# DIY Photography gear!



## SabrinaO (Jan 12, 2011)

Everyone knows being a pro photographer or a hobbyist photographer is an expensive field to get into because the gear is NOT cheap. 
I use wrapping paper and fabric from Joann's for some of my backdrops, and I just made "The Best Beauty Dish" a few months ago and it's awesome! Right now i'm making a snoot for my speedlight out of black straws 
Anyways... post your DIY gear, tips or info! I would love to see and hear about all the creative concoctions you all come up with!
ETA... do you feel weird or uncomfortable using your DIY's on your clients?


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## D-B-J (Jan 12, 2011)

when im done eating i will explain the best diffuser in the world!


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## SabrinaO (Jan 12, 2011)

D-B-J said:


> when im done eating i will explain the best diffuser in the world!



Can't wait!


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## John Mc (Jan 12, 2011)

Its a Bottom From a Plastic Milk Carton. Isnt IT? Please be it,but yeah,that's what ive used


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## SabrinaO (Jan 12, 2011)

John Mc said:


> Its a Bottom From a Plastic Milk Carton. Isnt IT? Please be it,but yeah,that's what ive used


Im looking at the bottom of a milk container now... (1 gallon). How do you use it? What are you attaching it to?


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## John Mc (Jan 12, 2011)

SabrinaO said:


> John Mc said:
> 
> 
> > Its a Bottom From a Plastic Milk Carton. Isnt IT? Please be it,but yeah,that's what ive used
> ...



Cut the Bottom out and make it into a Flash Diffuser,use abit of tape to keep it on the flashgun!magic!

It also work's with Pop up flash really well too.


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## D-B-J (Jan 12, 2011)

Take a shoebox, then cut off one of the ends. About 1/3 of the way in, put a piece, with a hole for your flash. cover that enclosed area with tin foil, and on the front of it, place some semi translucent paper, and for this, i used the wrapping they wrapped my shoes in. Here are some pics of it. Cost me zero dollars, and it worked great when i didnt have the money for real diffusers.

Some shots of it:

















With diffuser:






With no diffuser:  







As you can see, it diffuses well, and you dont get hard shadows or bright spots.


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## John Mc (Jan 12, 2011)

D-B-J said:


> Cost me zero dollars, and it worked great when i didnt have the money for real diffusers.



That's Clearly a lie,you bought a pair of shoes


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## Destin (Jan 12, 2011)

I came up with an idea for a DIY foursquare made out of an electrical box. Click here for the article. Total project ended up costing me under $15. The article says $7, but that was before some JB weld, and black spray paint.


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## Marc-Etienne (Jan 12, 2011)

As a diffuser, I personally use one of those flexible cutting board for cooking. I cut a little strip and fix it to the flash head with sticking velcro. I also used it to cover my DIY ring flash or my DIY softbox made out of a shoe box (coincidence, but it's good cardboard) It works great, because it can't really get damage like paper and it's easy to attach with velcro or hot glue.


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## sobolik (Jan 12, 2011)

Quick cheap ring flash - Hack a Day

*Quick cheap ring flash*


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## D-B-J (Jan 12, 2011)

John Mc said:


> D-B-J said:
> 
> 
> > Cost me zero dollars, and it worked great when i didnt have the money for real diffusers.
> ...


 

Parents paid for themmm


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## gsgary (Jan 12, 2011)

I made a 300mmF2.8 a few years ago work at treat


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## Derrel (Jan 12, 2011)

gsgary said:


> I made a 300mmF2.8 a few years ago work at treat



Was that the one that used an old 2-litre soda pop bottle for the lens barrel, and the Edmund Scientific Hobbyist Lens Experiment Kit ($69.95 US) for the lens elements?? And then all the tape and black spray can paint? Cause that DIY design kicks ass!


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## mjhoward (Jan 12, 2011)

Cut off the bottom of a plastic bottle of rubbing alcohol... its almost the exact same size.


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## Geaux (Jan 12, 2011)

DIYPhotography.net | Photography and Studio Lighting


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## Karri (Jan 12, 2011)

This is awesome - keep 'em coming!


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## swedberg311 (Jan 12, 2011)

:addpics:


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## SabrinaO (Jan 12, 2011)

gsgary said:


> I made a 300mmF2.8 a few years ago work at treat



What? No way! A lens?


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## scotch59 (Jan 12, 2011)

swedberg311 said:


> :addpics:



agreed!


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## Derrel (Jan 12, 2011)

SabrinaO said:


> gsgary said:
> 
> 
> > I made a 300mmF2.8 a few years ago work at treat
> ...




Sabrina, you don't know gary very well...he's very good with tools and such.
He even built a house from plans he got off the internet. A freakin' house!

http://friedmanarchives.com/British Columbia/images/Shack - vertical 8x10 300 dpi.jpg


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## Buckster (Jan 12, 2011)

Macro Flash Bracket:






In use:





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Gimbal Head:






In use:





 
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IR Drip Trigger:






It's for getting shots like this:





All the gritty details and more pics of the stuff above in this thread: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...your-homemade-equipment-here.html#post1953429

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Filter holders for speedlights:






Made from stiff clear plastic from typical packaging, a Velcro tab hold it in place on the speedlight. Filters slip in and out of the clear plastic 'wallet' with no further velcro or tape or anything like that on the filters themselves.

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Light Orb Maker:

LED lights, batteries, wire, tape, hot glue, fishing poles and a bearing to make a spinner with lights on the ends. For making shots like this:






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Other stuff:

A telescopic snoot to change coverage area with push/pull action.

Speedlight grids made from coroplast and gaffer's tape.

Battery keeper made from coroplast, hot glue and velcro. Basically a box with two doors and a moveable wall between the two compartments they lead to - a green one for charged batts and a red one for spent ones.

I get a lot of DIY type ideas, and act on a lot of them. Ever since I was a kid. Not just for photography either. Drove my family nuts a lot of the time. Might be how I ended up as an engineer.


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## phiya (Jan 12, 2011)

Here's my DIY beauty dish that still needs some work.  (hey, I just got it today!)






Like that "solid" pizza pan they sent me?  It looks nothing like the picture on Amazon.  Oh well, I'll have my step dad cut me one out of aluminum... and this one, I think I'll make a honey comb modifier out of.


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