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Photographer hacks his old phone to take film photos

I’m pretty sure all of us have at least one old phone collecting dust in the depths of some drawer. And to be fair, it’s difficult to put it to good use. But Iranian photographer Alireza Rostami thought of something pretty cool to repurpose his broken old phone: he turned it into a film camera.

You may already know Alireza. He’s a is a super-creative and resourceful photographer who’s shared a few of his DIY projects with us before. Each is more creative than the other, and now he’s made something pretty cool again. He has kindly shared his photos and some backstory with DIYP, so let’s see how he turned a camera phone into a film camera phone.

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This is this the most versatile thing in a photo studio?

What is the most versatile item in your studio? Is it your camera that can take photos and video? Or maybe your laptop you use for tethering, editing, and chatting with your clients? Perhaps it’s your speedlight or a V-flat which both can be used in a variety of ways.

The most versatile item in Filip Soukup’s studio is none of the above. In fact, this Czech photographer argues that, for him, it’s a simple, cheap, and easy-to-build DIY item. It’s a board you can easily make on your own, and in his video, Filip shows you how… and why.

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Make your own DIY trekpak for under $20

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The Trekpak Case Divider System is a beautiful piece of design. It’s simple, it’s clean, and most importantly, you can switch up your configuration to your needs. It’s meant to replace the current pick-n-pluck foam system that Pelican and other hard shell manufacturers use. The problem with the pick-n-pluck system is once you pull out the foam, you’re stuck with that set-up. If you decide to change the setup, your only option is to replace it with a new foam insert. This will set you back at least $30, depending on your Pelican case and size.

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Make this simple DIY food photography background for under $50

If you shoot food photography, a good backdrop is a must. And if you enjoy making your own props and backdrops, you’re going to love this project. In this video, Amie Prescott shows you how to make your own DIY background from a few simple ingredients and on a budget. You can give it your favorite colors, and paint it on both sides to get two looks in one.

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Loose rubber rings on your lens? Here’s how to easily fix it with leather

The trouble with rubber is that it gets loose and crackled over time. If you are a fan of vintage lenses, I’m sure you’ve learned this the hard way. But there’s a quick and easy fix for loose rubber rings on old lenses, and it even looks much nicer and more elegant. Marek a.k.a. teh_m uses leather, and he shared with DIYP some tips on how to do it.

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This simple DIY rig is a cheap alternative to a probe lens

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A probe lens like the Laowa 24mm f/14 open up a whole new world of creative possibilities. But this world costs around $1,600 and you may not be in the position to afford it right now. If this is the case, Jay P. Morgan has a video for you. He will show you how to made a rig that gives your videos a very similar look to a probe lens, but at a much lower cost.

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How I made a DIY compact flash from a disposable camera’s flash module

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A bit of background

Recently I bought a film camera from the 1970’s – the Canon A-1. Considering that the camera is almost 3x older than me, it was no surprise that there are a few issues with it. The first camera I got jammed before I even loaded in my first roll, and the replacement camera had a battery drainage issue (which took an almost complete disassembly to fix).

But anyway, that isn’t the point of this blog post. Electrical problems aside, my main issue with this camera is its lack of a flash. Unbeknownst to me when I bought this camera, film cameras can’t really operate without a ridiculous amount of light (at least by modern camera standards). Even in a reasonably lit room, the camera struggles to take photos without the help of a tripod. This led to me trying some creative solutions, with limited success.

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How I made my own 4 x 5 slide projector on a budget

I have been shooting 4 x 5 color transparencies or commonly known as color slide film for many years but the best that I could enjoy them was to put them on the light table and viewing them through a loupe. Unlike my 35mm and 120 slides, I have never seen them projected big simply it is not easy to locate a 4×5 slide projector.

For the last few years, I tried searching online on how to do it yourself (DIY) and build a 4x 5 slide projector but no one seems to have made them before.   There are commercially produced 4×5 slide projectors although I have never seen one in real life. I have not even seen them on the used market on eBay before but even if they are available they are going to cost a lot and even more to ship.

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Make your own DIY foldable V-flat for $100 or less

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A V-flat is a versatile and useful tool to have in your studio. While you can certainly buy one for around $200, it’s one of those things that’s pretty simple to make, and it will cost you half that much or even less. In this video, Nicole Bedard will show you how to make your own V-flat. It’s large, yet collapsible, portable, lightweight… and pretty cheap.

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