Whether you're using one to shoot video or stills, LED light panels are a wonderful tool to have in your arsenal. But while they are available from a variety of companies, in a number of sizes and shapes, almost all quality LED light panels come with one, discouraging attachment: the price tag.
Thankfully, the above tutorial from DIY Perks breaks down how you can build your own $500 LED light panel for just under $70.
Ray Panduro knows most everything there is to know about pinhole cameras. As his previous design shows, he’s a determined artist who can get the job done using fairly standard material and a healthy dose of elbow grease.
Today, he adds another masterpiece to his creative pinhole lineup, a Pinholga that is a recreation of the iconic Diana F medium format point-and-shoot.
In the past, we've shared a few different ways to make a DIY dolly, but today's version is a bit more... childish than those. That's because this automated and motorized dolly is made, not out of parts you'd find at a hardware store, but a toy store. It's a dolly made of LEGO.
If you've taken almost any math classes over the last decade, chances are good you have a graphing calculator sitting around in some drawer somewhere. And while we can't promise you'll ever use what you learned in Calculus (an engineer friend of mine used to call it 'calcuseless') the folks over at JACP Media can help put that old calculator to use by turning it into a homebrew intervalometer.
GorillaPods are an incredible little photography accessory to have in your arsenal. You can pick up a model for cameras as small as a GoPro and as large as a DSLR with a 70–200mm lens attached. Heck, some even come with unique features such as magnets in the feet that allow you to more easily position them onto magnetic surfaces.
As cool as the magnetic ones are though, Instructables user tinstructable realized that Joby’s magnetic options are limited to only the smallest offerings in the GorillaPod lineup. And so, naturally, he came up with a DIY method to turn the larger model into a stronger, more capable magnetic version of his own.
We’ve shared some pretty awesome DIY cameras with you in the past, and today we've run across one of the most impressive to date.
A 6x17 panorama film camera, it was hand-built out of wood and 18-gauge steel by Instructables user mattthegamer463. And you're welcome to build one yourself or just stare wide-eyed at his.
One of the most versatile tools any photographer can have in their arsenal is a diffusion panel. It can be used in both natural and artificial light and for artificial light it works equally as well in both continuous and strobe lighting. However, if you’re going online to look for a diffusion panel, they’re often a bit expensive for what is essentially a white sheet spread over a frame.
So, to help you cut costs without cutting quality, Tony Roslund has put together a convenient little DIY tutorial that details how to make a rather large diffusion panel for only $30.
There are times when all you need to capture the perfect photograph is just a few more feet in height. A common technique is to carry around and use a ladder to stand on and snap the needed photograph. But a ladder is far from convenient in terms of weight in size.
Thankfully, there’s an alternative that’s far smaller and not overly cost-prohibitive. It’s often called a construction tripod, laser tripod or contractors tripod and it’s a much smaller, more convenient way to get your camera high up in the sky.
DIY methods are usually done for two main reasons: necessity or experimentation. In the above video, Film Riot uses the latter of the two to see just what they can do to spice up their imagery using items you have laying around the house or cheap objects you can purchase at almost any store.
The Raspberry Pi Camera module is a favorite of photography tinkerers. We've seen it used to create everything from GIF cameras to a balloon-powered, aerial picture-taking replica of the house from the Pixar movie UP. But through all this, one limitation has stayed true for the Pi camera module: you can't swap out lenses.
Well, no more. A new Kickstarter campaign is bringing interchangeable lenses and much more to the Raspberry Pi computer board/camera module in the form of a fun DIY camera kits.
We've shown off a number of impressive DIY pinhole cameras before, but this one, designed by Scott Yu-Jan, might just take the cake. Made almost entirely out of wood, his creation is about as robust and beautifully wrought as pinhole cameras get.
It's never a good day when you crack the glass screen that's protecting the LCD screen on your DSLR. Even if you're careful with your gear and travel with a bag between locations, accidents happen.
That's what happen to Instructables user coolscience.com, but instead of sending his camera in for repair, he decided to take the DIY approach and fix it himself. Fortunately for you, the steps he came up with ended up being both simple and cheap!
If you’re looking for a dead-simple product shot setup that will yield impressive results, this two minute tutorial is just what you’re needing.
While GoPros are made to shoot underwater (within the confines of their housing – that is – they aren’t exactly made to float, if by some chance you happen to drop your camera while filming underwater.
Of course, there are third party solutions out there to prevent this from happening, but they’re often a bit pricy. Thus, here to ensure that your camera doesn’t sink into the abyss on the cheap is a little DIY bottle mount from Youtube Channel Wandering Designers.
