Today I bring you the update of an article on homemade photography tricks with the help of Caro. Because it is one of your favorite articles. And it is that, just as it is not necessary to have the most expensive camera to achieve incredible photographs, neither is it necessary to have the most expensive photographic accessories to be able to photograph like a professional. Although the quality of the accessories is essential to achieve sharp and quality photographs, the important thing is to understand how these elements work, beyond the materials with which they are made. You can achieve amazing results using items you would normally throw away.
The wait to save the money to get a diffuser, a light window or why not, your own photo studio, it can be exasperating but, with a little imagination, you can make it yourself. You will be amazed at the results you can achieve.
In today’s article I have prepared a selection of easy to make photo props with disposable materials and that will be essential when working on your photographs while saving you a few euros. Begin Bricogotography 😉
homemade photo diffusers
Diffusers are accessories that are placed in front of a light source (flash, reflector, etc.) in order to be able to manipulate the way it affects the subjects or objects that you are going to photograph. You can blur it, direct it, bounce it, etc., according to the way these are built.
Not all diffusers are the same, there are as many as situations that can arise when taking your photos and even more so if, using your imagination, you manage to make your own.
Here are some examples of homemade photo diffusers that you can build yourself, using materials normally available to anyone:
Honeycomb
These types of flash diffusers allow you to have greater control over the direction that the light will take when it is fired from your flash. The light passes through the small tubes preventing it from being dispersed, channeling it through them. Even if it surprises you, you can make your own homemade diffuser for flash almost free, just get a few straws, glue and desire, and you’ll be ready to make your own. How to do it? Take a look at the video below I have left for you.
How to mount it
The result
How to make a Soft Light diffuser (DIY)
Surely you have seen this type of diffuser mounted on the cameras of professional photographers, or in some window of a photography store. For a few euros you can get one, but did you know that you can do it totally free? Yes, with just a sheet of paper, a pair of scissors and some glue you can make your own in a matter of minutes. Pay attention to the explanation image and get to work!
The result
Round diffuser
If you are a lover of macro photography or you are just starting out in product photography, a circular flash will be almost essential for you. What are very expensive? No way, you can make your own with just a cheap salad container, a plastic one, cardboard and some aluminum foil.
If you look closely you will see that the lid of the container works as a diffuser, while the metallic paper concentrates the light of the flash inside it. Look at the result, surprising right?
light reflectors
To shape the light you have the option of using diffusers, but also reflectors. Here you have a photo comparison with reflector and without reflector.
Left without reflector, right with reflector
As you can see, not only does it bring more light to the cactus, it is that being silver has changed the hue, the two images are as they are from the camera.
And what reflector have we used? Well, a very homemade one, an open tetrabrick, here’s the proof.
How to build a homemade reflector?
In addition to the tetrabrick option, bearing in mind that its surface is small and is only suitable for small-sized motifs, you can also create your own homemade reflectors to the size you want. Here you have how to make your homemade light reflectors, step by step.
Homemade reflectors and diffuser
Color gels for your flash
Colored gels are filters that are used to change the color of the light emitted by the flash and thus achieve spectacular effects. They are an excellent accessory since they are not expensive at all, even less if you make them yourself.
Go to the nearest store, buy colored acetates and use them the next time you shoot your flash. You can use them both on external flashes as well as on the built-in flash on your camera by simply putting it in front of it during shooting.
The result
Oh, and with a little imagination, you can adapt the jellies to your flash 😉
paper parasol
The main function of lens hoods is not to reduce the “amount” of light in the shot as their name might suggest. The lens hoods are used to prevent unwanted halos of light from ruining our shots. This defect is known as “flare” and occurs when the lateral light that reaches the objective is reflected in the crystals.
Don’t worry, just by placing your parasol you can avoid it! What have you lost the parasol? Do not run to the store to spend a fortune to replace it, you can get out of trouble by printing it again. Yes, you heard right you read right, by going to LensHoods.co.ukyou can download the one corresponding to your objective and print it in a matter of seconds.
light boxes
A light box or “softbox” is, as its name suggests, a box with translucent sides that allows to convert the hard and direct light, applied through it, into a soft light that does not generate very accentuated shadows. This accessory is ideal for taking product photos and still lifes with professional results without the need for expensive equipment.
Although you can get them for very little money on sites like eBay, you can make your own without spending a penny and, at the same time, recycle. You will only need a cardboard box, some white cardboard and a light source. You will be surprised by the results that you will be able to obtain thanks to it.
homemade light box
How to make a homemade light box?
If you dare to make your own light box, here we explain how step by step.
The result of photographing with a light box
light windows
A light window is a soft but large-scale diffuser of light, hence the name “window”. They are used in studios to make the light from a flash or reflector as soft as possible. The larger the surface that the light bounces off of, the softer the light will be in the scene. This is why light windows are widely used by professional photographers in their studios.
With a little imagination, cardboard and a white cloth you can make your own without much effort. You can use either your external flash or, if you don’t have one, any lamp you have on hand as a light source. Speaking of external flash, in this mega guide you will find all the information about this lighting accessory.
Diffuser Umbrella
Another of the accessories that will make you feel like a professional are the reflector umbrellas that are used in large photographic productions to disperse light. Again, you don’t have to spend too much money to get one: any white umbrella will help diffuse the light in your photographic productions, at least until you can get a professional one.
beauty dishes
A beauty dish is a flash light modifier that is used especially in portraits when you want to highlight the beauty of the model. In this video they explain how to make one at home.
Accessories for stability
As I told you in the article “24 ways to achieve sharpness”, the stability of the equipment when taking the shots is essential to be able to achieve sharp photographs. But what to do if you don’t have a tripod? Easy, you make one!
Here are some photos for you to use as inspiration:
monopod
If you are looking for something more elaborate, or less rustic, you can try to achieve something like this:
String tripod or homemade stabilizer
As surprising as it may seem, you will be able to achieve sharper photos thanks to a tripod made with a rope. Actually, more than a tripod, this well-known trick works as a homemade stabilizer.
How? At one end you secure the camera to the rope with a screw, in this case I have hooked it to the washer of the shoe. At another end, you hold it with your foot. I had this accessory from a broken box that I recycled, but any washer or object that helps you step on it and hold the rope well is worth it. As you stretch the rope, the tension in the rope will prevent you from making sudden movements. You only have to adjust the rope according to your height. Cheaper impossible and although it is not as comfortable as a monopod, the truth is that it helps to stabilize.
stabilizer for tripod
Most professional tripods, having to support very heavy cameras and lenses, allow greater stability by lowering their center of mass. You will not be able to find this function in mid-range or low-end tripods, unless you make it yourself 😀
Adding a counterweight to the center axis of your tripod will make your tripod much more stable. Look at the following example:
rain covers
As we saw in the article “Complete Guide: Cleaning Tips for SLR Cameras”, water and dust fight side by side to see who is the worst enemy of your camera. Once inside the camera, on the outside, on the threads, buttons or between the lens gears, dust and water are a threat to both your photos and your equipment.
What if I told you that all these risks can be eliminated with a simple bag? Yes Yes. Look, you can minimize all these risks if, when you go to the supermarket, you buy a couple of zip lock bags. Make sure to position the bag as seen in the photo below, and there will be no rain to stop you.
Objectives and Filters
Neutral Density Filter
Density filters…