Many of us are in self-isolation or quarantine right now, and it requires a lot of self-discipline. You may have extra time on your hand and you need to spend it at home. If you ask me, it’s not easy at all, especially if you live alone. Starting a DIY project will help you fulfill your time, divert your thoughts, and make something new for your photography. A perfect combo.
So, in this article I bring you some suggestions for DIY projects. I chose ten of them and focused on those that require mainly the stuff you already have. This way, you don’t have to leave home to get the parts and you can start building right now.
1.DIY sunstar overlays – These DIY sunstar overlays are simple to make and they allow you to capture sunstars in-camera. Making them requires virtually no budget, and you can start right away.
2. Pringles can extension tube – If you wanna experiment with some macro photography, you can make an extension tube yourself. All you need is an empty can of Pringles, some duct tape and a knife. And a lens, of course. I’m sure you have all this at home.
3. Large prints from flour, water, and paper – This is one of my favorite DIY projects I ran into since I started working for DIYP. I’ve been planning to do it for a while, now could actually be the right time. It requires nothing but a little bit of flour and water, some paper and a laser printer, and you can make a cool large print of your favorite photo.
4. Experimenting with photogrammetry at home – Here’s another project that you can start right away. For me it would be something completely new, and those of you who have already done it, you can find some ideas in this article.
5. Portable product photography booth – This booth is something that you can build right now and then use it to experiment with product photography at home. You may not have foamcore at home (I know I don’t at the moment), but it can easily be ordered online.
6. DIY bokeh background #1 – I know, I know, most of us have already took down the Christmas garlands and stored them for the next season. But desperate times call for desperate measures. You can unpack them and create a gorgeous bokeh background. Use it for portraits if you live with someone, but if you live alone like me, then self-portraits or product photography could also work with this setup.
7. DIY bokeh background #2 – Crumpled tinfoil also works as a backdrop. Add in some colored lights and you’ll get beautiful bokeh for portraits or products. I recently made it and took some shots of this carnation I got from my cousin Lena.
8. Alternative film developers – Film photographers, if you have your own darkroom, now’s your chance to experiment in it. Try making a developer from peppermint, green tea, or beer.
9. Garbage can light box – This is still one of my favorite solutions for making a light box. I tried it and it works like a charm for photographing small items! If you don’t have a white garbage can, I believe it can also easily be ordered online.
My very grown up piece of jewelry photographed inside the “trash can light box”
10. Filmmaking gear from stuff you have at home – if filmmaking is more of your thing, you can turn ten household items into filmmaking gear (blankets, towels, socks and so on). Many of this work for photography as well, so make sure to check them out even if shooting videos isn’t really your thing.
I hope that you’ll start making one or more of these projects and have fun while doing it. The current global situation is not fun at all, but overthinking it won’t get us anywhere. So, just stay at home and do what you can to keep you amused, productive and creative. And if you need some more ideas, inspiration and resources, you’ll find them in this article.
So, are you gonna make one of these DIY projects? Which one?
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