DIY

So, here's the problem with shopping for photographers: they tend to have really expensive taste. I mean, you can't really get Bob that 70-200mm f/2.8 lens when the office gift exchange program has a $20 limit. (Why is Bob asking for that, anyway? Come on, Bob. This is supposed to be casual.) Here are 10 fun and cheap DIY photography gift ideas.

Who's ready to go to Home Depot and undertake an easy weekend DIY project to improve your studio work? This helpful video will show you how to construct your own v-flats, a highly useful and versatile (and cheap) tool every studio photographer should have.

Let’s face it, some people are just more creative than others. There’s no denying that we all think in radically different ways. Some of us are more "in the box" creatives, leaning towards more straightforward images - images that are technically perfect when viewed by a histogram or composition. Those artists create on the go, and in the end are able to make what others can only strive for, unique pieces of art.

In the fall of 1962, the fifth American astronaut brought an iconic camera with him. It was custom built for the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission, and would ensure that Hasselblad was marked in history as the camera that photographed earth. Fifty-five years later, we may never see a camera quite like it. Famed Photographer Cole Rise has spent the last two years embarking on fixing that.

Lets face it: there’s nothing sexy about light stands, nor do we get G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome) when the latest light stand is revealed. Caleb Pike with DSLR Video Shooter shows off an easy to build boom arm for the perfect light stand setup.

This is a simple yet very personal and special project you can do at home for your clients, family, or your own walls. Traditional online canvas sales proceeding a photo session can be bland and impersonal. So if you have some time to spare for this project, it creates a connection like no other with your clients. I think of projects like this as the cherry on top of a photoshoot. It's one of the few ways to carry your artistic ability all the way through to the hard copy. This technique is usually used in the fine arts and street art world, so adding this to digital photography is a cool way to merge the two worlds. Essentially, with this you will separate your photo's ink from the paper to leave it floating in clear acrylic medium.

I love strip lights; they're probably my favorite when it comes to lighting. However, like everything that has to do with lighting, they're expensive — often much more so than their design and realization seem to command. Luckily, there are clever photographers out there with DIY projects like this one to save the day (and your wallet).

There are tonnes of tips and hacks you can use to get new and creative shots for your portfolio. How many tips are you aware of where you are using simple objects most people probably have just lying around? If you are like me and shop online, you probably have a few cardboard boxes lying around right now which could be perfect for some photo hacks for creative work.

Inspired by a video created by Maison Carnot, Photographer and Videographer Andrew Szeto created a memorable Iceland travel video by shooting through his Pentax 67’s waist-level viewfinder. Stating that he “wanted to bring something different to the table” while visiting the popular photography destination, the final result is uniquely light and personal. Check out the video as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how it was made.

Last week I was asked to shoot some model polaroids and create a comp card for my friend and a fantastic model, Mallory Mims, for her to take with her when meeting with agencies in LA. Before starting I did some research and gathered some examples so that I could give Mallory the best results and ensure she’d make a great first impression when meeting with potential agents. I got a little nervous during my Google search because I wasn't finding consistent standards or templates very quickly. Since I had such a hard time in my own research I am sharing what I found and a template to make this easier on you guys than it was for me.

Believe it or not, these bone-chilling images were created by a 17-year-old boy from a small town in Mississippi out of sheer boredom. I think it's safe to say that Eagan Tilghman's boredom may be cured for life if he grasps his sudden Internet fame and runs with it. This isn't just another cute cat video or clever Trump meme. This is art with a heartwarming story. Eagan wrote a short commentary on his Facebook page, letting us in on why he created the images. His words alone are beautiful, haunting, and beyond his years.

One thing most photographers have in common is the love of gear. We know it's not about what's in your bag, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't value good design and ease of use when considering a tripod clamp or ND filter kit. But what if you could design it yourself, and have it produced? Film Look's latest video shows what they printed for themselves. I would never have thought about battery cases, but now I need it, and it would keep my bag much more organized.

Being a commercial photographer means being able to deliver no matter what the conditions are and pushing the boundaries for the client. In this video, as you’ll see, French photographer Philippe Echaroux was given the challenge to go even further and create stunning portraits using only an iPhone, a flashlight, and a Big Mac box. Yes, you read that last item correctly! If you’re wondering how he did it, be sure to watch the full video.

Ring lights used to just be a fun type of portrait lighting style, but now are becoming more and more popular for YouTubers and vloggers who need a soft, even light on their face for a camera that sits close to them. Caleb Pike from DSLR Video Shooter is a self-proclaimed do-it-yourself enthusiast, and made this tutorial on how to make a light that is similar to a ring light, but creates a triangle shape instead of a circle.

Over the years of using my personal set of studio lights, I've found I've become increasingly frustrated with the growing cost of equipment such as softboxes and scrims. While these are necessary when shooting in a studio, I couldn't justify spending all that money for a massive softbox when it's actually quite easy to build one yourself. All it takes is a bit of time and effort, but once you're done, you're left with a solid sense of achievement and a light modifier that has a lot to offer.

