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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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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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How I made a DIY remote on a pole adapter for operating both camera and light on my own

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I recently created a one-man setup for light painting with strobes. It’s a quick and simple solution for operating the camera while holding the light by yourself.

I ripped off the legs of an old light stand, so it’s just a handheld pole with the light. I also want to use the camera remote control when holding the light. That way, I can operate my camera on a tripod when I don’t have an assistant.[Read More…]

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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Photographer turns the Customs House into a giant working camera obscura

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A camper, a shed, a bedroom, or even an entire skyscraper floor – you name it, Brendan Barry can turn it into a camera. For his latest project, he visited Custom House in Exeter, UK, and turned this amazing attraction into a working camera obscura. Brendan shared his process in this fun video, and if you plan to embark on a similar adventure, it will be very valuable as a guide. [Read More…]

How I made a camera from 23,248 coffee stirrers, powered by a Raspberry Pi, and controlled with a Nintendo controller

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This is the story of how I created one of the strangest cameras you may ever hear about. I’ve been working on the design for over a year and I’m finally ready to share it with the world. It’s a long story, but first I want to jump to the end. Here’s what the final camera looks like as well as what a photo take with it:

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This photographer built a DIY talking camera from scrap components

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Iranian photographer Alireza Rostami has come up with some really cool DIY projects so far. This time, he’s made a prototype of a talking camera. As usual, he used various scrap parts, this time pairing them with talking mechanisms of old dolls. Even though it’s a pretty basic prototype – could a smart, talking camera be our future?

We talked with Alireza a bit about his project, the inspiration behind it, as well as his hopes for the future of the talking camera.

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How to make a DIY posing table for newborn photography

I’ve become obsessed with this dog bed stand, and have taken it to a new level. Here is my updated tutorial to build your own dog bed newborn poser!

My last post described how I added an adjustable backdrop to the dog bed…but it wasn’t good enough for me. I decided I needed to raiser the posing surface up about 6-8″ so I could easily sit at the poser and comfortable pose baby. My current poser is way to to tall, and I have to do this creepy squat/hunch while posing, which isn’t great for my back (and I’m sure it doesn’t look amazing either). The first dog bed hack I created was good, but a little bit too low. I could BARELY squeeze my legs under while sitting “criss cross applesauce” and I worried that I would have to lean too far forward to pose baby.

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Here’s how to turn your boring garden shed into a working camera obscura with a darkroom

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UK-based photographer Brendan Barry has turned quite a lot of places into giant cameras obscurae. He’s now in isolation like most of us, so even his bedroom became one. You may want to try something like that, but your family doesn’t share your enthusiasm. Well, here’s a plan B: use your garden shed. In this video, Brendan guides you through the transformation process that turns a boring old shed into a working camera obscura with built-in darkroom.

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How I made my own DIY “Pixelstick” for $22

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You might know the Pixelstick. “nothing compares” is one of their statements. And this is true. At least price-wise. The Original Pixelstick retails for EURO 399,– here in Germany. I have always wanted one to at least try out some lightpainting with it.

The Pixelstick is a 188cm RGB lightstrip on a stick that plays bitmap files. It weighs 1,6kg, has a nice display to select files, has a remote release and runs on 8 AA batteries. Oh and it comes in a nice bag. Still 399,– is a bit steep.

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