Recent DIY Articles

DIY Theatrical Portraits: Using a Spotlight

I've been seeing spotlights used in shoots everywhere, so I wanted to jump on the trend and put my own twist on a spotlight shoot. Here’s how my creative partner, David, and I created a theatrical portrait session using a spotlight.

This Photographer Built His Own Lens and The Results Are Gorgeous

Creating your own DIY lens for photography can be both simple and surprisingly effective. With just a few materials—some drainage pipe, magnifying glasses, and a little ingenuity—you can build a lens that opens up new creative possibilities. The idea here isn’t about high-end equipment but rather about experimenting, learning, and having fun with a setup that’s low-cost and custom-made.

I Shot the Solar Eclipse on Film With a Hasselblad 500 C/M

Across the vast millennia of human existence, the total solar eclipse remains the most spectacular and celebrated of astronomical phenomena. As the blue sky dimmed, I suddenly decided to shoot the 2024 solar eclipse on black and white film using my trusty Hasselblad 500 C/M.

DIY Color Backdrop Product Photography

It seems that the genre of product photography is booming right now. I come across hiring ads for product and e-commerce photographers all the time. With e-commerce being such a big market, or at least where I live, there is a lot of need for product photographers. I learned the basics of photographing products many years ago, and it has come in handy several times.

How To Print Your Photography at Home: The Basics

If it’s not on paper, it’s not a real photograph. You must’ve heard this sentence at least once in your photographic journey. For many, it rings true. The best way to appreciate our captures is to hold them on a physical paper. But how to best print at home? Which printer to get? How to use it?

Model Versus Slime: Using Slime in a Photoshoot

Doing a photoshoot with slime was my Nickelodeon-inspired childhood dream come true. We used 20 gallons of blue slime in this shoot, and it created some wild photos.

Building Custom Photo Frames for a Gallery Show

Having a gallery show is a dream for most artists and photographers, and for my husband, David, and me, that dream finally became a reality. We had to figure out how to build professional looking custom frames for the show!
A Colorful DIY Photoshoot Backdrop Under $25

Sometimes, the simplest ideas can create some really cool images. Here’s how I created a fun and colorful DIY photoshoot backdrop for less than $25.

Crazy Cosmic Photoshoot Using Metallic Spandex

Can metallic spandex work in a photoshoot? See how we built an entire photography set using metallic spandex and some of the challenges we faced along the way.
Hack a GoPro Into a Multi-Lens Camera

If your dream camera doesn't exist, it might be time to craft one yourself. Here's how to hack a GoPro into a multi-use camera.

The Ultimate Desk for Creators

Like a lot of creatives, finding that perfect desk setup is sort of like searching for the holy grail. But after a lot of searching, I think I found mine.

Working With What You Have

As a photographer, you don’t always get a great studio or a perfect location for your shoot. Sometimes, you have to work with what you have. This is a great video to show you just that.
Look Like You Know What You're Doing With These Camera Hacks

Having been a freelancer for the majority of my professional life, there is rarely one part of my operation where I am not bootstrapped for cash. Yet, it’s been the most beneficial because it shows the power of creativity no matter how cruel the rig. In the end, the shot does the talking.

3 Easy Ways to Make Your Own DIY Mist Filters

Have you been wanting to achieve that trendy dreamy look in your photos and videos but hesitant to spend money on the filters to do so? This quick tutorial just might help you be able to try it out.

How to Get Great-Looking First-Person PoV Footage With Your iPhone

If you want to create more first-person footage, or gather some interesting b-roll, or even film some great behind-the-scenes footage, this video might be for you. Armed with just your iPhone and some DIY, you can have an excellent, albeit odd-looking, first-person rig.
This 489 Megapixel DIY Camera Is Cheap and Neat

A $150 DIY camera that is capable of capturing 489-megapixel images sounds too good to be true, right? Let's take a look at how this thing is built and the pictures you can expect to get from it.

The $60 Monitor Worth Having on Your Desk

Thanks to the popularity of mini touchscreen monitors, these little screens are more available and affordable than ever. For this reason, now might be a good time for photographers to add one to their existing setup.

I Tried Newborn Photography and Quickly Realized How Hard It Is!

Having seen many beautiful images of newborns in the past, when I recently became a father for the first time I was keen to get some images of my newborn daughter. Unfortunately, the photographers I wanted to use had no availability, so I thought I'd try it myself. It was an interesting experience.

