Do It Yourself

Modder Andy Rawson needed an easy way to find air leaks in his 100-year-old house in order to improve its energy efficiency. Not wanting to spend thousands of dollars on a thermal imaging camera, he decided to go the DIY route. He built a box containing a 64-zone temperature sensor, and managed to connect the device to his iPhone via the dock. By overlaying the temperature data onto the iPhone's camera display, the $150 attachment instantly turns the iPhone into a cheap thermal imaging camera.

Bandoliers are pocketed belts made for holding ammunition. They're often seen in action and war movies, slung over the chests of tough guys holding big guns. If you'd like to ensure that you never run out of photographic ammo (AKA film) when you're out and about, you can make yourself a nifty DIY film ammo strap. Photojojo says that these are inspired by old school camera straps that come with elastic film loops, but we definitely think you should go the extra mile and turn them into full-blown …

Want to light your nighttime photographs with something that can be mistaken for a portable sun? Check out this monstrous homemade flashlight composed of 513 separate LED lights. Created back in 2008 by Ledcreations, the device offers a whopping 3500-4000 lumens of light -- way more than the hundreds of lumens offered by other powerful flashlights on the market.

Samuel Cox, the "maker of things" whose Minority Report-style photo viewer we shared last year, was recently invited to a friend's wedding. He came up with the neat idea of creating a TARDIS-themed photo booth for the wedding reception, an accessible way for guests to leave photo memories in a lighthearted manner.

Some people who find themselves on hard times try to have themselves arrested so that they can eat for free in prison. It turns out that people in Southern California can do the same thing for a free studio-style headshot. Cat Cora, a chef on the Food Network show Iron Chef, recently got booked for a DUI after drinking three beers and getting behind the wheel. Her mugshot wasn't taken until 11 days after her arrest, so Cora had time to have her hair and makeup done in order to pose for a …

When filmmaker Ben Gill recently needed a way to attach his cameras to a car dashboard for a movie he was making, he decided to go the DIY route and come up with a makeshift solution. His resulting mount costed less than $10, and worked quite well. It was created using a car sponge (the kind that looks like a giant peanut) and some rug pad.

Ireland-based photographer David Hunt recently came up with the brilliant idea of turning an old broken battery grip into a small computer that can be connected to his Canon 5D Mark II. After buying a Raspberry Pi computer for €35, he modified the battery grip and stuffed the computer inside.

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.

For a fun weekend craft, try sculpting your own camera using a chunk of oven bake clay. Philippine based-photo enthusiast Astilla created the sculpture above, and writes, …

If you want to take Lensbaby-style selective focus macro shots using your phone, go buy a cheap laser pointer. Photographer Zaheer Mohiuddin writes that the lens inside laser pointers (the one that focuses the laser) works well as a macro lens for the tiny cameras found on smartphones. After taking the device apart and finding the small gem-like lens, simply attach it to your camera with some tape to start shooting close-up pictures.

Slit-scan cameras are used to shoot finish line photos due to the fact that recording a moving subject along a strip of film makes it impossible to miss any frames. Engineer and photographer James Guerin was interested in the distinctive look, so he went about building his own slit-scan film camera using an old Pentax SLR.

Big bulky cameras can be pretty intimidating when they're used to photograph young children. For a cheap and simple way to make yours a little more child-friendly, consider using a PEZ candy dispenser as a fun, attention-grabbing hotshoe accessory.

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.

Snapping a photograph while driving isn't the smartest, safest, or easiest thing to do. How then should one go about snapping pictures of the interesting things you drive past without breaking the law or putting people at risk? …

We've featured large format LEGO cameras before, but what about wide format? Photographer Giacomo Citti created this panoramic LEGO pinhole camera that features a sliding shutter and film winders on the sides.

If you need to do a quick shoot in the rain but don't have a proper rain cover handy, you can quickly put together a makeshift one using a large Ziploc freezer bag. Photographer Kariann Goodkey over at Purple Summit Photography has a step-by-step tutorial on the conversion, which basically involves cutting out a whole and using gaffer tape to secure your lens hood to the "cover". Goodkey writes, …

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! …

Who said that hi-end lighting equipment has to be expensive? And who says the only way to shoot with fluorescent light is to use the flicker-free Kino Flo lights that can cost you thousands of dollars? …

The Dirkon pinhole 35mm camera is made entirely from paper cut from a template by designers Martin Pilný, Mirek Kolář and Richard Vyškovský. The three published the template in a 1979 issue of Czechoslovakian magazine ABC mladých techniků a přírodovědců (translated as An ABC of Young Technicians and Natural Scientists). While original prints of the magazine are rare, the Dirkon gained cult popularity in Chzechoslovakia.

If you're in need of some quick image stabilization but don't want to shell out the $16+ dollars it takes to buy a real one, an old broom handle can do the trick. All you need besides the handle -- or a 1-inch wooden dowel, or a big stick -- are a hex nut and hanger bolt for the tripod mount and a spiral nail for the base. MAKE has the lowdown on how you put the ingredients together to form "the world's cheapest monopod".

As you already know, we're pretty obsessed with Polaroids, and all the creative photography we can get our hands on. This tutorial will teach you how to make a pop-up Polaroid camera card that "prints" out a miniature Polaroid picture.

Want to add some custom tints to your photos without resorting to digital trickery? dainy over at Lomography has a tutorial on how you can create a simple color filter using some cardboard and colored transparency sheets. Combining thin strips of various colors can lead to pretty artsy effects.

If you've got spent, empty film cassettes lying around collecting dust, Photojojo has a crafty idea for the mindful re-user: make them into rolled invitation or stationery holders.

