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Five Poorman’s Lighting Mods When Pro Lighting Gear Is Just Too Expensive

Nov 9, 2009 by Udi Tirosh Add Comment

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In this post you will find a collection of really (and I mean really) cheap alternatives to pro lighting.

Will you get the same crisp results that you get with pro gear? Probably just an approximation. On the other hand none of those mods cost more than a nickel and a dime, so it is well worth the try.

1. Foamy / Beauty Dish

Poor Man's Beauty Dish (by Brannon E.)

This is by far one of my favorites in the super cheapo category. A beauty dish give out beautiful light that is perfectly balanced between hard and soft light. They are perfect for portraiture and create very unique and distinct look.

This specific beauty dish is made out with nothing more than a bit of foamy paper and some Velcro. Does is give the same great light of a 200$ plus beauty dish? No. Does it get darn close? Yes!

See full instructions by Brannon Estis here. 

2. Barf Bags / Flash Diffuser Fong Style

DIY Flash Diffuser – Airline Barf Bags

It is a known fact that the bigger your light source is, the softer your light is. Garry fong made a small fortune out of making the LightSphere – a plastic enhancement that goes over your flash.

Luckily, a very similar effect can be achieved with a simple barf bag. Just remember you can use it for wither lighting or its original use – not both.

See full instructions by Matthew G. Monroe here.

3. Lightstand Box / StripLlight

The DIY Strip Light

A strip light is a lighting modifier very similar to a softbox. The main difference is that is it is long and narrow. It is great for side light, kickers and bottom lighting.

As with most softboxes it is not a cheap mod to buy. Luckily (like any other softbox), a strip light can be made with nothing more than a box.

See full instructions and sample images by Nick Wheeler here.

4. Gaffer’s Tape / Lightstand

setup2 (by phocussionist)

This is a nice little hack that requires nothing more than a bit of Gaffer’s tape. (Other tape might be used though nothing sticks like Gaffer’s tape and still leaves a clean wall).

It is quite strong and done right, it will hold your flash pretty securely. So if there is a wall nearby you can kiss that lightstand goodbye.

See the original image and a kick a– image taken with this hack by Kris Marsh here.

5. Pizza/ Ringflash

DIY Studio - The Square Ring Flash

Who said a Ringflash has to be round? Yea, sure, they call it a ring, but this ringlight which is made out of a pizza box is challenging this convention.

The light that is coming from a ring flash is cannot be mistaken because of the great halo it creates (and because many other reasons too).

See how to make your own Pizza box square ring light in a tutorial by Nick Wheeler here.

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Filed Under: DIY, Tutorials Tagged With: DIY Photography & Studio, flash

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.net

About Udi Tirosh

Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

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Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

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