hold the flashlight in place and prevent it from falling.

Step 7, bonding and assembling.

If we have prepared everything before, it's time to put our soft boxes together. Very simple

First, we need to adopt a larger edge, a shorter edge, another larger edge and the remaining edges. With the help of tape and glue, we connected them to prevent possible damage.

Please pay attention to the tape on the top of the flash. To check the correct assembly, hold the top and lift the soft box. If he doesn't move, then everything is normal. If it moves and is unstable, please add more tapes until it becomes stronger.

Step 8, paint.

After a few minutes, you can start spraying the soft box to make it look more beautiful and professional. Use old newspaper or tape to protect the parts that you don't want to paint, such as the top hole. The use of black spray makes this process easier. When the paint dries, apply another layer of color and wait for it to dry.

Step 9, we make and install the tripod bracket.

Next, we will make a tripod adapter. Use an L-shaped aluminum bracket and place it on the larger side of the soft box. Punch a few holes in the middle of the small side of the soft box. Then, fix the bracket in place with screws and nuts to ensure that it is firmly fixed.

Step 10, make a reflector.

It's time to install a paper reflector. Spread the paper roll on the floor, put the soft box on it, face down, and then carefully stick the paper on each side. If you want to make the light softer and more uniform, you can add multiple layers. Remember, the more layers you add, the less power you transmit.

Step 1 1: Install the flash memory.

To install the flash, please put the soft box on the lamp, and then put the flash into the hole. To do this, while holding the flash gently, insert it into the hole and push it until it is close to the flash. Secure with tape.

It is best to use the flash horizontally to give the soft box more freedom of movement. You can point it down, up or at a 45 degree angle. Step 12: Final production is completed.

What we have to do now is to use the new soft box for experimental shooting! For example, it produces wonderful soft light and illuminates the whole person.

Use the soft box as the main light source of the studio, and nothing else is needed.