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DIY – Studio Equipment: Greenscreens and Backdrop Stands

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This 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

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It 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

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Rob 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

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See 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

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How 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

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This 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…]

The Sigma EF-500 flash – Light duration vs. output power

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The measurements in the below table help to illustrate the amount of time that the flash is emitting light in each of its various power setting. This time is crucial when taking high speed photos.

Measurements were done with a Photo-diode, oscilloscope set to 50ohm.

 

1/1 Output power

1/2 Output power light_duration_vs_output_power_ef500-2
1/4 Output power light_duration_vs_output_power_ef500-4
1/8 Output power light_duration_vs_output_power_ef500-8
1/16 Output power light_duration_vs_output_power_ef500-16
1/32 Output power light_duration_vs_output_power_ef500-32
1/64 Output power light_duration_vs_output_power_ef500-64
1/128 Output power light_duration_vs_output_power_ef500-128

 

contributed by Karsten Stroemvig (aka Lullaby)

DIY – Release Cable for Canon DSLRs

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This is a very simple diagram and instructions for building a shutter release cable for a canon DSLR.

Cable release is that thingamajig you use when you want to activate your camera, but you do not want to touch it. Why would you want t do this? I can think of two reasons: 1 – you do not want to move the camera by pressing the shutter release button. And 2 – you need to stand away from the camera. Compared with Cannon’s RS60 E3 this is a real nice deal.[Read More…]

Take Infrared (IR) Pictures With Your Digital Camera

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In this article, I will show you how to make a cheap infrared (IR) filter for your digital camera out of bits and pieces such as cardboard rolls, electrical tape, and some black processed photographic film (old negatives). This is just getting a brand new Hoya R72 IR filter for free.

The idea for this project came while researching IR light. When I discovered unexposed processed film made an effective IR filter, I literally had to put my house upside down to fish out some old negatives. Sadly, I also destroyed the zoom motor on my trusty Canon A60 by making a case that was too tight. You will see I have included several warnings here to prevent you from making the same mistake! I am now the proud (and poorer) owner of a brilliant Canon A710…[Read More…]

It’s raining DIY Beauty Dishes

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Following my post on home made beauty dishes, I got mails with tons of follow up to this beauty dish. Heck, most were much better then my original idea (and no, I am not sure they even saw my post before making their own beauty dishes). Some did better construction, some did better finish, some gave better explanations, and some just did the same, but cooler.[Read More…]

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