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DIY video cart – A studio cart for under $300

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As the name suggests, a studio cart (a.k.a video cart or tethering cart) is a cart for your studio. Duh. As your studio grows and you need to move things around, a studio cart can really help your workflow. Obviously, it can help when you move things around. But there are more benefits. For example, you can mount a laptop, a camera, or a monitor on the cart, making it a portable shooting setup.

The only issue is that those film carts don’t come cheap. Even the most basic cart from brands like Inovativ or Proaim can set you back a good amount. And to be honest, those are incredible carts with lots of features. For example, they fold down for travel and have a massive set of wheels. But for studio use, where you don’t really need to break anything down or have massive wheels, you can save quite a bit, while having a super-sturdy, super-functional cart.

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DIY product photography hack with $10 IKEA lamp

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Dustin Dolby from Workphlo is known for his product photography tutorials that give professional results without too much fancy gear. In his latest video, he shows you how to shoot small products using a $10 IKEA Melodi lamp. This time, you won’t need an IKEA lamp as a light source. Instead, it serves as a sort of a light tent for creating soft and even light. Dustin guides you through his setup for this shoot, but also through the post-production process.The entire setup is pretty affordable and gives great results, so take a look.

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This $8 IKEA table hack produces killer product shots

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Here is a nice concept for product photography. If you are familiar with table-top, you will love this table-bottom concept.

This one is coming from Caleb Pike of DSLR Video Shooter, and is extremely clever. Unlike the usual light tents which use a cut out box, Caleb uses the space under a simple, $8 IKEA LACK table.

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Using a $7.99 IKEA Lack Table To Build A Lightbox

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Ever seen those IKEA Lack tables? They feel suspiciously light right? This is because, as this tutorial will demonstrate, they are not made of wood. They are just a covered honeycombed piece of cardboard. But for this tutorial’s sake, this is actually a good thing. If you are looking for someone to thank to, Jack Watney is your man.

If you come from the digital era, you might ask what a lightbox is. Well, essentially it is a backlit translucent surface that you can place film on and inspect it before sending it off to print. Or, you can use it to view slides. On the non-photography side, you can use this table for tracing.

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6 Sweet IKEA Photo Hacks With The Weirdest Names Ever

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Team Shootr did a visit to IKEA proving yet again that the IKEA store is heaven on earth when it comes to DIYing a studio. This video shows 6 of the sweetest IKEA hacks I’ve seen, some at the cost of a cup of coffee. (Some of the hacks were featured here before, but the video is a great roundup). Hit the jump for a full recap.

The only caveat, the names of the products are the weirdest I’ve ever seen… see if you can pronounce them all :)

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IKEA Hack – A $5.99 Foldable Laptop and Monitor Hood

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When shooting in the great outdoors sun hitting your laptop or monitor can become a serious thing and actually keep you from actually seeing the screen. This is why Laptop visors (or monitor hoods) were invented. Think a black box with an opening on one side to allow screen viewing and keyboard access. They are usually not that expensive going from $20 for a basic kit, to $85 for a nice one, to as high as $250 for an Optimus Prime grade hood with a tripod mount and pouches.

But, you can also go the IKEA hack way and have a pretty killer foldable shade for $5.99. Photographer Paul Adshead  (site | Instagram) sent us this awesome tip:

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Ikea Hack: Warm Up LED Accent Lighting Using Photography Gels

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Installing new LED accent lighting or replacing your old energy wasting halogen under-cabinet lighting with new LED accent lights?  Notice that even the “warm white” LED lights are just a touch too white or a touch too harsh compared to the warm glow of the halogen lights you’re used to seeing?

Click the link for a simple way to warm up the look of LED accent lighting for less than $10 in less than two minutes by using photography gels.

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