Make a simple and versatile product lighting setup for under $50

We’ve featured several great, budget-friendly product photography lighting setups. And if you ask for such a solution for video, Caleb Pike from DSLR Video Shooter demonstrates one in his latest video. It’s easy to set it up, allows plenty of variations, and it costs less than $50. And while Caleb focuses on shooting video, you can, of course, use this setup for stills as well.

You will need

• 24″x24″ softbox with diffuser
• 40W LED studio light bulb
• Plastic storage boxes (or books)
• White foam board (optional)

The setup

The basic setup includes only the softbox with the LED light, which will provide balanced, diffused light. Place the softbox above the product on the table, and try to put it as close to the subject as possible.

To put the light above the product, you can simply stack plastic boxes one on top of the others and put the softbox on them. Of course, no need to buy these containers if you don’t need them for storage. So, if you don’t already have them, you can use books or cardboard shoe boxes.

Variations

Other than placing the light above the product, you can also try out several variations. Again, you can use the storage boxes to support the light.

You can remove the boxes on one side, and make the light come from above, but at an angle.

You can also put the softbox on the side, and use the foam board to diffuse the light on the other side and add some fill.

If you need the backlight for creating the silhouette, you can place the softbox behind the product.

Considering the price and the simplicity of this setup, it gives quite good results. Plus, it works well for different positions of the light. The prices of the softbox and the light may vary, but in any case – they don’t go over $50, which is a pretty good deal.

[$50 Product Lighting Setup | DSLR Video Shooter]