DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Make your own DIY diffusion filter for $15 or less

Dec 3, 2020 by Dunja Djudjic 9 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

If you like the soft, dreamy look of a diffusion filter, Josh Zaring has come up with a great idea of how to make your own. It’s one of those ideas that make you think “why didn’t I think of that?” He made his DIY diffusion filter from the stuff that he already had. You can do the same, but even if you don’t have the ingredients, you’ll only need around $15.

Josh wanted to create something that would give him a look of his Tiffen Black Pro Mist ¼ filter. However, he wanted to achieve a more “organic” look, with heavier and completely random particles. He wanted to get the look that resembles a dirty, vintage lens.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Two of the cheapest, most generic UV filters you can find (and probably already have)
  • Hairspray
  • Fine glitter, sawdust, sand, dirt… Go crazy!

Josh had two cheap UV filters that came with some photo kits he bought before. You can get a 58mm filter for $7.5, something like this one. He started by spraying hairspray into the air and put one of the filters (outside up) into the falling mist. This way, he didn’t get too much of the hairspray on the filter. “The end result was pretty uniform and most importantly, random,” he tells DIYP.

“Before the hairspray dried, I sprinkled a very tiny pinch of fine silver glitter onto the filter,” Josh explains further. “This was in hopes of random light flares when pointed directly at a light source, but doubles as simulating particles trapped between lens elements.”

Of course, you wouldn’t want glitter, sand, or dirt anywhere near your gear bag, right? This is why you need two UV filters.  When you’re done with the hairspray and particles, simply trap them with another UV filter. And your DIY diffusion filter is ready to rock.

One of the beauties of this DIY filter is that you can remake it over and over again. And each time you’ll get a one of a kind filter, with different effects that can go from moderate to heavy. “The end result is a definite vintage look with soft focus, blooming/halation, and completely random specs of beauty. The first filter like this I made, I went a little heavy on the hairspray and it looked like a fogger was everywhere I took photos/video. Nice and hazy,” josh tells us. “Unlike your other filters, fingerprints and more dirt are welcome,” he concludes.

Take a look at more photos below to see how it turned out for Josh. You can find more of his work on his website, Instagram, and YouTube.

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Easily Make Your Own Diffusion Panels For Less Than $30 $7 DIY Diffusion Hack And Bonus Color Grading Tutorial All In Less Than 10 Minutes This diffusion panel provides different levels of diffusion with a turn of a knob Make your own DIY diffusion panels for still life photography

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: cheap diy, cheap DIY project, diffusion filter, DIY, DIY diffusion filter, Josh Zaring

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.net

About Dunja Djudjic

Dunja 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.

« People’s Choice Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award wants you to pick the winner
Here is the most detailed 3D map of the Milky Way to date »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Here’s a bullet time video booth you can build yourself
  • Ricoh has discontinued the HD PENTAX-DA 21mm F3.2AL Limited silver lens
  • This “stellar flower” unravels the twilight’s evolution in 360 degrees
  • Strobes vs Continuous LEDs – Which is right for you?
  • Wave goodbye to Apple’s My Photo Stream next month

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.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy