thrifty

How to Build a DIY Square Ring Light for Portraits

Photographers are familiar with the ring light, which produces a pleasing ring-shaped highlight (or “catchlight”) in a subject’s eyes. It’s often used in the fashion industry to create images you see in many magazines. The Square Ring Light is just like that — except it’s a square. I find it makes a unique, almost otherworldly catchlight that really draws attention to the eyes.

This is the Upcoming Yongnuo 50mm f/1.8 for Nikon

We reported at the end of last year that Yongnuo was planning to expand beyond Canon lens clones and begin offering thrifty lenses for Nikon DSLRs by the end of 2015. It looks like the lenses are just around the corner: Yongnuo is already showing off the new lenses over in China, and here's a first look at them.

Yongnuo to Launch Thrifty Nikon 50mm and 35mm Prime Lenses Soon

Last year we reported that Yongnuo is planning to expand its third party lens lineup to include Nikon lenses by the end of 2015. If you've been eagerly waiting to get your hands on a cheap (and possibly look-alike) Nikon lens, your wait will soon be over. The company is planning to launch 50mm and 35mm lenses for Nikon cameras in the coming months.

A $6 IKEA Storage Box Makes for a Thrifty Collapsible Laptop Sun Shade

Need to block out some sunlight and glare from your laptop screen during outdoor photo shoots? Instead of dropping some cash on a pricey sun shade or hood, you could go a thriftier route and use an IKEA storage box instead. They cost just $6, are extremely light, and can be collapsed to not take up extra space in your bag.

Cinder Blocks Are a Cheap Way to Give Your Photos Some Fire Protection

Photographer and entrepreneur Gary Fong lost his house to a devastating fire earlier this year, but he didn't lose any of his most valued possessions thanks to precautions that he took. After the experience, he realized that cinder blocks can be used as a cheap way for photographers to gain some fire protection for their data without having to shell out big bucks for commercial solutions.

Yongnuo Will Unveil Cheaper Clones of Nikon Lenses Before the End of 2015

One of the big stories in the world of camera gear this past year has been Chinese manufacturer Yongnuo's expansion into cheap clones of Canon lenses. While Canon shooters are buzzing about their new budget glass options, Nikon photographers have been wondering if Yongnuo will ever offer clones of their favorite lenses.

We've got the scoop that answers that question: Yongnuo will offer cheaper clones of Nikon lenses by the end of 2015.

Ghetto-Flo: How to Create Your Own DIY Kino-Flo-style Lights for Portraiture

We were introduced to the “Ghetto-Flo” lights after reading the excellent blog of New York-based photographer Brad Trent. He had mounted 4 standard workshop fluorescent light fixtures into light-stand mountable strip lights. “Ghetto-Flo” because they're similar in use to the much more expensive Kino-Flo lights, though there are advantages to the later (variable power and output).

Build a DIY Sound Blimp to Silence Your Camera for Less Than $100

Phoenix-based photographer Dan Tabár sometimes shoots on sound stages, sets, and quiet studios -- locations where a loud camera would either cause problems or cause angry glares and murderous thoughts. Needing a way to surpress the shutter sound of his Nikon D800 -- he says the "quiet mode is a joke" -- Tabár decided to create his own DIY sound blimp.

Canon 1D X Can Be Wirelessly Tethered Using a Sub-$50 Internet Adapter

Wireless connectivity is one of the hot features in the camera world these days, and many (if not most) new cameras either have built-in wireless connectivity or an optional wireless adapter that provides the feature. Unfortunately, the wireless adapters are often quite pricey, especially for higher-end cameras.

Here's something neat that you might be interested in knowing if you shoot with a Canon 1D X: you can connect a cheap WiFi adapter designed for homes and offices to give your camera wireless tethering!

Cardboard Hasselblad Medium Format Pinhole Camera to Be Sold as a Kit [Updated]

Remember that beautiful cardboard Hasselblad created by designer Kelly Angood a couple of years ago and released as a PDF template? If you'd like to build your own but don't want to go through the trouble of printing the design onto cardboard and cutting out the pieces, you'll be glad to know that Angood is working on launching a do-it-yourself kit for the camera.

