Studio Photography: Building a Light Panel

Photography article:

by John H Siskin

Look, you are going to want some of these light panels. They help me to create large shadowless light source. I sometimes refer to light panels as scrims also. They allow you to make a small light source into a large light source.

Light Panel
Light Panel

© John H Siskin
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Materials

3 pieces 10 foot PVC pipe 3/4-inch schedule 40 (that’s the thick stuff)

4 pieces T connectors

2 pieces straight connectors

2 pieces corner connectors

4 pieces end caps

2 yards, plus a little white cotton broad cloth, 42 inch wide

1-foot elastic strip

Glue, PVC glue, any PVC glue. Try to use the PVC glue outdoors.

Glue, white glue wood glue something along that line.

You can get all this stuff at Lowes or Home Depot, or a bunch of other places; it’s not rare.


How to Assemble

Cut the PVC in to the following lengths

2 pieces 42 inches

4 pieces 36 inches

2 pieces 6 inches

4 pieces 10 inches

Light Panel Foot
Light Panel Foot

© John H Siskin
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Attach

Only glue a PVC connector to one side of pipe except on the feet

2 corner connectors to the same piece of 42 inch PVC

1 straight connector to one piece of 36 inch PVC, make 2 of these. You should have 2 pieces of 36 inch PVC without any connectors and 2 pieces with one straight connector on each.

2 T connectors to one piece of 42 inch PVC. You want to glue the PVC into the hole that is at a right angle to the straight through hole.

If you have trouble with this put the thing together without glue. It should be a rectangle 42 inches by 72 inches. When you are through it should come apart easily to go into an equipment bag. You might try this with the feet also, before you use glue.

The feet will fit into the open holes on the second piece of 42 inch PVC.

Take 2 of the 10 inch pieces of PVC and glue them into the straight through sides of a T connector. Glue an end cap onto each of these. Glue a piece of 6 inch PVC onto the open side of the connector; this will fit into the bottom of the frame you just made.

Now the fabric. You will want to finish up with a piece of reflective gold or silver or white cotton broad cloth that is tight in the frame, so measure the frame! Make your hems with glue; this should enable you to use up any extra fabric. Cotton glues well, nylon doesn’t, so if you use nylon you’ll probably need to sew these ends.

Sew pieces of the elastic ribbon on each corner; this will hold it onto the frame.

You have made a useful photographic tool. We’ll see how useful in the coming weeks!


About the Author


Author: John H Siskin

To learn more about photography, explore the photography classes offered here at BetterPhoto.