Longer exposures, higher f-stops and a tripod can go a long way to exploiting your camera. All cameras, even on cell phones have manual controls with manual focus and aperture control. The automatic settings work well enough as long as the sensors have plenty of light to accurately focus and set exposure. When you don't have ideal conditions you compensate and this is where knowing your camera helps. Knowing how to get around what the camera wants to do and what you need the camera to do. When you know your camera you know how to fool it.
A Lightbox is just another tool but one that does come in handy, it's great when you have complete control over the lighting, I use reflectors to bounce light behind the subject to light up the back and foregrounds. Learning to control the light will give you the best results, I carry several LED lights to help the camera focus on poorly lit subjects and then force a flash but diffuse it so as to not overexpose the subject.
Sometimes some post production editing is all that's needed.
and you're always welcome to ask me questions, what I don't know I'll learn and what I can't answer myself I'll find an answer for you.
