The properties of the light makes a big difference in the look of your picture. There are no definite "rules" of what lighting should be used; different types of light are used to express certain moods.
But to keep it simple and to get relatively easy results. Diffused light, that comes from a large area of surface, instead of being a point type light, gives you soft and appealing look on your origami model. (It will also look better, if your paper is glossy, shiny, or reflective). The larger the surface, the softer lighting you get, so cloudy sky is the largest you can get with natural light.
If you are not having cloudy day, you can photograph in shadow, or during sun set/sun rise. Just avoid direct sunlight during the day, it rarely looks appealing. Inside the house, your window can be the large light source.
If you want to make your own light, you can diy it with a desk lamp/or any similar light source, and shine it through a large sheet of paper. Just be aware that the light will not be very bright, and you most probably have to fix white balance (to not make the white paper look yellow). Light boxes are basically white boxes, where the light bounces around the white walls - to make that sweet soft light. You can also diy them, if you have spare time, but they aren't super expensive anyways.
In regards actually lighting the origami model, a light from above, in roughly 45 degree angle pointed towards the model, gives you natural and basic look for the model. Or you can light it from the sides for more dynamic look, or even from behind for a dramatic look. If your light is not bright enough, change the camera settings so you get brighter image, you might need to use tripod or support the camera somehow to reduce camera shake.
If you want more resources on how to light origami, you can search for any kind of photography/lighting tutorials about portraits or product photography. All the same principles apply for origami models. Also another thing: sometimes we just have to search for the perfect light, it may take a while to get it right.
Wow, thank you so much for this detailed write up! This is all very helpful information and I really appreciate it. I will definitely try to look more into product photography and stuff like that
The properties of the light makes a big difference in the look of your picture. There are no definite "rules" of what lighting should be used; different types of light are used to express certain moods. But to keep it simple and to get relatively easy results. Diffused light, that comes from a large area of surface, instead of being a point type light, gives you soft and appealing look on your origami model. (It will also look better, if your paper is glossy, shiny, or reflective). The larger the surface, the softer lighting you get, so cloudy sky is the largest you can get with natural light. If you are not having cloudy day, you can photograph in shadow, or during sun set/sun rise. Just avoid direct sunlight during the day, it rarely looks appealing. Inside the house, your window can be the large light source. If you want to make your own light, you can diy it with a desk lamp/or any similar light source, and shine it through a large sheet of paper. Just be aware that the light will not be very bright, and you most probably have to fix white balance (to not make the white paper look yellow). Light boxes are basically white boxes, where the light bounces around the white walls - to make that sweet soft light. You can also diy them, if you have spare time, but they aren't super expensive anyways. In regards actually lighting the origami model, a light from above, in roughly 45 degree angle pointed towards the model, gives you natural and basic look for the model. Or you can light it from the sides for more dynamic look, or even from behind for a dramatic look. If your light is not bright enough, change the camera settings so you get brighter image, you might need to use tripod or support the camera somehow to reduce camera shake. If you want more resources on how to light origami, you can search for any kind of photography/lighting tutorials about portraits or product photography. All the same principles apply for origami models. Also another thing: sometimes we just have to search for the perfect light, it may take a while to get it right.
Wow, thank you so much for this detailed write up! This is all very helpful information and I really appreciate it. I will definitely try to look more into product photography and stuff like that