This Article will demonstrate how to build a Lightbox. A Lightbox is something you can use to distribute light when photographing a small object. This is a common solution for studio photography. it is similar to the origami studio, only this time your light source is inside the box.[Read More…]
DIY – Create Your Own Bokeh
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Bokeh is an adaptation from a a Japanese word meaning blur. In photography this term is used to describe the quality of the areas in the picture which are not in focus.
When referring to Bokeh, we can distinguish some of it characteristics:
– Is the light/dark gradient smooth or sharp?
– What shape will a small dot of light take what it is in the Bokeh area? (mirror lenses for example, create a bagel like Bokeh)
We can play with those two variants to create a special Bokeh.
The Origami Studio (An Extrapolation to The $0.02 Macro Studio)
by Leave a CommentThis post on a 2 cents macro studio got me thinking. Firstly because it is a great idea, it employs the same technique as the super simple light tent and the flash diffuser. Secondly it is cheap. So cheap in fact, that it really does only cost two cents. The thing that I was thinking is – “I want a BLT Sub”, and right after “This is great for small objects, what if I want to shoot something bigger? For this I came up with an improvement – The Origami Macro Studio. It is not as cheap – approximately 20 times more expensive – but for 40 cents, it is still a heck f a deal. And as the macro studio, it is cheap, takes 2 minutes to prepare, and very simple.[Read More…]
DIY – Make a Free Light Stand Out of an Old Tripod
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If you need a better way to hold the light you use while taking pictures with the DIY backdrop you just made, or you need a better way to control where light goes for keying out backgrounds in Photoshop, read through this tutorial on how to make a quick and durable (and highly configurable) lightstand out of one of those old, sort-of broken cheap tripods you have sitting in your closet. Even if it’s your main tripod, you should be able to modify it so you can swap it for a lightstand or standard tripod pretty easily.[Read More…]
DIY – Studio Equipment: Greenscreens and Backdrop Stands
by 1 CommentThis article will explain how to design and assemble bluescreens, greenscreens and backdrops for photos and video, as well as how to easily and inexpensively build a portable frame to support these backdrops out of PVC pipe or metal conduit. The ideas are similar to the ones that proposed by Brian Zimmerman, with a nice fresh view and clear explanations. (NOTE: Please be sure to read some of the extra notes at the bottom of this guide for optimal performance).
For amateur or hobbyist photographers and video producers, coming up with the money for a nice, $200 (and up!) backdrop and the expensive stands and hangers required to help support it isn’t very easy. Rather, they need a way to make a nice-looking background that is both good looking and easy to transport.[Read More…]
DIY – The Cheap Yet Shamefull Underwater Camera Housing
by 1 CommentIt is reported that Navy SEALS commonly use two condoms to seal firing assemblies for their underwater explosives, having thus coined the term: “Dual Waterproof Firing Assemblies”. This article is a tribute to their ingenuity, and it expands on the concept of the waterproof condom, in order to make a waterproof housing for my digital camera (and other consumer electronics).
(OK, OK, the original title was “Dual Waterproof Consumer Electronics – the condom housing”)[Read More…]
DIY – The Spiderpod: a modification of Hunter Frerich’s wire tripod
by Leave a CommentRob Rohde-Szudy from duckworksmagazine has a great improvment for the Hunter Frerich’s super duper tripod. Yes! here is another creative way to save some $$$ on your photography equipment.
This is not my idea at all, it came from Hunter Frerich at DIY – Pocket Camera Tripod. It is basically a tripod with stiff wire legs that can wrap around almost anything.[Read More…]
DIY – Universal Sound and Optical Slave Flash Trigger
by 2 CommentsSee this exploding grape picture? it was taken using a method called high-speed-photography. Yup, this is the same image type as those exploding balloons, squashed tomatoes and bullet shots. The idea is to capture a tiny moment in time, so tiny in fact, that you will not see it with your bar eyes. Trying to capture a flying bullet is not trivial, you can read about the general setup here.[Read More…]
DIY – High Speed Photography at Home
by 7 CommentsHow to take photos like the one you are seeing here. It’s a glass of Champaign, being shot with a BB gun. You can use this technique to take picture of exploding things like tomatoes, watter balloons, watermelons, or even you Canon camera as you smash it against a wall for not understanding the menus (Sorry, could not resist…) [Read More…]
DIY – Sound Trigger for the Sigma EF-500 Flash
by Leave a CommentThis article will describe my home made sound trigger electronic kit.
I use this circuit kit to take high speed photos like the nice tomato splash shown here (more about high speed photography setups). This circuit is not complicated and the total cost is low so it is even suitable as your first electronics kit.[Read More…]
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