Support Systems

Super easy hardware store light-backdrop stand

diy_hardware_store_light_stand Tim Boesenkool has sent this awesome idea on how you can make a DIY backdrop stand that reaches all the way to the ceiling, without getting in a fight with your wife.

I have two sturdy light stands but with the work I'm doing it isn't really enough, and I'm tired of propping reflectors on wobbly chairs etc. Because I don't have excess room I needed something with a small footprint as well.

So cruising around the hardware store I discovered a great cheap, no assembly required solution and I have two stands for under 50 bucks. Click to continue ›

The Origami Studio (An Extrapolation to The $0.02 Macro Studio)

cheap origami macro studioThis post on a 2 cents macro studio got me thinking. Firstly because it is a great idea, it employs the same technique as the super simple light tent and the flash diffuser. Secondly it is cheap. So cheap in fact, that it really does only cost two cents. The thing that I was thinking is - "I want a BLT Sub", and right after "This is great for small objects, what if I want to shoot something bigger? For this I came up with an improvement - The Origami Macro Studio. It is not as cheap - approximately 20 times more expensive - but for 40 cents, it is still a heck f a deal. And as the macro studio, it is cheap, takes 2 minutes to prepare, and very simple. Click to continue ›

DIY - Make a Free Light Stand Out of an Old Tripod

diy studio light stand
If you need a better way to hold the light you use while taking pictures with the DIY backdrop you just made, or you need a better way to control where light goes for keying out backgrounds in Photoshop, read through this tutorial on how to make a quick and durable (and highly configurable) lightstand out of one of those old, sort-of broken cheap tripods you have sitting in your closet. Even if it's your main tripod, you should be able to modify it so you can swap it for a lightstand or standard tripod pretty easily. Click to continue ›

DIY - Studio Equipment: Greenscreens and Backdrop Stands

diy studio backdrop / greenscreenThis article will explain how to design and assemble bluescreens, greenscreens and backdrops for photos and video, as well as how to easily and inexpensively build a portable frame to support these backdrops out of PVC pipe or metal conduit. The ideas are similar to the ones that proposed by Brian Zimmerman, with a nice fresh view and clear explanations. (NOTE: Please be sure to read some of the extra notes at the bottom of this guide for optimal performance).

For amateur or hobbyist photographers and video producers, coming up with the money for a nice, $200 (and up!) backdrop and the expensive stands and hangers required to help support it isn't very easy. Rather, they need a way to make a nice-looking background that is both good looking and easy to transport. Click to continue ›