Photographer Allen Mowery has a step-by-step tutorial on how to build a useful DIY flash mounting accessory using a ratcheting hand clamp and standard 1/4-inch threaded screw. It’s a cheap DIY version of the Super Clamp or Nasty Clamp, and can help you place your flash in places that are inaccessible to light stands or traditional equipment.
Photography enthusiast Kris Robinson used to handhold a flash above his subjects for macro photographs, but then he got tired of doing that and ran out of hands. He then came up with the brilliant idea of making a do-it-yourself contraption that attaches to his flash when it’s mounted to the hotshoe. The light travels down a tube lined with reflective aluminum tape, and is bounced downward onto the subject through a diffused lightbox. For a couple sample shots, see here and here.
P.S. Robinson also offers a tip for shooting macro photos of insects: if you place them into your freezer for a minute or two, they’ll sit nice and still for a while before warming up and scurrying away.
Image credit: IMG_0495 by Kris Robinson and used with permission
In addition to its big 5D Mark III announcement today, Canon also made some big updates to its high-end professional accessories, the biggest of which is the new Speedlite 600EX-RT. This new top-of-the-line flash unit replaces the 580EX II and uses a new radio-based wireless triggering system. Communicating on 2.4 GHz frequencies, the new flash avoids traditional directional limitations associated with optical transmitters and offers two-way wireless transmission of up to 98.4 feet. It also features a higher guide number, an expanded zoom range, and a tougher build. You’ll be able to pick one up at the end of March for a cool $630.
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Here’s an interesting video tutorial by Destin of Smarter Every Day that shows how you can capture amazing photos of guns being fired and their muzzle flashes. Here’s the “basic” idea: he uses a piezoelectric transducer to convert acoustical energy into an electrical pulse, which he sends through a pulse generator. The pulse from the pulse generator is used to trigger a flash and an high-speed exposure. This allows him to photograph guns at the moment they’re fired in the same way many people photograph lightning.
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Want to improve the quality of the photos captured using your DSLR’s popup flash? Tina (AKA synthetic_meat) discovered that the cardboard box that came with a particular brand of chocolate had a nice silver lining on the inside — perfect for making a mirrored bounce reflector! After some cutting, scoring, and folding, she came up with a DIY Lightscoop clone that lets you bounce your onboard flash off the ceiling or wall for softer and more appealing images. You can download the free template to make your own in both A4 and Letter formats.
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You can make yourself a quick and simple snoot by cutting off the upper portion of a soda bottle and covering it with gaffer tape. While it’s definitely not the most elegant solution, it’s a cheap way to isolate your subject when shooting with a flash unit.
How To Make A Snoot From A Coca-Cola Bottle [DIYPhotography]
Image credits: Photographs by Lior Kraisler
Nikon has announced the new SB-910, a top-of-the-line flash unit to succeed the SB-900. Instead of increased power — the guide number and zoom range haven’t changed — Nikon has chosen to focus on usability. The new flash features a new MENU button and improved LCD user interface that are designed to make operating it a breeze. It also automatically detects spiking temperatures, and slows down the recycle rate to automatically prevent overheating. The price fits the SB-910′s place in the Speedlite lineup: it’ll cost a cool $550 when it starts shipping on December 15 — more than some entry level DSLRs.
If you have a potato chip tube lying around, you can convert the tube into a super simple DIY snoot. All you need to do is cut an opening in the closed end that’s the size of your flash head (tip: use some duct tape to prevent it from scratching your flash).
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At the Photo Plus Expo happening in NYC right now, Polaroid is showing off its new Dua Flash, a flash unit that also packs a strong LED light source for video recording. They’re already available for both Canon and Nikon DSLRs on Amazon, and cost between $160 and $200.
(via Steve’s Digicams)
Here’s a quick and easy photo hack: cut a slice out of a white film canister to soften the light from your DSLR’s built-in flash.
DIY Project: Film Canister as Flash Diffuser [Lomography]
