Discussion Creating a Photo Booth

[Mox]

I have a space that is 24" wide by 20" deep (shut it @HerefordBullyun, I know what you are thinking) and would like to create a photo booth that will give me more room to take pics than the portable LED lit one that I currently use.

What is the best way to go about it in terms of lighting, material to use, coating for non-reflection.

What is the best way to set it up? I was thinking of the LED strip lights you can buy. Would this work and how much lighting would i need and at what position? Is more better? Would lighting from in front make the reflection off a proof better or worse?

And anything else that could make a difference on this topic...

Edited August 4, 2023 by Mox

[Charliemouse]

There's a lot to unpack here.

My personal opinion of the LED strips or lighting clusters in the little portable photo booths, is that they are a waste of time.  The Neewer one I use (see my photo gear review), has them on the roof of the box, but I never use it.  In the same thread, I describe the lights I do use, which I would recommend.

Having small, diffuse, powerful portable lights on little tripods, is what I have found to be best.  It gives you loads of flexibility on how to angle the coin for the best composition and best light.  If your light is fixed, you will always be compromised, where when the coins is at the nicest angle, it is poorly lit, and vice versa.  Plus, proper photography lights give you a known temperature, making the whole colour balance thing in your other question much easier to handle.

[Silverlocks]

I don't use a booth at all - my setup can just go onto my desk in front of the computer as I need to use it.  Here's a photo from a couple of different angles.  The ring light provides background lighting, and a panel or spot from the top or side provides directional lighting.  @Charliemouse is likely a bit more sophisticated about this stuff than I am, but most of my photos since I got the camera a few months ago have been done like this - either this or through an axial lighting box (not pictured here). Since then I've bought a little lazy Susan, which sits on the stack of books and allows adjusting the orientation of the coin more easily. This cost a few quid of Amazon.

[Charliemouse]

It's more important to have a 'booth' if the room has natural light or you cannot control the lighting quality (position / brightness / temperature) easily.  One of the portable photo booths, that are available in a lot of different sizes, 

I use the included matte black paper to cover the floor and rear.  The sides and top are diffuse reflectors, which work well to catch the lights so that any spill is softly reflected back.

I prefer black as a background, since it allows more lighting options highlighting the subject.  Navy blue works well as an alternative, for both gold and silver.