How to Use an LED Light Tent for Product Photography

When venturing into the field of product photography, both small and large businesses have the same results and expectations from their product shots. Manufacturers and innovators desire crisp and sharp images of their main selling point regardless of whether they’re for an e-commerce site, social media, or blog post. The key to achieving the perfect product shots depends on reliability and consistency so potential buyers don’t notice any discrepancies that can drive them away. A light tent is a dependable option to consider if you’re doing a product photography shoot.

What Is Product Photography?

Product photography aims to present a product in the best possible light through photographs, and it is a form of commercial photography as it can be used to assist customers in selecting your products among a sea of competitors. Product photography is exceptionally popular for online marketplaces as it provides viewers with the virtual experience of being in close proximity to the product so they can observe minor details and make purchasing decisions.

Since product photography needs to provide an attractive picture, it requires proper photography equipment that ranges from lighting, cameras, and lenses, and background setups so you can produce quality images to entice shoppers. The equipment required depends on the type of product shot you need to deliver, which can include:

• Individual shots with the plain white or black background
•  Detailed shots show zoomed images so viewers can observe the texture and other minor details
•  Lifestyle shots that show how and where your product can be used
•  Scale shots allow viewers to understand the size of the product

What Is A Light Tent?

Light tents and lightboxes are closed, cube-shaped contraptions with translucent or reflective walls that soften the light from different sources. A light tent can be your best friend if you’re looking to produce well-lit studio photography that minimizes shadows against a solid and seamless background for small to medium-sized objects. They are especially excellent for shooting products that are highly reflective and are made of materials such as glass or feature a silver, gold, or chrome finish as they provide even lighting, which reduces any unseemly reflections.

Light tents cannot be used in isolation for product photography as you will also require light bulbs or studio lighting, light stands, multi-coloured backdrops, a tripod, and base options if you want to change up the photography style. These tents also come in different sizes, and they make it easier to take professional product photographs as they can eliminate any hot spots for balanced object images.  

Do I Need A Light Tent and What Are My Options?

It’s hard to take a bad photograph with a light tent even if you have improper light placement; you can get away with it as the tent diffuses light from any source to produce a more flattering light which can significantly reduce setup and shooting time so you can have the perfect image faster. Image consistency is also maintained by using a light tent as the area inside is thoroughly lit evenly, reducing any discrepancies. If you can adjust to shooting products in a limited space, a light tent is an excellent option for product photography, and we have some picks that can help you up your photography game.

PIXAPRO 70cm Foldable LED Light Tent

This LED light tent is ideal for photographing small products, and it features a reflective silver interior lit using energy-efficient LED lights. The setup also comes with four coloured backgrounds, and it is collapsible, making it easy to store and transport.

70cm Foldable LED Light Tent Cube Tent For Product Photography

PIXAPRO 100x120x200cm LED Light Tent 

This LED light and is suitable for shooting medium to large scale products, and it comes with eight LED panels along with a reflective silver interior that produces optimum lighting for product photography. The backgrounds can also be easily cleaned, and they provide accurate colour reproduction for shooting crisp and clean images.

120x200x100cm Daylight-Balanced LED Light Tent With Magnetic LED Panels

How Can I Use A Light Tent?

The setup location of your light tent depends on its size as smaller tents can be placed on a table while larger ones can be assembled on the floor if they are foldable with light sources directly pointed at the tent and subject regardless of whether it uses translucent walls or LED lights to light the environment.

Setting up the background is the next step; start by ensuring there are no wrinkles and the material falls in a gentle curve that avoids any distracting lines. If the background is made of fabric, you can even iron the material for a smooth surface and be sure to remove any dust and debris that can hinder your shot.

Once you have selected the placement and background, adjust the lighting to ensure it produces the effect you are looking for while keeping both the product and background in mind to ensure accurate colour representation. Additionally, if your light tent does not come with built-in lights or you wish to have more control over lighting, feel free to add your own LED lights or external light sources to ensure your product is surrounded with soft white light from all directions so you can get a nice even shadows light on both the foreground and the background.

Before you start shooting, ensure the product is placed in the centre of the light tent for more even lighting and move it accordingly if you’re looking for different shadows and lighting effects. The photography process requires trial and error, so feel free to experiment with product placement, lighting, shooting angles, and close-up shots. For added consistency, place your camera on a tripod for image stabilization and adjust the settings, so the images are highly focused and possess the right contrast and colour for an appealing representation of the product. 

Why not add a 360° turntable to your shooting set-up?

ORBIT600 360° Ten-Speed 60cm White Motorized Turntable With Remote Control

The PiXAPRO ORBIT Series is a collection of 360-degree motorized turntables which will create amazing 360° rotatable images and videos from small products, such as Jewellery, electronics to a larger products such as suitcases and furniture. This will really add a new dimension to the product photography and videos. There are three different options available with three unique sizes, each suitable for a different sized product.