You can make a light box for little money.
A light box is a photography studio in miniature. It's an enclosure designed to give the photographer total control over the light and shadows cast on a small object. It's especially useful for preventing reflections from appearing on shiny surfaces of things like musical instruments. Professional light boxes can cost $75 to $150 or more, but the photographer on a tight budget can get similar results for a fraction of the cost.
Instructions
Construction
1. Choose a cardboard box big enough to hold and display your subjects. The open top of the box will become the window for the camera to peer into, while the remaining sides will become lighting windows.
2. Cut windows into the box. Turn each remaining side of the box into an open window by cutting out the side. You'll want as much open space as you can manage; leave about an inch of cardboard available as a support frame.
3. Add the paper. Sheets of white tissue paper from a nearby gift store are perfect for this step. Cut them to the same size as the sides of the box, and tape them down over the open windows. The paper will soften the light cast across the subject, so there won't be crisp black shadows cast. As an added bonus, they will isolate the subject from the rest of the room, so there won't be any distracting reflections.
4. Add the backdrop. The last piece of the construction is one sheet of poster board. This is used as a backdrop, to hide the cardboard and tape of the inside of the box from the camera. Place it inside the box, beneath and behind the subject, curving up to the top of the box.
5. Prepare the light box for use. Set the box on one side so the flaps are vertical. Place the subject inside, and set up the lights outside. Place the camera on a tripod just outside the box, and pull the flaps close around the lens.
Tags: shadows cast, will become