Eight ways to use a garbage bag in your photo and video shoots

A plastic bag is one of those things that are always handy to have in your gear bag. In this video, Dave Knop a.k.a. Knoptop shows you eight ways a simple garbage bag can make your life easier. So, here are the “trashy” shooting hacks for shooting photos of videos.

1. Window light diffuser

If there’s a harsh sunlight coming through a window, you can use a white garbage bag to diffuse the light. Just throw it over a window and attach it with some Scotch tape, and voila.

2. Reflector

Again, you’ll need a white garbage bag for this “trashy” hack. You can use it as a reflector to fill in the shadows on your subject’s face. It does the trick.

3. Ground protector

If the ground is wet or dirty and you need to lay your gear down – a plastic bag comes to the rescue. Just put it on the ground first and then you can safely lay your gear on top of it.

4. Rain protection

In case of a sudden rain, it’s always good to have a plastic bag. You can wrap it around your camera and lens and keep shooting. Or you can wrap it around the entire bag and run for cover, like I did here:

5. Rain foley sounds

Who would have thought: you can make a sound of rain with a plastic bag. And it sounds pretty decent!

6. White balance

If you don’t have a grey card but have a white trash bag, it can help you tune white balance properly.

7. Sandbag

If you need a sandbag, you can fill up a trash bag with sand or rocks. And in a matter of seconds, you’ll have a DIY sandbag to use in the field.

8. China ball

Blow a white garbage bag and mount it over LED lights. And you’ve got yourself a DIY Chine ball (sort of). Just remember not to use it with hot studio lights, because it will melt.

Bonus tip:

If your garbage bag has a drawstring in it, you can pull it out and use it as a marker when you’re out in the field. use it when you’re doing location scouting or if you need to mark important things like low branches, tripod or production gear.

Personally, I always have a plastic bag around, and it’s definitely one of those things you can find handy in plenty of ways. How about you? Do you always have one in your gear bag? And are there any tricks you’d like to share?

[8 Trashy Filmmaking HACKS! via No Film School]