Like many photographers, I've been trawling through Amazon trying to track down the best Prime Day camera deals. Maybe I'll spot a discount on a lens I've been coveting, or a good deal on a terminally overpriced CFexpress card. (Actually, I found an amazing deal on a camera I've always wanted.)
Instead, what I've found is the dumbest photography product I've ever seen during Prime Day: a dog light box. I mean, just look at it.
I have so many questions.
1) A product shot of a dog? Who the hell wants a photo of their dog like this? Is it aimed at people whose ecommerce business is selling puppies?
2) Okay, let's say for a second that somebody does want a sterile photo of a dog in a soulless white void. Maybe for some sort of doggy outfit business. But what the heck is this multi-angle shooting all about? Why does anyone need a top-down photo of a dog? I don't think I've ever even seen a photo taken from that angle, such is its uselessness.
3) Am I the only one who can't see most dogs sitting put in this thing? Maybe long enough to produce a puddle or a pile, but probably not to take a picture.
4) Why advertise the five colored backgrounds as "not reflective" when there is clearly a reflection on them in the illustrative image?
Obviously this light box is, in all actuality, supposed to be used for photographing inanimate objects rather than dogs. I get it. But the idea to market it with a dog inside as if to suggest that it's some sort of pet photography starter kit is just really bizarre. Although I guess it worked, because here we are. What can I say – I'm a sucker for a Shiba Inu.
If you disagree, and think that this is actually the best thing you've seen on Prime Day, you can buy a Takerers 32x32 Photo Studio Light Box with 3x LED panels for $94.99 (down from $119.99). Or you can make your own for virtually nothing, using stuff around your home, like I did in this (very old!) video:
You might be interested in the best light tents for photography, though we still wouldn't use them to take pictures of your dog. For that, you could take a different tack with the best pet cameras.
