Rather than using more expensive bags or cases for moving around your lighting gear, you can buy a bass guitar bag for $30 or $40 to get the job done. The length allows you to store light stands, the velcro straps inside help secure them, and the multiple handles and straps on the outside give you a number of options for carrying the bag.
(via DIYPhotography)
Image credit: Photograph by Udi Tirosh and used with permission
Having a camera with you may get you better customer service at places like restaurants, retail stores, and hotels. Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott writes,
The last thing employees want to see when they’re delivering a substandard product or service is a shutterbug. If they think you might take a snapshot, or a video, of their incompetent actions, they’re far likelier to do the right thing. The presence of a camera alone is often enough. Try it sometime.
If you already carry a camera with you everywhere you go, then you’re already set! If you don’t, you might want to think about bringing one along whenever you’re in need of customer service.
Try These 5 Secret Weapons For Better Customer Service (via Lifehacker)
Image credit: Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AF-D Lens by Harshit Sekhon
Last year we posted a tip on how you can use jar openers to remove stuck lens filters, but have you ever thought of using them as a cheap follow focus? Tony Carretti was shopping at Bed, Bath & Beyond when he came across a twist jar opener in the kitchen aisle that he realized could be used on his camera.
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Photographer John B. Crane was ice climbing in Colorado when he came upon a little ice cave full of “tiny wonders”. Wishing he had a green gel, he suddenly had the brilliant idea of using some Fruit Roll-Ups he had brought along for that purpose.
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How do photographers get those wide images that bleed through the edges of the negative, showing the sprocket holes? It’s a technique that allows your to create stunning panoramic images — these little bits of film become art in themselves. These photographs are achieved by loading 35mm film into a 120 medium format camera. This tutorial was written with the Holga in mind, but the same technique works for other 120 cameras as well.
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I had some stuff lying around as well as saw some parts as I was out and thought this would be fun to make. I have around $20 invested in parts. On eBay I saw ring lights for anywhere around $40 on up, so this will save you money and it was fun to make.
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This DIY viewfinder was created using LEGO bricks and components from a disposable camera and CD-ROM drive. It adds an optical viewfinder to the Sony NEX-5′s electronic one, providing a view equivalent to a 24mm or 28mm lens, and mounts neatly to the camera via the hot shoe.
Sony sells optical viewfinder attachments as well, but they set you back a whopping $199, or the price of a smaller compact camera. Plus, they don’t have nearly as much character as this LEGO version!
DIY a LEGO viewfinder for Sony NEX (via Engadget)
Image credits: Photographs by Jeffrey Chao and used with permission
Need to hold down the shutter release for extended periods of time, but don’t want to shell out money for a remote shutter release? Flickr user Dennis Calvert found that a pencil eraser and hair tie do the job well, allowing you to do star trail photographs with bulb mode.
Do you use a similar “hack” to keep your shutter release button pressed?
Image credit: DIY Intervalometer by Dennis Calvert
Here’s a clever trick to keep in mind if you use SD cards for your photography: if the locking mechanism on the side of the card breaks off and renders your card unwritable, covering over the area with a little scotch tape magically makes your card useable again.
(via Lifehacker)
You’ve probably seen the special keyboard covers for Mac keyboards that show you the Photoshop shortcut each key is used for, but what if you’re looking for something more old school (or don’t have a Mac)? These Photoshop Keyboard Stickers should do the trick. They’re individual vinyl stickers that you individually stick onto each key, allowing you to stay old school and giving your keyboard a very childish look. You can pick up a set for about $8 on Amazon.
