Light boxes are used in photography with both strobe and continuous light sources to provide even illumination of a subject. Such light boxes normally comprise a reflecting surface which distributes and directs the light from the source through a light diffuser panel to produce such even illumination.
There are generally two types of light boxes; fabric-type light boxes which are collapsible and rigid-type light boxes which are not. Fabric-type light boxes typically comprise a system of hoops and bars which are assembled into a frame. A fabric diffuser screen is stretched over the front of the frame while side and back panels of fabric extend around the remainder of the frame. The lamp is disposed within the interior of the light box with the lamp fixture typically extending through the back fabric panel.
There are various disadvantages to using such fabric-type light boxes. Some fabric-type boxes have a "dead" spot in the center of the diffuser panel. Others have a "hot" spot. Many of the fabric-type light boxes are unable to hold and maintain uniform and straight edges and/or uniform and straight side and back panels. All of these characteristics tend to result in uneven illumination on the subject.
Other problems with fabric-type light boxes are that they require assembly of frame members and the fabric covering the assembled frame. Such assembly is generally very time-consuming. Further, in such assembly and disassembly, the frame members can be broken or bent, resulting in inoperativeness or, at a minimum, very uneven geometry of the light box which results in uneven illumination.
Some of the aforementioned problems are overcome by fabric-type light boxes which incorporate a rigid light diffuser panel made of plastic; for example, Plexiglas. However, such fabric-type light boxes tend to be very expensive.
Rigid-type light boxes are generally made out of aluminum or a rigid plastic material such as fiberglass and have a rigid plastic light diffuser panel. Such light boxes have more uniform and even dimensions and tend to produce more evenly distributed and directed light than fabric-type light boxes.
However, the rigid-type light boxes are not collapsible and are substantially heavier than fabric-type light boxes. Since they are not collapsible such rigid-type light boxes are normally quite bulky and are, therefore, not easily transportable from one location to another. The weight of such rigid-type light boxes also mitigates against their transportability. Further, such rigid-type light boxes take up studio space when not in use. Being of heavier construction than fabric-type boxes, using more costly materials and requiring considerably more labor in their fabrication, such rigid light boxes also are quite costly and even more expensive than their fabric counterparts.