Soon after starting this blog, I realized that it would be worthwhile to invest in a photography system to give photographs of my creations a more professional look. While visiting my parents last October, I was working on the Toddler Turkey Hat, and my mom allowed me to use her EZ Cube, essentially a light tent, to photograph my process shots. I was amazed at how the photographs came out, especially since I only had my camera phone at the time.

I really lucked out on my birthday this year: I received an EZ Cube of my own from my mom and dad, two tabletop lights with daylight balancing CFLs from my brother, and a new digital camera from my husband. Just like that I was ready to photograph my work. From the very beginning, I have been extremely happy with the ease of use and results I am able to get from this system. If you’re trying to find a great gift for the artist, crafter, or photographer in your life, I would highly recommend the EZ Cube.

According to Table Top Studios, makers of the EZ Cube, there are several advantages of using their light tent to photograph products: (1) it eliminates clutter by providing a nice seamless background for you to photograph against; (2) it eliminates glare, even with on-camera flash use; and (3) it creates soft shadows, drawing the viewer’s eyes to the subject and making the details of the subject stand out.

Setup of the EZ Cube is really easy. You just remove it from its case. Unfold it carefully, and it will pop into a cube on its own. The background sweep attaches with Velcro to the inside back of the light tent. Putting the EZ Cube away is a little more complicated, but it gets easier the more you do it. First, fold one side to the front. Fold the other side flat so that you have a square. Twist the square into a figure eight. You now have a circle that can be placed back in the case.

The newest model EZ Cubes also include these handy features: a top flap that can be opened in order to use a boom light or photograph from above; a front door that can be closed to eliminate the reflection of yourself, your camera, and your lighting when photographing highly reflective items; and rigging at the top of the cube that allows you to hang items like fishing lures, ornaments, or jewelry that would be difficult to stand up to photograph.

Table Top Studios also offers a variety of accessories to make your photography experience even easier. For those of you who sell your products on eBay, they’ve created a turntable with six-point markings that integrate with the eBay slideshow to create a simple animation without the need for animation software. They also offer arms and clips and custom backgrounds. Visit the EZ Cube website to see their inventory of EZ Cubes and accessories.

* I do not receive any compensation from the makers of products I endorse. This review is simply to let you know about a product I have used with great success and therefore highly recommend. *