DIY - Do It Yourself Photography

Well of course photography is do it yourself. But did you know there are easy fixes for lots of photography problems. Such as using a car windshield reflector as a light reflector. Especially if you get the two side ones. One side being gold the other being silver. The gold side is great for portraits giving that nice warm glow and the silver side is great to optimize your lighting. The best thing is you can usually pick on of these up for less than $10.00! Much better than $30.00 or more for specialty ones.

Need a holder for that reflector try HERE Nothing like a little ingenuity and home depot to get things done.

Heres another Macro Light Box made even cheaper than the one I showed previously. I spent $10.00 on my box not counting the lighting. This box is made of card board and poster board, which you can get at the dollar store.

Need a studio back drop and don't have much money try using some pvc pipe to make a stand and use Velcro strips to attach different color and patterns of sheets you can pick up at walmart. Want to make it look even more professional? Remember tie dying, get yourself some muslin or a white sheet, a bucket, some string and some dye and have fun. You could make several different colors for any portrait situation.

Heres one of my favorites a Mini Flash Bouncer great for amplifying your flash.

Heres directions on how to make your own Soft Box. Something would normally cost a few hundred dollars! Great for reducing harsh shadows.

Need to Soft Flash Diffuser try cutting out a piece of paper and taping it over the flash, it will cut down on the harsh shadows and light. You could also use a piece of silk.

Looking to add some color to your pictures. Try taking colored CD jewel cases and use them as jells like red, blue, and green. Yes it really does work, just make sure they are scratched. You can pick them up very cheaply.

How about a lens hood? Gotta have that right? Try a Printable Foldable Lens Hood

Well that should keep you busy for a while. I'll post more next week.