Since moving into my new house about a month ago, I've been thinking more and more about creating my own studio setup using as little resources as possible. As much as I'd love to own a huge Profoto Octa in my house, it's just not always possible. So why not build your own lighting rigs using equipment readily available at your nearest hardware store?

Cable management is one task that for me is bizarrely fun and rewarding. In my last article, I wrote about creating a DIY portable charging station built out of a Craftsman tool box that is serving me quite well in the studio and in the field. Clients have been impressed with the simplicity and intentional design in keeping a lot of gear charged. It communicates quite a bit about how you take care of your investments. Here are a few tips to help you manage the clutter in your office or studio.

Creating high-quality work doesn’t have be expensive. Outside of talent, the ability to execute creative ideas cheaply can be the single best quality in a photographer or videographer. While there is some very excellent equipment out there that can make your job super easy, it is very important to consider the items we have around us, reusing resources and thinking divergently. A huge value to any company or agency is the ability to save money whenever possible.

Gear. Batteries. Cables. Chargers. Hubs. Do you ever feel like you spend more time managing things around creating instead of actually creating? Is your gear a chaotic mess when it comes to charging the plethora of batteries you have for your digital lineup? Is charging after you are out shooting something you don't keep up with right away? Wouldn't you rather grab a beer and download your digital assets after a shoot and skip charging? If you are anything like me and love getting more out of the gear you already have, here’s a sweet and rewarding DIY solution to make life a little easier. You can build a similar charging station for less than $50 using a few tools and simple supplies that you or a friend might already have.

Just over a year ago today, I took the leap and made my first MagMod purchase. That first endeavor included: The Basic Kit, a set of Creative Gels, a set of Artistic Gels, an extra MagGrid, an extra MagGrip, a MagBounce, and a MagSphere. Over the last year I’ve added (and replaced) a few more items into my MagMod kit that is now to a point I’m now extremely happy with. After that initial purchase though, there was still one missing piece that kept lurking in the back of my mind. It wasn't actually a MagMod item so much as it was something I saw in a video on the MagMod page featuring TwoMann Studios.

We're going to build our very own photographers PC, capable of working at blazing speeds with 50-megapixel images and dozens of layers in Adobe Photoshop. The high-end system we will be discussing here will have a budget of $1,500 in mind. For this, we're going to build our post-processing dream PC, but it doesn't include a monitor. Let's start comparing specs.

We’ve all been there having a filter stuck tightly on the lens, or it’s been damaged and won’t come off cleanly. There are plenty of tools and tricks to help unscrew the filter, but a band saw has to be the most dangerous way of going about it.

There’s no doubt that flying a camera hundreds of feet above your head is pushing the boundaries of modern photography, but why stop there? Why not take some old school technology into the skies?

If you’ve ever spent time shooting product photography or still life, you probably recognize and appreciate random surfaces and textures that would make flattering surfaces to photograph things on. Here’s an easy and inexpensive way to create leather texture the next time you find yourself in need of a classy surface.

When I moved in to my studio a little over three years ago, I needed a place to hang, store, and use my rolls of seamless paper. I didn’t have many — just a few nine-foot rolls of white, gray, black, and green — but I wanted them out of my way. Storing them vertically wasn’t a good option in the space, and storing them laying down is never a good idea. So, I wanted to figure out a simple system that I could build that would do the trick. Here’s what I came up with.

Gear Acquisition Syndrome isn't just about camera bodies and lenses; it definitely extends to lighting as well. But sometimes, it's great to see someone go back to the bare basics of manipulating light. That's exactly what Daveed Benito does in this great video in which he uses only flashlights, and watching his process is a valuable lesson in lighting.

Some gels, a design, and a little DIY ingenuity came together to create this awesome setup that allowed Photographer Anya Anti to shoot these gorgeous and interesting portraits. Check out the results and go behind the scenes to make your own.

Half the fun of photography is the experimentation. Sometimes, with a little ingenuity, you stumble upon a great image or a new technique that can blossom into an entire series or simply provide a bit of fun on a rainy day. Here are 10 such tricks you can easily try out.

Although I've professed my love for film many times in many articles, I've always been missing a key ingredient to the analog experience. Namely, I've never learned to print my own film in the darkroom. Sad, I know. Well, no more! My journey to teaching myself to use a darkroom starts now and, whether you like it or not, I'm taking you with me. First things first: Where the hell am I going to put a darkroom?

The YouTube channel Rideable Entertainment may just have created the most impressive DIY camera slider I have ever seen. It's made partially of wood but not in a cheap way. It has more of a Steam Punk look to it with some effort put into the finishing. The most impressive part is that they even managed to make it motorized, something that a lot of affordable sliders in the early days couldn't even do.