A Portable Photographic Studio
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About twelve months ago I came across a product entitled, if memory serves me correct, PhotoBox Studio. The idea behind the product was to provide an all-in-one solution for non-professional photographers to produce high quality still images without any undue fuss. The kit consisted of a safe-like box; digital camera; and software for downloading captured images to a computer. I thought, and still do, that the concept had a lot going for it. I was not alone in this belief as companies such as Jimmy Choo, Motorola and Unilever became early adopters. The price, however, was such that it was outside the budget of most home and small business users.
As can often happen, once a concept has been introduced, other similar solutions begin to appear. In this case the solution bears the name of ePhotomaker and is available from Flexion Solutions. I have been looking at the smaller version of the product but there is also a larger version available.
The product arrives in a blue circular, canvas bag measuring just 32cm in diameter. At this stage you may be wondering how the contents of such a small bag could be of much use. However opening the bag reveals a number of items that automatically expand as they are released from the confines of the material casing. One item springs out into a bell-tent shape that measures 68 x 49 x 50cm (W x H x D). This forms the actual studio for taking photographs. It is constructed of white semi-transparent material held within a figure-of-eight flexible framework.
Other expandable pieces include a support rod that can be attached using Velcro tabs and an Ezybalance grey card that has a cross-hairs reticule printed on it. This latter item could prove useful when trying to control the balance and exposure of photographs by standing in for the actual object during the setting up process.
An appropriate light source, not provided as part of the package, should be positioned opposite the inner right panel of the ePhotomaker which has a silver reflective covering. I would suggest you use an adjustable table light, or something similar, to give you full control over direction and angle. In some cases you could find that the light produced is rather yellow which can happen with tungsten/incandescent bulbs. If this should be the case then you can use a provided blue film sheet and clips to compensate for this effect and help simulate daylight conditions.
A mini tripod is provided to help keep your camera steady. The tripod height can be adjusted between 13.5 and 23.5cm. It is also possible to tilt the camera up to 90 degrees.
Basic instructions are provided to help lead you through the process of setting everything up. The format of these instructions reminded me of those you get with flat-pack furniture but were generally easier to follow. In fact it was far harder getting the various items back into the bag when storing the kit away after a photographic session.
David Bailey and other professional photographers need not worry that this piece of kit will turn everybody into a top ranking photographer. It wont. What it will do, however, is provide you with some tools to help you compose your shot within a controlled environment with regards to light and position. You will still need to make full use of these tools to enhance your current skill level. The end results can be worth the effort.
The small version of ePhotomaker has been priced at £49.99 while the larger version will cost ££79.99. Flexion Solutions can be contacted at 01530 837143.
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