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Using the EZcube |
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| I've always been a big fan of using daylight florescent bulbs to photograph artwork digitally because it's easy to set up and to get accurate color. In fact, this is the third product I've reviewed that works well with daylight florescent bulbs and makes it easy for artists to photograph their own art work. | ||
| The EZcube is a sturdy photographic light tent made from white nylon that stores flat and pops open when unfolded. The white fabric acts as a diffuser for lights positioned around the cube. Additionally, the top unzips so a rim light can be positioned behind and over the artwork to separate it from the background. And for items that need to be suspended, the inside top sides contain rows of grommets for stringing monofilament wire. | ||
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| The EZcube comes in 12, 20, 30 and 55 inch sizes. For the purpose of this review, I asked for the 30 inch size because I thought it would be the most versatile for the many different sized items I photograph. I used a 36 inch square piece of plywood clamped to a table so the EZcube wouldn't hang over the edge. I also rigged up a boom light overhead to provide more background separation. | ||
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The vase was photographed on solid white and black to white graduated (Varitone #9) backgrounds. A black background wouldn't work because the black band on the bottom of the vase would be completely lost. The white background is a little too harsh because of the contrast between the vase and the background. The graduated background appears to be the best choice. It offers enough separation and reflected light to make the colors look good without a harsh separation from the background. |
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| The kit as sent to me for review included a 12 inch and 30 inch EZcube with instructional DVD and printed manual. Additionally it included two light fixtures with 10 inch reflectors, light stands and daylight florescent bulbs. I was also sent a set of white, 2 inch EZclips (pictured below) which are perfect for fastening background paper or hanging items on monofilament line to be photographed. I was sent both a Varitone #9 (black to white) and white backgrounds to experiment with. | ||
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| A few suggested improvements. Under certain lighting conditions, the sides of the EZcube can use more layers of diffusion. A pair of triple (or quadruple) size white nylon sheets (with Velcro on both sides so it can be folded) to add up to three or four additional layers of diffusion would soften the light coming in the sides. Another suggestion is to have a Velcro opening slot across the top rear or back rear so larger backgrounds can fit without having to cut them to size. Having a zipper won't work as it might scratch the vinyl used in the Varitone backgrounds. And to sturdy the item being photographed, I suggest using something solid under the background/sweep. This last suggestion only needs to be a tip in the manual. I used a piece of white foam core framing board to support the vase. | ||
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Read my article on
setting your digital camera for the |
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All photos on this site are available for stock or
fine art sales |
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| Slide scanning for ZAPP and other digital jury systems | |||
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Web site content © Larry Berman, Chris Maher, or the originating artists |
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Chris
Maher
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Larry
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