Boxing cleverer

Boxing cleverer

Last year, I spent some money on having a model box designed and built. I’ve seen them around in various places, containing a variety of models both large and small. The challenge was to decide just how big it should be, and then to find a way to make it so that it could be taken apart and transported in a car. This wasn’t actually a simple as I’d assumed: even a large estate car can’t swallow a 4-foot cube.

Construction materials were difficult as well: the obvious thing is to use MDF, but this would be both heavy and relatively fragile. In the end the friend who made it for me used a lightweight plywood, and constructed it with such precision that the four sides are entirely interchangeable, and the back fits on in any orientation. The box isn’t actually a cube, and it is less deep and it is wide and high. Partly, the depth isn’t necessary: but mainly this allows the sides to fit into the car. The back is in two pieces which push together using locating dowels.



Very unfortunately, I had the box made late last summer, which meant that I used it once before the winter of lockdown. I’ve now used it twice on successive days in different places, and I’m finding that the designer’s assertion that you can assemble it in 20 minutes is right, and that taking it apart is equally quick.

Would I do anything different if I was doing it again? Maybe it would be a little bit smaller, but I know several rather tall models and I didn’t want to cramp the style. I might also do some market research to see if my idea of hiring it out to studios is viable. (Though I still want to try this once I’ve used it a few times. My idea is that I would leave it at a studio, and they would make it available to their customers at a fixed charge per session. When I was thinking about having a box built I found one studio but already had one, and they charged £50.00 for using it, which I thought was excessive. £10.00 to £20.00 seems much more reasonable and realistic.)



A few practicalities. Unless you use exceptionally good and well-corrected lenses, expect some bowing, even with a box that doesn’t bend at all. And if your camera position isn’t perfectly central, you may need to play with perspective and the warp tool. I find lightening shadows tends to improve the images, even if the shadows don’t actually need lighting. There’s a lot to experiment with yet!

All thoughts welcome. Images of Amber Belle at mistere’s pop-up studio, Bobby Castle courtesy of another Dave, and Zenith at her own studio space.