Improvements to my photography setup?

[sppower]

Unfortunately, the room I usually use to set up the light box is in use tonight, so I decided, rather than carry this stuff all over the house, it would just be easier to draw it:
[attachment=0:1tkm13az]Photography Setup.jpg[/attachment:1tkm13az]
I have 4 lamps (2 table, 2 standing), each with a 50-100-150 Watt GE Reveal bulb set to 150. The light is focused toward the box with tinfoil. I have the camera on a tripod in front of the box, which is constructed from Foam Core with a sheet of white paper draped over it to eliminate the crease.

I went looking for a clip-on lamp such as you recommended, but all I could find is a small 60 Watt one in the basement. I do have some 60 Watt GE Reveal bulbs, though, so I could add that in somewhere. What else can I do to improve it for the upcoming reshoot?

[shmax]

I love it! I don't know what I like more, the fact that it's apparently the size of my laundry room, or that you managed to work a flamethrower in there. Well, golly, where to start. I'll just dive in with some thoughts:

1. How big is this thing? If it's as huge as it seems to be--judging by the apparent relative size of the camera and table--it's way, way too big. You just can't light a big space like that. My box is 23 inches tall, and I have trouble lighting it with a 150W bulb and two 150W's. In fact I'm thinking of rebuilding it 4 inches shorter or so.

2. Use 3 lights. One uber-powerful one on top, two less-powerful ones on the sides (so that you really only get a shadow from above). Some of your photos have all these crazy shadows fighting with each other, but you really only want one. If you make a smaller box you can see if you can get away with using the 60W, but really I'd just truck over to Walmart or Home Depot and get yourself a nice high-wattage clamp light.

3. Use cloth to diffuse the light. Cut big holes in the side walls, and drape a white sheet or big piece of satin over the whole thing, and point your lights in at the subject through the cloth. Or improvise. Our users have used everything from white T-shirts to bedsheets to vinyl.

4. What is that crazy thing on the right? Whatever works, I guess, but for god's sake don't cross the streams!

5. We're seeing some pinkish tinting on some of your shots. Something red in your environment is being picked up and reflected into the box. Try shooting in a dark room, or again, reduce the size of your box and filter your lights through cloth.

6. I came across this the other day--a super-cheap light tent: http://www.amazon.com/CowboyStudio-17-P ... 48&sr=8-11

If you're really having trouble with your box, it's something to consider.

That oughta be enough to get ya back on track. Let us know how it goes...

[shmax]

Then again, you're obviously doing something right:


/applause

[sppower]

Thanks! I'm so used to looking at this thing, I didn't realize how unintelligible the drawing might look to someone else. The box is 30in by 30in. The thing on the right is a lamp tipped on its side, propped on a stack of books, on top of a small side table, with tinfoil for a lamp shade to reflect the light. I don't know if I could use it to catch ghosts so much as to accidentally catch my house on fire.

The size thing is a good suggestion. I hadn't thought of that. I'll lop off some of the foam core and make it smaller. The cloth shouldn't be too hard to come by, like you were suggesting.

I was using a room in the house that has a lot of windows and wood floors and such, so that might have been what was creating the red glow even though none of those things are particularly red. I'm not really sure. But, I'll move it somewhere else. I'll go out and price some clamp lamps, but the other thought I had is that one of the standing lamps (Although I didn't draw it this way), has one of those joint arms right below the section with the bulb. You know what I'm talking about? Maybe if I clamped my 60 Watt somewhere on the lamp and shined them both from above (pretty much from the same place), it would sort of simulate the effect of having an actual good light up there. But I'll look at some clamp lamps.

Anyway, thanks for your suggestions!