I believe that all of us would connect circus with a giant tent. However, with some imagination and DIY magic you can turn even the smallest home studio into a circus. In this video from Adorama, Gavin Hoey will show you how to bring circus into your studio space, no matter how small it may be.
How to make a DIY foot pedal remote shutter release
I have been looking into shooting other sports outside of the motorsport world and I have been particularly interested in soccer, basketball, and baseball. After doing some research, I found that some sports shooters covering these type of events use different remote trigger setups such as foot pedals and cable release buttons. When I setup remotes, I usually have the PocketWizard with me, and one mounted to the remote camera and I press the test button on the PocketWizard to fire the remote camera. But these guys take it a step further and use something like what I am about to show you to have complete control over your remote cameras while still having two hands on your main camera.
How to create a DIY gimbal stabilizer
People choose different types of cameras for filmmaking, depending on their skills and needs: smartphones are ideal for beginners, action cameras are great for recording on-the-go, and DSLRs have made it possible for everyone to do film production on a professional level. But unwanted vibrations and shakes can make recorded footage look unsteady—which is where gimbal stabilizers come in handy.
How to create “magic bokeh” by modifying a vintage 50mm f/2 lens
Thanks to lens mount adapters, you can play with vintage lenses on modern cameras and get some of their bokeh goodness in digital photos. Iranian photographer Alireza Rostami made a simple modification to one of these vintage lenses. By flipping a single optical element, he has created “magic bokeh” which adds a dreamy, unique feeling to images. In this video, he shares a process and a couple of sample photos he took after modifying the lens.
Product photography lighting: how to make a cheap and lightweight DIY softbox
Product photography can be really creative and fun. We’ve often seen it related to interesting DIY solutions, such as the “IKEA lamp hack” or my all-time favorite “garbage can hack.” This time, Eric Strebel shares with you a DIY solution for product photography lighting. It’s a cheap and super-lightweight LED softbox. It’s detachable and adjustable, so you can adapt it to any studio setup you use.
How to make a budget-friendly DIY strip modifier for speedlights
Strip modifiers like LitePipe P and SaberStrip are applicable for portrait photography, both indoors and outdoors. But according to Joe Edelman, their biggest flaw is their price, which he considers too high for something you’ll use only occasionally. So, he came up with his own DIY version of a daylight-balanced strip modifier. It’s easy to build, useful for portraits both in the studio and on location – and it costs around $50in material. And I think it’s a plus that it looks a bit like a lightsaber.
How to make a DIY triangle LED “ring” light for less than $100
The ring lights are useful when you need even light on the subject’s face and the circular catchlights. We’ve featured several DIY ring lights so far, But Caleb Pike of DSLR Video Shooter decided to make something a bit different.
He made a DIY triangular “ring” light, which produces the same even light on the face, but creates interesting, triangular catchlights. The total cost of the components was around $92 (it could get even less), and he explains the process step by step, so I’m sure everyone could make this in no time.
DIY solar filters for the great American eclipse
With the Great American Eclipse on Aug 21 only a few weeks away, I decided to put together some solar filters. With the high travel costs to get to the eclipse from Southern California, I saved some money through purchasing the solar filter sheets instead of the pre-made filters. To facilitate a fast detachment during totality, compared to a screw on filter, I made some cardboard holders that fit into my Lee filter holder.
This DIY periscope makes the Sony A6500 the perfect vlogging camera
The Sony Alpha 6 series doesn’t have a tilting screen that covers 180 degrees. This makes it hard to use the camera for vlogging or selfies and makes you need to buy an external monitor. YouTuber Hozz of Hozz and Sarah channel has created a DIY solution to this problem with some cardboard and a mirror, and he built one of the best DIY hacks I’ve seen in a while.
Hozz made a small DIY periscope, which he places on top of his Sony A6500 so that he can see himself while recording. This solves two problems you might have with the external monitor and this camera. First, the external monitor doesn’t display all the recording information, such as the battery life or other recording settings. And another thing – well, the DIY periscope is way cheaper. Hozz calls it Alpha Scope, and he shares the steps to making your own piece and adding it to your Sony A6500, A6000 or A6300.
Build the easiest DIY ring light ever for less than $20
We have shared plenty of great ideas for making your own DIY ring light. Now, another cheap and quick solution comes from The Lighting Channel. They have shared a tutorial on making your own ring light using only three items, and it’s all done in a couple of minutes. And it’s not only quick and easy to make, but the components will cost you less than $20.
