From stock photography to eBay auctions, amateur photographers have a number of new reasons to experiement with studio shots. And if you've spent much time trying to create still-lifes, you'll know that lighting is a killer. Ensuring even, shadow-free illumination is likely to require considerable investment, trial and error or both.
Before you invest in a set of powerful lights, however, you might want to try shadow-busting on the cheap with the LightRight relfector system. The set consists of about a dozen reflective cardboard panels. Using magnetic clasps and paper tabs, you bend and shape them to create an arena of reflectors that bounce light just where you need it. It'll take some trial-and-error to get a feel for optimal placement of the reflectors, but the LightRight Web site includes useful tutorials. The set sells for $70, less than you'd pay for one low-end studio lamp.
LightRight Professionl Reflector System
