illustration board Archives

5 Quick And Dirty Photography DIY’s

October 27, 2014 by Laya Gerlock 9 Comments

We’ve all had those moments when we prepare for a shoot and pack all of our equipment but on the back of our mind we think that we are forgetting something, then we arrive to location and whadayaknow we forgot an important piece of gear.

Here on DIYP we see all sorts of DIYs. From professional looking DIYs that take a week to do through a weekend projects to fun 10 minutes DIYs. But some of my most memorable DIYs are the quick-and-dirty-on-the-spot-DIYs. IT DOESN’T LOOK PRETTY but IT DOES THE JOB.

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Can DIY Modifiers Compete Against Pro Grade Modifiers?

October 15, 2014 by Laya Gerlock 9 Comments

Last week I wrote about why you would want to do a DIY photography project, but can it match up to pro gear? Challenge… Accepted!

This week I did a whole photoshoot using only DIY modifiers for main lights. With the help of my girlfriend and her friends to model for me, the challenge was on.

The idea behind challenge was to prove that making your own modifiers and equipment is not all that bad compared to branded expensive material. (And before the first comment starts coming in, let me say that I do own a couple of Westcott softboxes and umbrellas, and I use them when needed or when working with high end clients, I just really like my DIY’s).

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8 Reasons To Do A DIY Photography Project

October 7, 2014 by Laya Gerlock 9 Comments

I started photography about 6 years ago. I was doing a 365 day project in flickr when I saw all the great strobist shots people were taking. I wanted to give it a try but I only had one sb-24 speedlight (it’s a 1988 flash) and no light modifiers whatsoever so I needed to DIY my own lights.

I remember the first DIY project that I made, it was a 1 foot x 1 foot softbox made out of illustration board and tracing paper. After that I used a silver umbrella and a white shower curtain to create my own studio look and after that was history in the making.

So here are my 8 reasons why you’d wanna do a DIY project

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Use This Simple Technique To Create The Illusion Of Different Spaces Using Only One Light

September 28, 2014 by Laya Gerlock 16 Comments

A few months back, I wrote an article on how to use everyday objects for outstanding backdrops. This post can be considered a part two of that post, as it shows a simple technique to using a piece of cardboard to create the illusion of space.

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Things You Can Do With A Piece Of Illustration Board

March 26, 2014 by Laya Gerlock 2 Comments

I was a reading an article last week about clever ways to mount a foam board in a studio when I thought about sharing one cheap and simple piece of gear that is regularly a part of my shooting routine, especially with product photography – an illustration board.

Normally I can get a 4×2 feet illustration board at about $2-$4 here in the Philippines, it comes in a black and has a white side which is perfect.

Actually, illustration boards are rated second most used items after Granite tiles. What makes them great (aside for the price) is that they are very cheap, disposable, and have many many uses. Here are a few ideas of what you can do with illustration boards.[Read More…]