A couple of notes regarding how to setup the lightboxes:
1. Set them as close together as possible on your shooting table. You're trying to replicate a fog bank with soft all encompassing light. You want the lightboxes just out of the camera frame. The beauty of these lightboxes is that you can adjust the size of the set according to what you're shooting. If it's a small bead, move the lightboxes in close. If it's a larger necklace, move the lightboxes out accordingly so they are just outside the camera frame.
2. Fill in all the areas around the lightboxes, including the front, back and top gaps with white reflector cards. I use 11x17" white card stock for the larger gaps and 8.5 x 11" for the smaller gaps. I get the card stock from the paper store. You can also use foamcore, gatorfoam, white mount or mat boards. The idea is to completely surround the piece being photographed with the lightboxes and reflectors.
Here are two photos showing the effect of shooting with and without reflector cards. I've included a shot of the set to show how the reflector cards are sitting on the top of the lightboxes and in front of the tripod. They're also at the back, they just don't show in the setup shot. I've left a small opening for the lens to look through to the shooting surface.
Marble by Mike Hurst,
https://www.facebook.com/mike.hurst.125?fref=ts
