I have always wanted to DIY my own triflector, but the problem was I didn’t even know where to start or what material to use.
You’re probably asking why I would want a triflector? Because it produces the most stunningly beautiful glamour light. Now, Lastolite does sell one of those, but they are around $330 with frame panels and all. I wanted it cheaper and I wanted it faster.
Before I started photography around 6 years ago I was studying classical guitar in the top university here in the Philippines so I remembered that I had a music stand lying around from my music days. It was a perfect starting point for my DIY triflector, and they are only about $15. So here is a quick step by step tutorial on how I built a DIY music stand triflector.
What you will need:
- Music Stand
- Foam Board
- Double sided velcro
- Foil (I used foil gift wrapping paper)
- flat curtain rod (optional)
Total should probably be around 30-40 USD + a few hours of your time.
Step 1:
I started with the base which is my music stand (7 years old and it is now recycled into a better life). The music stand had a curved bottom where you can place your books or papers so I clamped that part and bent the steel to become straight.
Step 2:
The music stand did have some nice side arms but the problem was it was too short to hold the left and right flap of the triflector. So I used the flat curtain rod as an extension for the arms.
I cut the curtain rods into 4 pieces and bent it so they can act as the triflector arms. I used pliers to tighten the curtain rods into the arms of the music stand.
Step 3:
I chose to use foam boards as my actual reflectors because they were lighter than my usual illustration boards DIY’s. Using a cutter, I cut the board into the sizes I wanted.
Step 4:
For mounting the boards to the music stand I used double stick velcro. I only needed to use a small amount because it was enough to hold the light weight of the board.
Step 5:
I wanted a white side and a reflective side, so I double sticked the silver foil gift wrapping to one side and left the other side plain white.
When I want the white part, I just turn the boards to the other side.
Test:
(Because I didn’t have a model or my girlfriend today, you’re stuck with me for the test)
So that’s it. A quick 2 sided DIY music stand triflector. All in all it took about around 3 hours to make (breaks in between) and about $29.
- music stand (free but around $15if you buy one)
- velcro tape $3
- gift wrapping $5
- flat curtain rod $6
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