It's the goal of every photographer to do as much "in camera" as possible such as cropping, exposure, lighting etc. The more you do in camera the less time you spend in photoshop which means the faster you can produce your image. However many times, even after the extra in-camera-effort, the photo still needs a little love in photoshop to make it just right.
Our junk drawers were outta control. Since we moved in to our new house the 4 drawers on the island in the kitchen were a mess. Sarah and I went drawer organizer shopping only to find them to be a little overpriced.
I love discovering new DIY photography sites. Today I stumbled on a new one from the blog at Makezine. It's called DIYPhotography.net and it will get the DIY juices flowing in no time. I saw a few really neat projects there including a DIY sandbag to secure your light stands and tripods while shooti...»
Back in 2006 I shared how I made my own ring light with supplies from the local hardware store. I made a new ring light recently and wanted to share how I did it. This new version uses less power and looks good enough to take in front of a client/model (the old one was ugly).
I built a new and improved ring light. This is a sample photo of me, again at 3 am after I finished it. The new light will be more portable, not as dangerous, not as hot and more environment friendly (104 total watts instead of 800 watts). Look for that tutorial soon.
Rebuilding a machine or reloading the operating system is a major pain. I thought I'd detail a few things I did in my latest rebuild. There's a few helpful tips along with a few helpful programs. Check it out.
From susanbuck.net: Here's something every photographer knows : built in flash photography is harsh. The kind of flash common to most of our cameras is called "direct flash" which fires a burst of light directly at your subject.
The following is a tutorial on how to create an extension tube / reverse mount for a standard 18-55mm lens using common plumbing supplies found at your local hardware store. I would highly recommend NOT doing this, you'll more than likely get dust inside your camera like I did. It's cool to check out but really, it's not worth it. DIY'er beware!
Time for a ghetto tutorial. Using a CD jewel case we'll make a nice gel light.
UPDATE: New Ring Light Tutorial Here (02.29.2008)
A RingLight is a common piece of equipment for pro shooters. Since I'm cheap I'm going to make one from some junk I have laying around the house. You'll need to be comfortable with basic hand tools and will probably need to work with a power saw and drill, unless you find a sufficient work around which is quite possible. Be
Building a light box is pretty easy stuff. A light box is particularly useful for product photography where you need a nice white background. Many people find that their products will actually sell faster with a more professional looking photo. Here you'll find a step by step on how to build your own DIY light box.
