One thing about photography is that from time to time you have creative dry spells and you need some inspiration to keep you going. One place I love to go to when I have my dry spells, or just need some inspiration, is rught here – DIYP, and lucky for me after a while I became a writer here, so… what a coincidence. I had just made my Kick Ass 4 Feet Ringlight and got the DIY itch to create something else. Looking around the blog, I stumbled on this article about beauty florecent lighting.
It “only” took me 3 months of thinking and planning and jut wondering about if I was going to build it. Until I just did.
How To
I am not really an expert on wiring and electronic and stuff so these two articles have more detailed stuff on how to do the electronic and wiring tutorial so feel free to visit them.
For the frame of the lights, I used a clothes rack with wheels so I can push my lights wherever I want it.
I added some extra support for the lights using PVC pipes and T-connectors.
The T-connectors were used both to add better framing to the rack (both above and below the tubes) and to extend the framing where the tubes were longer than the rack.
To mount the lights to the frame I used hose clamps and some electric tape.
I know it doesn’t look pretty (and I have to admit that it does look a bit dangerous), but there are some things in life that doesn’t have to look good, they just has to work! :p
Here is the first test of the diyringlight using an iPhone:
Setup
For these sets, I used my DIY flourescent tube light thingy for the mainlight, and an sb-600 on the background. I also used a smoke machine for the smoke.
Final Shots
Model: Cyen Lazam
Model: Mitch Zialcita
The Ultimate Selfie
great job! thanks for showing how to do it.
I LOVE the color and quality of the light– I’m just not crazy about the oddly-shaped catchlights. Awesome project, though.
i agree
Same here. Looks like they have tried to curve the tubes in post.
No curving in post, the eye is a sphere so it curves the reflection…
The squarish catch light doesn’t work for me either. They do make curved tubes, or you could use multiple shorter tubes to form a more pleasing ring.
It’s really a love and hate relationship when it comes to this kind of catchlights :) Thanks for the comment ;)
I think the catch lights would look better if the tubes wouldn’t cross each other. I don’t mind the squareness.
Just put gaffers tape over the sections of the bulbs that cross over to get a perfect square, just like they do with neon lights. =)
Ultimate Selfie!!!!
Love it!! Was the flash pointed towards the background or towards the photographer? I’m always looking for DIY’s for photography!