DIY lighting: Cheap modifiers and beauty dishes
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I recently found myself looking back on all that Model Mayhem has given me (numerous laughs, a few headaches, mad curve ball skillz, fuel for my creativity, creative people with whom to shoot and lessons galore), I have started thinking, “What have I given back?”
Now, I’m rarely given to New Agey concepts of paying it back or forward, but in an effort to not be a selfish p***k, here are a few things I’ve made and I’d like to share. I hate buying the latest gadgets (actually, I love it but can rarely afford it), so I’ve learned a few shortcuts to modifying lights on a thin wallet. Use them if you want, or not. They are worth every penny.
First: The sheet metal, roofing, and vent hood section of Home Depot is FULL of things that can be modified, cut, and used. Dremel tools cut anything. JB Weld rocks.
If you try anything here and it doesn’t work for you, you cut yourself, glue your hand somewhere you shouldn’t, etc., DON’T blame me. This is for information only. Try the projects below at your OWN risk. Be safe. Be smart.
Have Alien Bees? You’ll find some things to help stretch a buck.
These are speedlight modifiers (Canon 540ez) made from plastic mixing bowls, flat white or black spray paint, a vent cap for the front, and baling wire. A port for light was cut with a Dremel. One is a background scoop for even lighting (speedlight saved), and the other is a beauty dish (used with a cord, usually).
An earlier attempt with an old Danish cookie tin:
Trader Joe’s coffee cans make great snoots, already silver lined. Just cut off the bottom and presto! The top ring fits AB mounting hooks, and the opaque cap diffuses if you want it to. Or it can hold on CTB/CTO, etc.
Another option is to cut the cap in the shape of a speedlight, and voilà, you have a speedlight snoot.
An old rusty china hat (an alley or doorway light?) turned into a beauty dish.
Cut off the back and attach your own speedring, paint, etc. The inner cap is a vent hood cap with 2 pieces of sheet metal. JB Weld holds ANYTHING.
Speaking of speedrings, this is a flashing cap, again, from Home Depot. Attach with JB Weld to whatever. Drill a hole for an umbrella if you’d like. Fits AB perfectly. Great for brolly boxes and umbrellas to minimize spill.
Someone on Ebay sells these for 25 a pop. More power to him, but they are 9.99 at the Depot. Acrylic light shades. I cut one up and painted it as a background cove light. Nice falloff. Leave it intact for a large soft source or use gaffer’s tape to shape it where you want it. It fits ABs.
Finally, I don’t have 4 bills to blow on an ABR 800 ringflash. I did, however, have a few cheap flashes lying around. Power is low and unchangeable. Both PC cords are wired together through a wein safe sync.
Interior without 216 on the front
Closeup of crappy flash:
The process:
You’re wondering about the results:
Bob is 5 feet from the backing. This was shot at ISO 100 f/6.3 from about 6 feet away. It ain’t a great ringlight, but it took 2 hours’ work, 2 flower pots, and 2 crappy flashes. I’ll use it a bunch later on, I think. Unretouched, lg JPG uploaded to flickr. Any compression is from the uploading, but the halo was actually pretty distinct.
February 03, 2012 at 10:26 pm, Studio 764 said:
Good way to set your place on fire! MM you should take this content out of the site. It will end up TV and the finger will be pointing to you after the fire and injurys.
February 06, 2012 at 5:10 am, Onetimeusemail said:
Please, elaborate. What above do you find is a potential fire hazard? Is it the plexiglas globes that can easily handle a 150 watt bulb, or the small undersized flashes? The coffee can snoots may be suspect, but I’ve used similar ones for years. As one end is vented, and the interior reflective, there really isn’t much heat buildup.
January 09, 2012 at 1:22 am, Jackspratt said:
The term is “Paying your dues.” From working stiffs like myself to Minor White, we share in order to express our gratitude for what we’ve learned from the experience of others. Of late, given my advanced age and retirement, I have come to use the expression; “Pass it forward.” Appropriate in that often our debt is greater than we could ever pay. Add to which no recompense is required. That is other than our love of light and recording it; writing with light. You are a wonderful photographer but I would like to see what you would do without resorting to Suze Randall’s lighting.
January 10, 2012 at 12:47 am, Ryan James said:
While this was written a few years back in the forums, (and I’ve since graduated to a much nicer kit) I still believe that low tech is often a workable solution to many problems and continue to build and repurpose everyday items for shooting situations. I agree that passing along this info ( and learning from others that make some great DIY stuff) can only be beneficial. Thanks for your comment, but I had to Google Suze Randall. I’m must admit I’m still flummoxed. From all accounts, she was a porn director and sometime Playboy photographer. I guess I’m missing the comparison, but what about my work reminds you of her lighting specifically? From the few examples I saw, she does the multi light Arny Freytag formula that pretty much everyone else did that shot for Playboy. Not a bad thing to achieve, but I’m still confused. Was she known at some point to be
January 07, 2012 at 5:36 pm, Ron EtherealPixels said:
I’ve never found the investment of time and $$ worthwhile for these types of DIY modifiers when there are so many excellent, inexpensive modifiers available for speed lights. I recently purchased these 20″ soft boxes for occasional use when I want to use my Nikon SBs rather than studio lights: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2×20-Speedlight-Softbox-Kit-Flash-Softbox-Kit-/310370629209?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item484387f659#ht_3041wt_1270
Their quality is outstanding, and you can “stack” them for an effective 20×40″ soft box, driven by two speed lights. Since the SBs infrared sensors are visible to the camera, you can easily use Nikon CLS, if the circumstances are appropriate.
January 06, 2012 at 9:33 pm, Carlos David said:
can you put bob up against a wall for the ring flash test? Thx.
January 06, 2012 at 11:59 pm, Rockandrollportraits said:
Carlos,
This is all taken from a thread I started on DIY modifiers from several years ago. Alas, both Bob and the ringflash have been retired. There may be more shots there, or in a separate thread I did on the flash itself.
Be well,
Ryan
January 06, 2012 at 1:41 pm, Paul said:
Awesome tips, Ryan! Thanks.
January 06, 2012 at 6:12 am, Toesup said:
Interesting work!..
I’ve been experimenting with my own DIY flash adapters..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44576041@N07/5619684500/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44576041@N07/5619684576/in/photostream
.. is the first attempt and I’ve just completed a ‘ring flash’ for 18mm.. and also one for my mains flash unit..
Do any others make their own flash adapters?..
January 10, 2012 at 12:48 am, Ryan James said:
Wow, great work!
January 06, 2012 at 5:56 am, Jbranske said:
nice work