Many years ago, when my wife decided to follow in my footsteps and become a scuba diver, I lovingly joked that she was mostly interested in buying all the accessories. In turn, she remarked that the only reason I was a photographer is because there's a never-ending parade of gadgets I could buy for that endeavor as well. And I can't disagree: photography is one of the most expensive pastimes ever invented. This week, I thought I'd share some novel ways to get more out of photography without spending a fortune--with a pair of "do it yourself" projects.
Make a Flash Diffuser
If you have a high-end point-and-shoot or a digital SLR, odds are good that you also have an external flash unit. Getting good flash photos is one quarter science, three quarters art--and generally just difficult to do.
The problem is that most flash photos can end up creating harsh lighting effects, with unnatural highlights and sharp shadows. Yuck. So people resort to buying all sorts of flash diffusers, ranging anywhere from $20 to $75. Some are simple, like the common Sto-fen, while some fall into the "so crazy looking it must be great!" category.
Well, believe it or not, you can make a flash diffuser that works great--arguably as well as commercial products costing $75--for the cost of a piece of inkjet printer paper. For the detailson how it all works, check out this video from Peter Gregg.
Gregg explains how to mount a small piece of paper onto your flash, then orient the unit to take excellent photos with even, diffuse lighting. I've tried the technique and can confirm that it works surprisingly well.
Build a Lightbox
Perhaps your photographic proclivities lie in the capture of coins, stamps, jewelry, and other small items. Maybe you need to shoot subjects like these for Web sites or to sell on an auction site. If so, you might have priced a lightbox or some similar gadget for capturing small scenes with studio-like lighting and found that they can cost anywhere from $100 to $250. Once again, I've got a bargain for you.
Check out the clever do-it-yourself light tent project at the Digital Photography School blog.
It looks like the sort of grade-school project you might help your kids make late on a Sunday night, but this cardboard box-based workaround helps you take surprisingly good photos, thanks to the great lighting control it affords. For the best results, you might want to perform one upgrade not mentioned in the article: Instead of using ordinary daylight bulbs recommended in the tutorial, step up to more powerful 250W photo lights, which you can find at most photography stores.
Hot Pic of the Week
Get published, get famous! Each week, we select our favorite reader-submitted photo based on creativity, originality, and technique. Every month, the best of the weekly winners gets a prize valued at between $15 and $50.
Here's how to enter: Send us your photograph in JPEG format, at a resolution no higher than 640 by 480 pixels. Entries at higher resolutions will be immediately disqualified. If necessary, use an image editing program to reduce the file size of your image before e-mailing it to us. Include the title of your photo along with a short description and how you photographed it. Don't forget to send your name, e-mail address, and postal address. Before entering, please read the full description of the contest rules and regulations.
This Week's Hot Pic: "Rainy Savannah," by Julie Boyer, Palm Harbor, Florida
See all the Hot Pic of the Week photos online.