You wouldn't know it if you just watched the video, but filmmaker David F. Sandberg's scary short film Not So Fast is a testament to DIY creativity. Because while it might seem like it was shot in a dark hallway with a weak light source, it was actually shot in his living room... with a lot of help from IKEA.
Just picked up a DJI Phantom but don't have the cash to drop on an expensive gimbal to keep your shots steady and level? Well, it turns out $10 will get you at least half-way there and keep the 'jello effect' and blur out of the videos and photos you plan to go out and capture.
DIY paper pinhole cameras aren't a new idea, but a new creation called Viddy thinks it can stand head and shoulders above the crowd by sheer 'cuteness.' Seriously, the camera has dubbed itself the 'world's cutest' medium format and 35mm pinhole camera, and it's so easy to put together, it might even entice some newbies to give pinhole photography a shot.
If you’ve ever been interested in developing your own film, but don’t know where to get started, this comprehensive video by YouTube user Photography_Bloke might be just the resource you’ve been looking for.
Raymundo Panduro of Pixel Análogo recently created the camera above, which he calls the "Pinolga". It's a realistic pinhole Holga medium format camera made out of cardboard that can take pretty impressive photographs.
Lens caps are the bane of every photographer’s existence. They’re meant to protect our beautiful glass from getting destroyed with scratches or worse yet, cracks. But as helpful as these little things are, they’re also the socks of the photography world, going missing every five seconds.
After losing his more time than he cares to remember, Intractables user thescientistformerlyknownasNaegeli came up with an extremely cheap, but effective DIY lens cap holder.
Who said you have to drop big bucks to have some high-speed fun? Well, it definitely wasn't Joey Shanks, who recently decided to show the Phantom users out there that they’re not the only ones who can do it.
To do this, Shanks rented a Casio EX-F1 high speed camera for a week. Costing him only $100, he combined its high frame-rate with a healthy dose of water and gunpowder to create some interesting high-speed footage with minimal investment.
Last week we shared a guest post that detailed how using your kit lens isn’t so bad after all. Following in the footsteps of that post, we have a convenient little DIY project by Instructable user G. M., who decided to prolong the lifespan of his own kit lens, by converting his Canon 18–55 f/3.5–5.6 from an EF-S to an EF mount.
If you're a photo lover and you happen to be getting married to another photo lover, you're going to (at the risk of sounding repetitive) love this little DIY project that photog couple Katie and Kyle put together for their wedding.
Rather than sending out typical wedding invites to all of the friends and family they wanted to join them on their special day, they decided to make these super creative invites using rolls of 35mm film instead!
Much as it pains me to encourage anyone to destroy a book, if you have a second copy of something or an old book you know you'll never flip through again, this neat little Photo Album DIY from Photojojo is worth putting on your crafts to-do list.
Schlieren Flow Visualization is a rather fascinating technique by which you can see and capture the differences in air pressure caused by various forces such as sound or heat.
And if the video we shared recently explaining/showing off this photographic trick had you yearning to try it for yourself, you're in luck, because there's a way you can create your own DIY Schlieren Flow setup for only $9.
The team over at COOPH today shared an insightful video that describes 7 DIY photography tips that use nothing more than items you have lying around the house. From can koozies to tights, a number of unusual household products make a cameo and help you add a unique, homemade element to your photo game.
We wouldn't exactly describe it as 'elegant,' but this little DIY project by Instructables user pizzidave is both functional and extremely easy to make. Requiring almost no DIY 'skill' of any kind, you can create a cool background and grid diffuser for yourself using some plastic bottles and rubber bands.
The steadicam has become a staple in the cinematography industry. The problem more often than not, though, is that not a lot of people can afford one.
And so, since production models range in price from a several hundred to a several thousand, a number of tool-savvy people have set out to create their own DIY options. One such example is this extremely solid and good-looking creation by Instructables user and photographer survival434
There are a ton of posts that’ll have you scared to take a DSLR to a color festival or run. I want to share my own color-proof seal for the Holi Festival of Colors in Utah that managed to keep my DSLR completely clean for under $15.
Photographer Clint Davis doesn’t do simple. Featured on PetaPixel almost four years ago when he created an unforgettable promotional mailer, his second attempt at the same is even more impressive.
When trying to perfectly light an object, there’s a method of shooting it inside of an environment called a lightbox -- essentially a 360° softbox that emulates the soft, natural, even lighting you would get on an overcast day.
Lightboxes are fairly small in size, meant for lighting small objects for product photographs and so on. But what if it were possible to create a human-sized lightbox for use with people? It turns out you can, and in the BTS video above, photographer Kevin Lynch shows off his version.
