The Same Set Built 10 Different Ways

Blog by Jada Parrish | Article | 01/23/25

Learning to build your own photo sets is a game changer—and it doesn't have to be super complicated! Once you learn the basics, there’s no limit to what you can create.

But you have to start small before you go big. You have to start somewhere.

That’s why we created a set-building course where David teaches you how to build your own mini box set from start to finish. Once you master the mini set, you can scale up the design and build the same set at any size.

Learning to build sets adds so much value:

It helps you stand out in a crowded photography market.
It elevates your production value so you can charge more for your shoots.
Once you learn the basics, you can create anything.

The set that David teaches you to build is so versatile. In fact, we’ve built this same set over and over again for both our client projects and personal work.

There is so much value packed into this course because once you know the basics, you can get so creative with your builds. You can add slight variations to this design to create sets that look and feel totally different, but at their core, they’re really just this tiny box set design.

The photos say it all—so here are 10 different versions of the same set design. We’ve really built this set over and over again. If you look closely, you’ll see it’s all the same set.

Use the code IGSET for $75 off our set-building course!

We’ve used this set countless times for product photography. Its size is perfect, and it can be painted any color, allowing you to match the set to whatever you’re photographing.

The Same Set Built 10 Different Ways - Jada And David Parrish

We modified this version of the set by making it slightly larger and using a curtain as the backdrop instead of a back wall. We also didn’t cut a hole for the light source because we didn’t need as much downlight for this shoot.

The Same Set Built 10 Different Ways - Jada And David Parrish

This is the EXACT set David teaches you to build in the course. It’s literally the one he built while filming the course. He just modified it slightly by cutting a circular hole in the floor for someone to pop out of.

The Same Set Built 10 Different Ways - Jada And David Parrish

We scaled up the measurements significantly for these shoots and used 4 ft x 8 ft walls to create the set. But it’s just a blown-up version of the mini box set.

We got a little more stylized with this shoot. We scaled up the measurements of the box slightly so that someone could sit inside it. We added a window, trim work, and framed out the light source to make it feel more like a room—but it’s the exact same design as the set you learn to build in our course.

We played with lighting and texture in this shoot. We took the box set design, scaled it up, added a curtain backdrop, and used a spotlight to make the box feel more like a stage.

We went super minimal with this build. We scaled up the measurements to create a 6 ft x 6 ft x 6 ft set and painted everything bright white.

The Same Set Built 10 Different Ways - Jada And David Parrish

This is the exact same set as the one above. We just went wild with paint to create a completely different aesthetic.

The Same Set Built 10 Different Ways - Jada And David Parrish

With this build, we got a little more creative. We took the mini box design, scaled it up, and added paneling to create texture.

This set is just a slightly larger version of the one you build in the course. We simply used a shag fabric for the floor instead of wood.

Like I said before, this set design is so versatile. Once you learn the basics, you can get creative and build so many different versions of the same set! Use the code IGSET for $75 off!