Write an article based on this "Measure the sides of your softbox light to determine your base. Cut 4 panels out of a large sheet of cardboard using a utility knife. Trace the panels on sheets of aluminum foil and cut them out. Glue the foil sheets on to the cardboard panels with a glue stick. Use a glue gun to fix your 4 panels together along the edges. Tape the edges that you glued with duct tape. Cut out 4 smaller, cardboard rectangles to make the gate for your light. Attach your gates to the small opening at the end with hot glue. Place Velcro strips along the inside of your gate and outside of your camera. Measure the big opening on the front of the box and cut out a white shower curtain. Cut and glue a 2 in (5.1 cm) lip to the edges of your opening. Tape the edges of your shower curtain and clip them to the light."
A softbox reduces the harshness of strong lights to create a more even range of shadows and highlights. To build a softbox, start by measuring the height, width, and depth of your light to determine how big you need to make the bases of each side of your box. If you’re using a clamp light, measure the horizontal head on the tripod that you’re attaching the softbox to. The measurements of your light’s edges will determine how long you make the base of your panels. Cut each side of your panels at an angle away from the center of a sheet of cardboard to make 4 isosceles trapezoids. Make the smallest base of each panel 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) bigger than your tripod’s horizontal attachment. Cut each side of your panel so that it is 16–24 inches (41–61 cm), depending on the size of your light.  If you’re using a larger clamp light, make the sides of your panels a little bigger. Use the finished end of the cardboard as the longest baseline. This will ensure that your open end is even, and will make attaching the cover easier. Place your pieces in a square on a flat surface with the biggest base facing away from the center. Your panels are sized correctly if the exterior edges are flush. Place a panel on top of a section of aluminum foil so that the foil extends past all 4 sides of the panel. Trace around the panel to transfer the shape on to the foil with a marker, and set the panel aside. Carefully cut out each shape in the aluminum foil with a pair of scissors.  Repeat this step 4 times, once for each panel. You can also choose to use the panels as a straight edge for your utility knife if you don’t feel like drawing the outline. Use a glue stick to cover your cardboard panel in glue. While the glue is still wet, fit your aluminum foil over the shape and smooth it out with the palm of your hand. Do this carefully so that each edge is flush with cardboard panel as you’re applying it.  Make sure that you put the shiny side of the foil facing up! Do this one panel at a time to keep the glue from drying out before you get a chance to attach the foil. Hold a panel so that you’re facing one of the angular sides. Run hot glue along the angular edge and press it against another panel on the corresponding angle. Make sure that your foil is on the inside of each panel before gluing it. Hold each panel in place for 45-60 seconds to give the glue time to dry.  Once you’ve glued your 4 panels together, run another layer of hot glue along the interior edges where the panels meet. You can move your panels a little bit as the glue is drying without breaking it, so don’t worry about making your softbox sides perfectly symmetrical. You can fix any minor problems by slightly bending the panels towards their correct position before adding the extra layer of glue at the end. Run long strips of duct tape along the outside of the sides where you glued them. The duct tape will reinforce your structure and prevent the hot glue from melting through the outside of your softbox if it gets too hot under the light.  Use black tape if you want to make your softbox look more professional. You really only need to worry about the glue melting from the light’s heat if you’re using a clamp light for an extended period of time. You’re going to use Velcro to affix the exterior sides of the light to the interior edges of your gate. Measure the sides of your light to determine how big you need to make your rectangles. Cut out the cardboard rectangles to form the gate of your softbox. If you’re using a clamp light, match the sides of the gate to the edges of your tripod. Use hot glue to place each piece so that they extend out from your softbox and form a rectangle around the small opening. Use lots of hot glue and wait at least 20-30 minutes after each application to ensure that the glue has time to dry. Use duct tape to reinforce the glue by placing it around the exterior sides. You are going to attach your light to the softbox by using Velcro, so place your Velcro strips along the inside edges of your gate. Then, place corresponding Velcro strips along the exterior sides of your light. Test the attachment by lifting your light up and seeing how it fits. Measure each side of the opening in the front of your box with a measuring tape. Transfer the measurements on to a clean, white, plastic shower curtain, adding 1 inch (2.5 cm) to each side. Use scissors to carefully cut out the outline. The shower curtain has to be white, and it has to be plastic. Any other material or color will turn your softbox into a simple light stand. Using the measurements from the previous step, cut out strips of cardboard that are 2 inches wide, with the length for each strip matching each side of your opening. Glue the strips perpendicular to your light’s edges to form a lip. Fold tape lengthwise across each edge of your shower curtain to prevent it from tearing at the edge over time. Hold it up to your softbox and use binder clips to attach each side of the curtain to the lip of your light. Fit the curtain so that it lays flush along each edge.