When it comes to DIY tilt-shift, there are a few different options out there, but none of them that we've seen are quite as impressive and practical as this 3D printed method from Instructables user Cpt.Insano.
One of the most sought after lighting accessories is a ring light. Meant to create a unique aesthetic, a ring light is a great way to add a sharp, but direct light source to any image. The problem is, ring lights don't come cheap, and are rarely meant for smaller cameras.
Thankfully, there's now a DIY solution for you hands-on types. Thanks to Instructables user alpacalypse, you now have a step-by-step guide to creating a ring light for your typical point-and-shoot camera.
The Rokinon 8mm f/2.8 lens is one of the best options for photographers wanting to get in on the super-wide-angle action with as little of an investment as possible.
One problem with this lens, however -- and it's the same with most fisheye lenses -- is the curved front element. With such a dramatic curve, the use of filters on such a lens is almost impossible... almost.
There is anything but a shortage of options when it comes to mounting your GoPro. Whether it's from the company itself, a third party, or one of the dozens of DIY rigs, if there’s somewhere you’re considering mounting a GoPro, there’s probably a way to do it.
On that note, today we stumbled across an awesome (and cheap!) DIY magnet mount put together by Instructables user nlinventor.
If you’re looking for a neat, photography-related DIY project to do this weekend, Canon has you covered. Shared on the Canon USA YouTube channel, the above video shows you how to make a custom epoxy resin coffee table in which you can show off your photography.
As 3D printing becomes more easily accessible and cheaper to work with, more and more people are experimenting to see just how the technology can be used to improve and tweak their photography. One such tweak has been created and shared by Instructables user Jan_Henrik.
By putting together an unused filter casing and a 3D printed piece of plastic, he's able to get some extra ‘pop’ in his photos and videos in the form of cinematic JJ Abrams-like lens flares.
This adorable young photographer's name is Fresley, and for a recent science experiment she decided to show YouTube how to turn a Pringles can into a pinhole camera in just over 8 minutes.
If you’re looking for an interesting way to spice up your experimental photography a bit, …
We heard how dangerous it could get outdoors with all of the traffic-crossings, pollen, UV rays and so on, and so we decided to stay inside and paint our walls with a live stream of the outside world...
If you want a lens that most or all photographers don't have, one way is to retro fit a vintage lens with a new mount. That's what Washington DC freelance photographer J. David Buerk did with a lens he found on an old Lubitel 2 twin-lens reflex camera, and the results are quite nice.
With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s probably a good time to share some inspiration for gift ideas. So, we’ve put together a little collection of items, both DIY and available for purchase to make your life a bit easier come May 11th.
We’ll start from least expensive and work our way towards the more expensive gear. Along with each project or product will be a short summary of what it is and an accompanying link to find out how to make it or where to purchase it.
Just the other day we shared an awesome ‘hack’ of sorts to get up to nine times as much battery life out of your camera using an external battery. And today we have another hack, albeit one that’s a bit more involved and uses extra batteries you might actually have laying around the house.
Want a crafty way to show off your travel photos? Try creating a personalized photo map, with states, provinces, or countries in the map replaced with pictures showing you in those locations.
When it comes to days where there are long periods of shooting -- particularly video -- it’s always nice to know you have enough battery power to make it through the day. And while Canon’s LP-E6 and LP-E8s are great, they tend to only last about an hour a piece when shooting HD video.
To make sure you have enough battery life to shoot a fair amount and then some, Chris Winter shares a neat little semi-hack he’s come up with to make an external battery capable of lasting up to 9 times as long as a standard Canon battery.
In what is one of the coolest photography hacks I’ve seen in a while, Steve Ramsey from Woodworking for Mere Mortals shows you how to easily create a print-transfer to wood using nothing more than your standard inkjet printer.
Looking to lighten up his current load while out photographing time-lapses, photographer Doug Urquhart 3D printed and pieced (read: hacked) together a brilliant 3-axis modular time-lapse motion control rig that is 50% lighter than his previous setup.
We recently took a look at some of the best camera hacks that will save you tons of money. Today we’ve decided to turn things up a notch and progress to the next level! If you’re the kind of person who loves to take things apart to find out how they work, you’ll love the ingenious camera hacks below.
When it comes to stabilizing your camera on the go, there are quite a few options out there. However, they tend to come at the cost of size or price, neither of which is appealing to many. That's where the DIY "Stringpod" will help you.
If you're looking for a comparatively cheap DIY option for adding a variable speed motor to a standard slider (most often used to shoot those cool motion time-lapses), this tutorial is perfect for you.