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How to make your own medium format camera from scratch with a piece of PVC pipe

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Pinhole cameras are about as old as photography gets. They’re such a simple and basic concept that’s withstood the test of time and are still very popular today. While many modern photographers opt to get a pinhole body cap for their DSLR or mirrorless, it’s easy enough to make your own. In fact, there are many different ways to make one.

I’ve been following YouTuber Joe Van Cleave for a while now. And in between the typewriter and office supply videos, he puts out some great analogue photography content. Some of it covers photographic technique, sometimes it’s a new camera he’s just bought, and occasionally it’s something he’s built himself. And that’s what he’s done here, with these medium format PVC pipe pinhole cameras.

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The most important tip for shooting through a window

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Last year I scored a really amazing gig. I had a two-week shoot for a tour company in the Canadian Rockies creating promotional content for their boutique medical conference. One of the best things about that gig was the chance to shoot some stunning sites out in the Banff National Park.

I wanted to try out my skills at nightscapes in some of the most stunning parts of the world to shoot them. The challenge though was that I had to be shooting the whole day from about 7am till 10pm or 11pm most nights.Then I would get back to my hotel room and have to back up cards, charge batteries and get everything ready for the next day. Needless to say, I didn’t have that much energy left to stay up all night shooting the stars most nights. But I wasn’t going to be deterred by a little thing like no energy! Instead, I tried to shoot out of the window of my hotel room.

This of course lead to some technical challenges and, if I do say so myself, some McGyver-like solutions.

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The Dobot Mooz is a 3D printer, laser engraver and CNC milling machine

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Recently, I’ve been researching 3D printers while considering how one might make my photographic & video life easier. In my search, I discovered that our friends at Dobot were just about to release a new 3D printer, the Dobot Mooz. What intrigued me abouyt it was that it’s not just a 3D printer, but also a laser engraver and CNC milling machine, thanks to interchangeable heads. It’s also modular so you can configure it several different ways.

When I found out that Dobot were going to be attending the BETT Show in London recently and bringing the Mooz with them, I had to go and see it for myself. So, I went to go have a chat with the folks from Dobot, and then tell you guys a bit more about it.

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These five simple and cheap tricks will make your smartphone videos more interesting

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If you have a good story in your mind, only a smartphone can be enough to turn the story into a movie. But if you’d like to spice up your smartphone videos a bit, Jordy Vandeput from Cinecom.net will show you how. In this video, he shares five cheap and simple DIY tricks for shooting with a smartphone. They will give your videos interesting transitions, effects, and even correct color balance, using only stuff you have at home.

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Make your own DIY microphone shock mount “blimp” using cheap flexible gear ties

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Shock mounts are the best friend you can have for a boom mic. They eliminate all kinds of vibration and handling noise from your audio recording. Some microphones come with one, but you’ll often have to buy your own separately. Or, you can do like DIYCameraGuy, Michael Lohrum, and make your own using flexible gear ties. And in this video, he shows us how to make one.

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Four DIY lighting setups to help lighting a scene for under $150

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Along with buying camera gear, investing in lighting can cost you a lot of money. If you’re just starting out, it can all be a bit too much for your budget to handle. Jay P. Morgan has some budget DIY solutions for creating 3-point lighting setups. He suggests four setups that you can construct yourself on the cheap. Nothing should cost you more than $150.

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Make your own DIY kaleidoscopic lens filter for only $20

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The kaleidoscopic effect can look mesmerizing in photos and videos. I tried achieving something like that with a prism, but photographer and videographer Travis Owens has a more clever suggestion. He has made his own kaleidoscope filter for only $20 (and it can get even cheaper). Aside from being affordable, it’s easy to make, and the effect is pretty interesting. Take a look.

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Upgrading a simple DIY PVC camera dolly with a motor and big wheels

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Anybody who shoots video or timelapse knows that the key to getting great shots often involves camera movement. This is why sliders and dollies are so popular. Almost every timelapse shooter or filmmaker I know owns one. Of course, they’re not cheap. So lots of people have come up with ingenious ways to build their own. Including one from way back in 2011 by Frugal Filmmaker that costs less than $20.

For Eric Strebel, though, while it worked great, he wanted more. So, he upgraded the one he made to add a motor. The problem is, it’s too fast. So now he’s upgraded it again to turn it into a motorised Hot Rod table dolly. The construction extends Frugal Filmmaker’s original design quite nicely. It’s a fairly simple modification, but you may need to use a few more tools.

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How To Look Good On A Webcam or Vlog

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If you’re a creative professional, chances are that you use a webcam for business.

Whether it’s a client video conference, screen capture tutorial or your vlog, how you look on your webcam reflects how your business is presented to the world.

So, have you noticed that almost everyone looks terrible on their webcam?

Well, in this article I will give you a few tips to look good on a webcam or vlog.

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