Here's a tutorial by Elizabeth Giorgi of Being Geek Chic on how you can turn your Instagram photos into beautiful canvas-style prints for about a buck a pop. You can find a text version of the tutorial here.

If you want to snap a photograph of the sun (perhaps during an eclipse) without burning your camera sensor, one quick way is to make a dark filter using an unwanted floppy disk (remember those?). You'll need to carefully harvest the black magnetic film inside the disk and slice out a piece to cover your lens with. Two words of warning: don't crease the film, lest you make it unusable, and don't use the filter with your human eyes.

Here's a cool DIY project, courtesy of creator Derte84 and the folks over at Instructables, for those of you who have a bunch of slides sitting around but no slide projector in sight. Putting the whole thing together will require a little bit of hardware (e.g. you'll either need the tools to cut the wood yourself or an account with a laser cutting service) but the final product is pretty cool.

Around this time last year, we featured a video on developing film using coffee and vitamin C. And now, the folks behind the Caffenol blog (which was named after the nickname given to the "home brew" developer) have put together a video showing that it's possible to do something similar using red wine instead of coffee and photo paper instead of film.

For all you DIY-ers out there looking for a fast, fun photography project, here's a quick way to create a make-shift fisheye lens for your camera using only a 200-degree peephole, some drawer liner, a PVC reducer and some tape. The final product certainly doesn't look like a professional fisheye lens -- this definitely falls into the "fun weekend project" category -- but even so, the results turned out better than you would expect from a 200-degree peephole and some PVC.

After buying a Yongnuo flash and finding its wireless capabilities "hit and miss", Marcell of fiberstrobe decided to try out something he saw on a forum: using a fiber optic cable as a sync cord. The Yongnuo YN460-II can function as an optical slave, so the basic idea is to channel light from your camera's flash into the light sensor of the strobe. To solve the problem of light leakage, Marcell also created an accessory using LEGO bricks, cardboard, and duct tape to fox the fiber to the sensor …

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 …

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 …

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, …

Photographer Christian Lobo came up with this thrifty macro setup that uses his Canon Rebel T3/1100D and a 50mm f/1.8. It might look ghetto, but it actually functions pretty well for casual macro photography.

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, …

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.

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.

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.

While working on some light painting shots, Sawo from Enlightpaintment was frustrated that he had to keep running back and forth from his camera. Even using an IR remote he was adding seconds of unnecessary exposure during which he wasn't actually doing anything but running. So, in a fit of creativity, he decided to put together his own DIY wireless remote using about $20 worth of equipment from Radio Shack and eBay.

Last year we featured a neat little origami camera created using a dollar bill by Won Park. If you've been dying to know how to fold one yourself, today's your lucky day. Be warned though: isn't definitely not an origami project for beginners.

Italian designer Tommaso Guerra is known for transforming various objects into household design items. The wall-mounted swiveling lamp above was created using a 35mm camera, with a lamp shade as the lens shade. More photos here.

Continuous lights aren't used as often when shooting stills, but for those of you who enjoy using your SLR to shoot the occasional (or more than occasional) video, this cheap DIY ring light may be worth a shot. If you're going to attempt it, know in advance that you'll need to have a little bit of DIY savvy and a few tools handy (a soldering iron and a dremel tool), but as long as you're not afraid to get your hands dirty and do some basic electrical work, the final product seems to work pretty …

This video is actually part of a project called To Catch a Bike Thief -- which is trying to raise awareness about and, of course, prevent bike theft. This particular experiment was their way of doing some "aerial surveillance" of the area on a budget, but regardless of whether they achieved that goal, they did get some awesome aerial footage using only some wood, balloons and a fishing line rated at 20lbs. Viewers be advised that there is a little bit of cursing towards the beginning of the …

After seeing some elegant black picture frames with brass edges in a designer magazine, Courtney of A Thoughtful Place realized that she could create the same look on the cheap by using some plain painter's tape and a can of brass spray paint. The project takes a couple hours to complete and a few dollars in supplies, and is a thrifty way to add a dash of style to your home if you don't want to shell out money for pricey frames.

Camera hoarder Stacie Grissom of Stars for Streetlights received a massive collection of old cameras from her uncle a couple years ago. She soon discovered that she wouldn't possibly have time to use all of them, so she took a few of the neglected and worn down ones and made a one-of-a-kind lamp for her home. The cameras were turned into the lamp base using a pipe and some cold weld, and the lamp shade was made using color slide film. If you have some broken cameras lying around and want to …

We really enjoy DIY projects for photographers, and as such we've featured everything from the ultra simple to complex light-painting robots. But what excites us about Instructables' DIY tilt-shift adapter isn't just the durable plunger adapter you end up with, but rather the idea that one could manufacture their own camera accessories with a little bit of design skill and a 3D printer (check out Shapeways if you don't have one sitting around).

The photos that went into the animation above were all created in-camera using software and a robotic arm programmed before hand with predetermined patterns. The project, known as LightPlot, started as an NXT Lego experiment in stop-motion photography by Ben Cowell-Thomas. He wanted to create a motion control rig for stop-motion using NXT, but as he was looking through some light painting projects online, he began to wonder how he could turn his lego project into a light painting rig.

Here's a great DIY project we found over on Lomography that'll help you to display your favorite photos, give them as gifts, or maybe even do a bit of self-promotion in a unique way. All you have to do is get some 3x3 prints of your favorite coaster-worthy photos, some 4x4 tiles made from the material of your choice, some foam or cork for the bottoms, some Mod Podge and a sponge applicator. This might even be a good way to put some of those already square Instagram photos to work for you.