If you were intrigued on about this photo of velcro that we previously featured here on QJ. Wouldn't you want to know how to achieve the same effect? David, over at the Strobist has posted arguably the most inexpensive way on how to set up a macro photo studio.

How inexpensive you ask? If you already have a small flash gear, tracing paper, a cardboard box and posterboard, then zilch. But, even if you don't have some of those materials (excluding the flash of course) you'd probably just shell out $10 at the most.

Now that you have all that you need for this project, let's start by making cuts on the cardboard box.

Make window-like cuts on three sides of the box. It's up to you if you want to leave one side of the box attached for added support, or remove it entirely for flexibility, if you want to shoot an object that is immovable (like a plant still on the ground). Leave two of the flaps on to act as gobo's for light control. Attach the tracing paper over the windows you've cut out and secure them with tape.

This set up can help you achieve the "infinity sweep" effect, for seamless bottom-to-background look, with just a strip of posterboard (black or white). And, if you're going to use two light sources like what he's done on this shot for this radio.

Make sure to adjust the intensity of one of the flashes or by moving one of them farther away. Also if you're worried about reflection and glare, just stick a black posterboard on the side and on top, to eliminate it.

Beautiful photographs need not to be expensive. All we have to do is think outside of the box.

Ever since George de Mestral invented Velcro in 1948, the hook-and-loop fastening system has been in constant use. It's easy to use, it doesn't pose any danger to the user, it's relatively maintenance free, and best of all, it has a long lifespan. (I have some clothes and what-not that have Velcro patches which date back from the early 90s and they still have a lot of hooking power; I'm sure many of you folks do, too.) But such a very useful invention is easy to take for granted. Perhaps looking at Velcro in different light would make you appreciate it even more.

Trazy Anderson's amazing photo (taken with a Nikon SMZ1500 Stereomicroscope) of a Velcro patch at 94x magnification might just do the trick. If you remember in 'Men In Black', Velcro was supposedly alien technology confiscated by the MIB and adapted for use on Earth. Now I know where that idea came from.

Just so you know, this awesome photo placed in the top 30 at the Nikon Small World 2005.