Laptop bag straps make for pretty comfortable camera straps since they’re designed for carrying a good amount of weight on your shoulders, but they usually come with clasps that aren’t compatible with strap mounts. Nano_Burger has the solution: add clasp-friendly loops to your camera using some thin strapping, staples, and Gorilla glue. The sturdy loops will last the lifetime of the camera, and can be cut off if you ever decide to switch to a different strap.
About a week ago, Winnipeg-based photographer Tristan Shea Penner made quite a splash in the DIY world by releasing the above video about his DIY alternative to the Kino Flo lights that iconic headshot photographer Peter Hurley uses. People were intrigued by the quality of the portraits Penner was getting with his rig, while managing to keep it semi-portable at the same time. The only problem was that the video didn’t get specific on how to build the rig for yourself, so Penner put together a full set of instructions that he’s now posted on his website. Read more…
Here’s a cool little trick courtesy of Justin Leyba from ImagineNow Entertainment. If you’re trying to get smooth video and you find yourself lacking in the camera dolly department, getting some cheap furniture sliders will offer an easy solution. The above video was shot using just that, a tripod with all three legs placed on top of furniture sliders that you can find on Amazon for under 15 bucks.
Here’s an interesting project that photographer Gabriel Verdugo Soto put together this last weekend by slapping together an old polaroid lens/aperture mechanism and a micro four thirds camera. In order to keep the lens in focus, he measured the distance from the lens to the polaroid paper in the orignal camera and used macro tubes to ensure the same distance was maintained between the lens and the sensor. The whole thing was then attached to a 52mm ring, and held together using that white epoxy clay you see in the pictures. Read more…
Mike Warren has written up an in-depth tutorial on how you can build a 360° camera hat using 6-8 disposable cameras. The cameras are worn around the head like a crown, and are simultaneously trigger using a single shutter release with the help of servo motors that depress the shutter when triggered. Warren writes,
With the camera array sitting on your head, you’re able to capture a 360° panorama view of your surroundings. This project requires no special electronics knowledge and can be assembled in about an hour.
I designed this camera array off something I saw on the “Radar Detector” music video by Darwin Deez. But, after making the camera hat, everyone kept asking if it was a low-fi version of Google Street View. It’s more the former than the latter, but people can draw their own interpretations.
Want to enjoy a glimpse of photographic awesomeness every time you glimpse at the time at home? Create a giant wall clock with picture frames to mark each hour! You’ll need a clock kit (or a disassembled clock) and 12 picture frames. You can be more serious by shooting photos of the numbers 1 through 12 for the frames, or go creative by putting in all kinds of random images.
Hanging pictures straight is a bit difficult as it is, but when we’re talking about two screw or two nail frames, getting them exactly right can be downright frustrating. Fortunately, the folks behind the DIY site It’s Overflowing have a solution for those of you that have a bunch of these tricky frames laying around. Just use a piece of painters tape (or any tape really) to mark the distance between the two holes, and then use the tape to line up and level the holes you drill. Voila, picture-perfect picture frame hanging.
For those of you who use your Sony NEX-5N to shoot video, you may have noticed that longer clips have a tendency to lock up your camera. It’s not a problem for shorter videos, but clips over 20 minutes, especially in hot weather, often brings the camera up to a temperature it would rather avoid. To solve this problem, Aron Anderson of trinityfxmg had the idea of modding the camera by adding a battery powered fan to keep it cool even in blistering weather.
So if you have an NEX-5N and want to rid yourself of overheating woes, this video tutorial will show you how to do the mod from start to finish, and even demonstrates the fan in action in brutal 107-degree weather.
When photographer Ian Spanier was assigned to shoot 4-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler at his home in Vegas, the budget wouldn’t allow him to hire an assistant. Still, this was an important shoot, the editor of Muscular Development had stuck his neck out to get him this gig, and he wanted to do as good a job as possible. So instead of depending on natural light, or shooting with a standard top mount flash, he decided to hack together something better. Read more…
If you’ve ever had the urge to clothe yourself in photography — or just wanted an easy DIY guide for getting photos onto fabric — Wearable Photos courtesy of Photojojo offers a great solution to your sartorial dilemma. If you intend on making clothing then you’ll need to have some sewing ability, but if that doesn’t appeal to you there are many other fabrics that could do with some photography pasted on it.
Check out the entire DIY guide for a detailed list of “ingredients” and step-by-step walkthrough of the whole process.