DIY: Make a Waxed Canvas Camera Bag on the Cheap

Looking to put together a sexy camera bag? Already have a messenger bag you want to carry your camera in? Love the look and feel of waxed canvas bags but don’t want to fork over the money to buy one new? This tutorial is for you!

How to Make a Padded Lens Case Using Plastic Bottles

If you'd like a cheap and simple way to protect your camera lenses from rain and from drops, you can make a makeshift lens case using ordinary plastic bottles (e.g. water bottles, soda bottles). Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do so.

Transform an Ordinary Sink Filter into a Soft Focus Lens Filter

Photographer Nick Cool came up with one of the strangest pieces of do-it-yourself camera gear that we've seen so far this year. He took an ordinary stainless steel sink filter -- yup, the thing that catches food at the bottom of kitchen sinks -- drilled various-sized holes through it, and stuck it into a filter ring after taking out the glass.

How to Make a Cheap DIY Rain Guard for Keeping Your DSLR Dry

I’ve always been asked how I keep my equipment dry while shooting storms, and I figure with Hurricane Sandy on the way, now would be a good time to share! This is a very simple, inexpensive, easy-to-use, and effective solution to shooting in the rain! It costs less than 5 dollars, but I have never felt the need to purchase anything to replace it.

Use an Index or Business Card to Attach a Color Gel to Your Smartphone

Dissatisfied with the way your smartphone photographs are turning out when the built-in flash is fired? When desperate times call for desperate measures, you can make your flash match the ambient light around you with the help of a colored gel. The flash is often just a tiny LED, though, so how do you comfortably "mount" the gel to your smartphone? Reader Todd Glidden has an answer: use an index card.

Build Yourself a Cheapo DIY Beauty Dish Using Styrofoam Bowls

Photographer Kirsty Wiseman didn't want to shell out money for a real beauty dish -- she doesn't really need one -- so she built this funny-looking DIY beauty dish for a few pennies using a couple of Styrofoam bowls, a couple of cocktail sticks, and a piece of aluminum foil. After playing around with it, Wiseman was delightfully surprised to find that her gear hack actually produced decent results.

Want Cheap Glass? Buy a Vintage Lens and an Adapter

If you want a 50mm f/1.4 lens for your DSLR, you'll need to shell out at least a couple hundred bucks, even if you buy one made by a third-party manufacturer. For those of you who don't mind losing autofocus, you can get the same focal lengths and apertures for much cheaper by buying some old glass and an adapter. By much cheaper, we mean as low as $10-$20! India-based photographer Brock Whittaker recently did this after seeing an auction on eBay for an old Mamiya camera kit.

Build a DIY Bluetooth GPS Unit for Your Nikon DSLR

Israeli photographer Ido Nassimi wanted to geotag the photographs shot using his Nikon D90, but didn't want to shell out $200 bucks for Nikon's official GP-1 GPS receiver. Since he had a GPS Bluetooth receiver lying around, he decided to do some research and make it compatible with his DSLR. He ended up successfully building one for around $50.

Make a $2 DIY Motion-Activated Alarm for Your Camera Bag

For people looking to protect their belongings from theft in public places, there are bag alarms out there that can alert them (and everyone around them) if someone tries to pick up their stuff. DIY hacker Kip Kedersha (kipkay on YouTube) recently came up with a clever way to make one of these alarms for just $2.

5 Tips to Being a Thrifty Photographer

In this guide, you will find out how you can save money on film photography. I will go over five basic ways on how any film photographer can pursue their artistic dreams and develop their creative outlets without having to spend a fortune.

DIY Photography Wall Art from Baby Crib Springs

Are you looking for creative ways to decorate your walls and display numerous photos without making it look like your crazy great-aunt’s hallway? Now you can with this ingenious DIY project!

While I would love to take credit for this idea, it is really my wife’s brainchild. Apparently a desire to decorate the walls, the concept of saving money while using up junk in one’s basement to make the house look pretty, combined with time spent surfing the web will generate exceptionally creative ideas like this. (Yes, there are others who have done similar. However, that was only discovered after the original brainchild was birthed.) So, let’s get started, shall we?