Check Out This Amazing DIY Pond for Filming Wildlife

One of the most difficult aspects of wildlife and bird photography is finding your subjects and having the patience to wait for them to come into position in frame. So, what if you could make your own spot that you knew would attract wildlife? This photographer and filmmaker designed and built his own pond for bird and wildlife photography, and this awesome video shows the location and the beautiful footage he gets there.

Create Beautiful Portraits With This $20 DIY Light

Photography can be an expensive pursuit, with cameras, lenses, and lights setting you back thousands and thousands of dollars. While that is true, the operative part is "can be". There are lots of ways to create amazing images on a modest budget.

How to Make Your Own Food Photography Backgrounds

Creating an eye-catching and successful food photo is about more than simply lighting and arranging the food in a compelling way; you need to be able to create a set that complements the food and enhances the overall mood of the image. This helpful video tutorial features an experienced food photographer discussing some ways you can go about doing that.

How To Make Custom Backdrops on a Budget!

Custom-made, hand-painted backdrops were all the rage a few years back. I personally could never justify the price of one, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t wanted to try it out.

This Could Be My Favorite DIY Photo Background System Yet

Over the last three years, I have built out four new photography studios, and each time, I find better and better ways to streamline my spaces. In this video, I want to share with you one of the coolest ways to mount your seamless paper or Gravity backdrops.

The Best Camera Hack to Get Sharper Photos

There are a couple of things you can do to get sharper photos with your long lens. But what if we want to go even further? This lens hack might be a bit crazy, but it is the best I have ever seen because it really works, and it is feasible on location. Find out how to get sharper telephoto shots.

My Perfect Camera Carrying SystemWith QD

With every camera comes a nice strap, often mentioning the name of the brand. Although the strap works nicely, there are much better solutions. In the last decade, I have found a solution that suits my own needs. Since I often get questions about it, I decided to write an article about it.

Amazing DIY Photo Storage Server

Let's face it: as photographers, we are crazy about saving our files. I have terabytes of images and videos spanning multiple hard drives in different arrays in my studio, and it drives me nuts that it's in disarray. Maybe you’re in the same boat, looking for a better way to safely store all your important images in one place.

16 Simple, Affordable, and Effective Photography Prop Ideas

One thing we sometimes forget in the process of trying to improve our photos is the impact a simple prop can have, especially when you are trying to break through a creative block. If you want an affordable but effective way to invigorate your creative process and add more visual interest to your images, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you 16 simple prop ideas, all for under $50.

Cinematic Video With a 20-Year-Old Camcorder

Are you a fan of the 4:3 aspect ratio? There's definitely something nostalgic about the nearly square framing that instantly transports me back to my childhood in the late 1980s. Aside from that, I’m overjoyed that it’s no longer in widespread use.

How to Build a Charging Station for Photographers and Videographers

The arsenal of equipment modern-day photographers and videographers have is large, with gadgets left and right. This does create some difficulties, however, and one irritant is the need to charge everything pre-shoot. Here is how to build a DIY charging station.

Check Out This DIY Projector Lens Mod To Get Swirly Bokeh for Cheap

Adapting lenses to different camera mounts isn't something that is new to photographers. This photographer shares some specific DIY steps to adapt cheap projector lenses to a mirrorless camera. The result? Beautiful f/1.2 swirly, bokeh-filled images.

This Photographer Built His Own Pond for Bird Photography

One of the hardest parts of wildlife and bird photography is simply finding and waiting for your subjects. This wildlife photographer made a way for them to come to him, however, by designing and digging his own pond for bird photography, and this neat series of videos show the ideas that went into the design, the construction process, and the impressive results that came from the project.

How to Make a DIY Overhead Light for Dramatic and Cinematic Scenes

You don't have to spend a fortune to have great-looking lighting in your images and videos, you just need to know what sort of light you want and how to create it. In this video, learn how to put together a DIY overhead light, perfect for dramatic scenes.

DIY or Not: That’s the Question

If you want to buy some items for your photography, prices are often high. It feels like the manufacturer has increased the price just because it is for photography. Sometimes, it is possible to make that item yourself. But is the DIY solution just as good?

Restoring and Photographing With a Large Format Bokeh Monster

Look at any photography discussion board or Facebook page, and you’ll quickly run into members obsessed with bokeh, or the quality of out-of-focus elements in a photograph. If you are in the bokeh-obsessed stage of photography, then large format wet plate photography is absolutely for you.

How To Paint Vinyl Backgrounds for Food and Product Photography

Food and product photography backgrounds can be incredibly difficult to come by in certain parts of the world. There are lots of tutorials out there about how to create your own textured backgrounds and wood backgrounds. But vinyl backgrounds are the bomb when it comes to portability and saving space. Creating them isn’t too difficult either.