DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

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

 
@diyphotography
Instagram

Submit A Story

Studio Lighting – The Cheapest Ring Light Ever

Share6
Tweet5
+1

October 9, 2007 by Udi Tirosh Leave a Comment

cheapest_ring_lightReader B.Stevens has a cool idea for the cheapest most versatile ring light ever (now we have shown some ringlights before, but not that easy to make). The image on the left is using this ringlight (best viewed large). The idea is quite simple: Take a huge apple monitor. If you can get your hands on a 24 incher, you are on the right track. Tape some patterned paper on the monitor. Bring your 1.8 or 2.8 lens and your 1600ISO low noise camera and you are good to go. HEYTHEREWAITAMINUTE you said cheap. So, let me go through this method step by step and see where you can reduce your costs.

cheapest_ring_light_diagramFirst, let’s take a closer look on how this method works. First you need a big light source, big enough that you can use a big piece of black paper of cardboard on. Sebastian used a 24″ Mac screen, but you can use cheaper light sources one option is to use a softbox, or a diffusion screen. So here is your first cost reduction right here. You can look at the diagram on the left to see how this stuff works. You have the monitor (or GOBOed softbox) on the left, throwing light to the right.

cheapest_ring_light_stripeNext you need to cut a pattern on a black sheet or paper. You can go with the traditional tennis balls in a circle pattern, or try something more artistic like the pattern on the left. This is where the “cheap” part comes into play. The piece of cardboard needed to make this pattern is about 1 Dollar. In fact a pattern like this is also referred to as GOBO. GOBO is photographer lingo for anything that goes between the light source and your subject. (Yes, note the slight “typo” the GOBO does not go botween, but… I did not make it). Here is your second cost reduction: make the pattern with big holes so lots of light can go through, and use a white sheet of paper on the back of the pattern. If you are using a softbox, this will help you save light. (And use lower ISO and slower lens).

The best mod I can think about with this “ringlight” is to use it with a shoot through umbrella. Tape one circle in the middle of the umbrella and wham! Instant ringlight.

One word of warning though: if you are using your monitor for light, make sure you white balance the light well. Those monitors give weird casts.

Related links:
– Ring Light set on flickr
– Cheap softbox
– Diffusion Screen

Share6
Tweet5
+1

Related posts:

A Cheapo Minty Ringlight Strobe – Call to Arms What Can You do With Six Speedlights and a Coffee Can The Best DIY Project Of Them All – Your Project DIY Studio – The Square Ring Flash

Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: DIY Photography & Studio, Ringlight

About Udi Tirosh

Udi Tirosh is the Founder and Editor in Chief of DIYPhotography, he is also a photographer, a relentless entrepreneur, a prolific inventor and a dad, not necessarily in that order

« Studio Lighting – Lighting Diagrams, Planning and Explaining
As Seen In… »

Trending on DIYP

  • Wedding venue catches fire while filming the newlyweds’ first dance
  • The world’s first single shot 8×10 large format digital camera can be yours for a mere $106,000
  • This impossible long take was shot with a tiny drone in a Japanese high school
  • First look at the Pentax K1 Mark II and DFA 50mm f/1.4 lens
  • 2018 Pulitzer Prize winner for photography leaves his job and now works for a brewery

Recent Comments


Previous Polls

Dunja Djudjic is a writer and photographer from Novi Sad, Serbia. You can see her work on Flickr, Behance and her Facebook page.

John Aldred is based in Wishaw, Scotland and photographs animals in the studio and people in the wild.

You can find out more about John on his website or follow him on Facebook and YouTube.

JP Danko is a commercial photographer based in Toronto, Canada. JP
can change a lens mid-rappel, swap a memory card while treading water, or use a camel as a light stand.

To see more of his work please visit his studio website blurMEDIAphotography, or follow him on Twitter, 500px, Google Plus or YouTube.

JP’s photography is available for licensing at Stocksy United.

Clinton Lofthouse is a Photographer, Retoucher and Digital Artist based in the United Kingdom, who specialises in creative retouching and composites. Proud 80's baby, reader of graphic novels and movie geek!
Find my work on My website or follow me on Facebook or My page

Recent Posts

  • How to make your own DIY portable green screen with PVC pipe and a pillow case
  • Shooting with Helios-65, a lens so rare there’s no adapter for it
  • This futuristic movie was shot “in camera” with no green screen
  • The first Sony A7III firmware arrives to fix “blinking pixels” in video and prevent touchscreen death
  • This is what it’s like to shoot ultra large format wet plate macro in a cherry blossom tree

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2018 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure