Kerala Photography

Canon successfully develops world's first APS-H-size CMOS image sensor to realize record-high resolution of 120 megapixels

2010-08-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

Canon Inc. announced today that it has successfully developed an APS-H-size*1 CMOS image sensor that delivers an image resolution of approximately 120 megapixels (13,280 x 9,184 pixels), the world's highest level*2 of resolution for its size.

Compared with Canon's highest-resolution commercial CMOS sensor of the same size, comprising approximately 16.1 million pixels, the newly developed sensor features a pixel count that, at approximately 120 million pixels, is nearly 7.5 times larger and offers a 2.4-fold improvement in resolution.*3

With CMOS sensors, while high-speed readout for high pixel counts is achieved through parallel processing, an increase in parallel-processing signal counts can result in such problems as signal delays and minor deviations in timing. By modifying the method employed to control the readout circuit timing, Canon successfully achieved the high-speed readout of sensor signals. As a result, the new CMOS sensor makes possible a maximum output speed of approximately 9.5 frames per second, supporting the continuous shooting of ultra-high-resolution images.

Canon's newly developed CMOS sensor also incorporates a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) video output capability. The sensor can output Full HD video from any approximately one-sixtieth-sized section of its total surface area.

Images captured with Canon's newly developed approximately 120-megapixel CMOS image sensor, even when cropped or digitally magnified, maintain higher levels of definition and clarity than ever before. Additionally, the sensor enables image confirmation across a wide image area, with Full HD video viewing of a select portion of the overall frame.

Through the further development of CMOS image sensors, Canon will break new ground in the world of image expression, targeting new still images that largely surpass those made possible with film, and video movies that capitalize on the unique merits of SLR cameras, namely their high mobility and the expressive power offered through interchangeable lenses.

Source

NEX-5 and NEX-3 ultra compact digital cameras by Sony

2010-05-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

A video trailer of the new ultra compact digital cameras from Sony: the NEX-5 and NEX-3. The new digital cameras deliver DSLR performance within a sleek compact body, using a 14.2 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor and interchangeable lenses. For the first time in an a camera, the practicality of an ultra compact digital camera is combined with AVCHD video recording for capturing high quality Full HD movies on the go.

With a simple user interface and intuitive controls, capturing DSLR quality pictures has never been easier or more stylish. Plus Sweep Panorama mode allows you to capture amazing wide-angle panoramas with ease (and even in 3D).

The NEX-5 and NEX-3 digital cameras will be available from summer 2010, and further information can be found at: http://www.sony.co.uk/hub/dslr/nex5-nex3

Amazing blue shipping container camera!

2010-03-05T05:23:00.001-08:00

This huge camera has been made out of a shipping container and a wireless link to a nearby screen!

Understanding Depth of Field

2010-02-04T01:04:00.000-08:00

Photography is probably the worlds most common past time in the world. Every second there is a new picture taken somewhere on the planet. Some by amateurs and some taken by pure professionals. Within movies and photography there is something called “Depth of Field” and it’s basically and simply put the way the photo is taken from a focused point of view. While amateurs usually just take a picture which portraits the whole image in focus, a professional picks an object within the frame and focuses the photo around that object, leaving everything else out of focus.

Understanding Depth of Field-Video

Canon EOS 7D Digital Camera Specs

2010-01-11T22:28:00.000-08:00

Canon has an important gesture among almost all the digital camera companies. Most camera of Canon has some uniqueness with outstanding features. This time they have launched Canon EOS 7D with some really enhanced features. It is completely a unique design which especially made by considering the demands of several photographers.Power packed with impressive technology it has capability to provide exceptional quality of images. This is the feature that attracts most camera lovers toward it self. Packed with APS – C CMOS technology, which is capable to perform outstanding in almost all kind of light conditions.

Design and Display

It has an impressive dimension which measures 148 x 111 x 74 mm and it weighs 820 g. According to weight and dimension the gadget is quite easy to hold. Canon EOS 7D is available in different colors and designs and one can choose according to their choice.

The metallic and glossy body of this gadget looks elegant while holding in hand. It has 3 inches of LCD screen which supports a resolution of 920,000 pixels. It is clear from the resolution that it provides exceptional image quality.

Connectivity and Other Features

It has N3 type remote used to share files with other device like computer or laptop. Apart from camera’s memory it has a space for external memory card and there is a micro memory card slot is located at the bottom of Canon EOS 7D. One can put any memory card according to their requirements.

The menu can be personalized in a total of 13 languages. It provides a burst buffer speed of 8 fps and this speed remain constant up to the clicking of 126 JPEG format images or 15 RAW format images. There are several types of shooting modes available which make it more interesting to capture images. It also offers different types of image sizes and image formats.

Source

Canon EOS 7D DSLR review

2009-12-15T20:54:00.000-08:00

How to fake tilt-shift in Photoshop Tutorial

2009-12-15T20:50:00.000-08:00

What Is Tilt-Shift Photography?

Wikipedia “Tilt-shift photography” refers to the use of camera movements on small- and medium-format cameras, and sometimes specifically refers to the use of tilt for selective focus, often for simulating a miniature scene. Sometimes the term is used when the shallow depth of field is simulated with digital postprocessing; the name may derive from the tilt-shift lens normally required when the effect is produced optically.

Open-source camera could revolutionize digital photography

2009-09-03T23:02:00.000-07:00

Stanford scientists have created an open-source camera that could revolutionize digital photography by giving programmers that chance to design software to teach the device new tricks.

Stanford University:
http://www.stanford.edu

Stanford News Story:
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/au...

Stanford University Channel on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/stanford

Tilt shift photography

2009-06-29T23:34:00.000-07:00

What is Tilt shift photography

Tilt-shift photography refers to the use of camera movements on small- and medium-format cameras; it usually requires the use of special lenses.

"Tilt-shift" actually encompasses two different types of movements: rotation of the lens relative to the image plane, called tilt, and movement of the lens parallel to the image plane, called shift. Tilt is used to control the orientation of the plane of focus (PoF), and hence the part of an image that appears sharp; it makes use of the Scheimpflug principle. Shift is used to change the line of sight while avoiding the convergence of parallel lines, as when photographing tall buildings.

In many cases, "tilt-shift photography" refers to the use of tilt and a large aperture to achieve a very shallow depth of field. Know More

Top Los Angeles wedding photographer Donald Norris explains the use of tilt shift photography for selective depth of field control

Photography: Using a tilt shift lens

Master photographer Tony Sweet demonstrates how to use a tilt shif lens on a river bed to get razor sharp focus from top of the frame to the bottom.

Some Tilt shift photography Examples

These Pics look like a miniatures, with tiny toy figures on a scaled-down , but it is actually a photograph of real people and buildings taking using a tilt-shift lens.

Images suggested by our reader tiltshift

Macro Photography Tutorial

2009-05-12T06:02:00.000-07:00

Here's a short guide to shooting several photographs to make an ultra sharp close focus shot. Peter Bargh explains how to shoot, and then what software will combine the shots to give you ultra sharp results.

Nikon Autofocus Tutorial

2009-05-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

This video explains into depth about Nikon's autofocusing system in Nikon's lenses and camera bodies - showing into depth about the settings to get your image crystal clear in focus. Enjoy.

On the second hand, sorry, we forgot there is a slight difference in the focus indicator (aka "electric rangefinder") on the lower end DSLR's. Okay, on the lower end DSLR's, there won't be any triangles at all - there is only green dot that alerts the user the subject in focus. Continue focusing manually by estimate until the green dot lights up continuously in the viewfinder. These models don't have both triangles happen to be: D40, D40X, D50, D60, D70, D70s, D80, D90, D100, D200, and D300.

Droste Effect in Photographs

2009-05-12T05:05:00.000-07:00

The "Droste effect" derives from a Dutch chocolate maker that used an image of its box on the box recursively at smaller and smaller scales.

Flickr user Pisco Bandito wrote a tutorial on how to create your very own Droste effect [wiki] photo using Mathmap for Windows and GIMP.

Or you can just gawk at the cool photos others had created at the Escher’s Droste Print Gallery [Flickr]

Escher-Droste Effect Explained

This video starts with a conformal homotopy between the identity map and the logarithm. Then follows with a rotation and scaling then a conformal homotopy of the exponential map.

I'm the guy in the picture and the building is the math and computer sciences building at the university of Montreal. I made this under the supervision of Christiane Rousseau, professor of mathematics at the university of Montreal.

Thanks to Josh Sommers. Though I did not use his code, I could not have written mine without his. It helped me understand MATHMAP better than any tutorial out there. Christiane Rousseau came up with the math behind the deformation.

No angles were changed during the making of this video.

Real-time Escher Fractal Droste

24.5-Megapixel D3X Nikon DSLR

2008-11-30T23:00:00.001-08:00

Nikin's D3X DSLR has a 24.5-megapixel CMOS FX format sensor that you can go for full resolution shooting at 5 FPS, ISO from 100-1600 (up to 50-6400 if you like). It captures photo in TIFF, JPEG or NEF (RAW) file formats with up to 138MB size.

NIKON UNVEILS A DIGITAL MASTERPIECE: THE D3X DIGITAL SLR

With Extreme 24.5-Megapixel Resolution, Processed Image Files Exceeding 138 MB, Five Frame-per-Second Burst Speed and Nikon Core Technologies, the D3X Ushers in a New Level of Image Quality

MELVILLE, N.Y. (Nov. 30, 2008) – Nikon Inc. today announced the D3X, an FX-format digital SLR featuring extreme 24.5-megapixel resolution and superb low-noise capabilities, which provides professional photographers with commercial-quality image performance in a familiar and extraordinarily versatile D-SLR form factor. In conjunction with the groundbreaking Nikon FX-format D3, the D3X tops off a collection of flagship level, rugged, professional caliber digital single lens reflex cameras engineered to excel in all types of professional photographic disciplines from photojournalism and sideline sports, to commercial in-studio applications.

The foundation of the enhanced performance of the D3X is its FX-format, 24.5-megapixel (6048 x 4032) CMOS sensor providing commercial, high fashion, fine art and landscape photographers with the extreme resolution, dynamic range, color depth, detail and sharpness that clients demand. Whether creating catalogs, magazine covers, billboards or gallery prints, the large 5.49-micron pixel size and high signal to noise ratio produces vibrant images with breathtaking image fidelity while reducing lost highlights and shadows, and ensuring smoother tone reproduction with minimized noise. With full resolution shooting speeds of up to five frames-per-second (fps), and 14-bit files, that when processed are approximately 138 MB, the D3X offers today's photographic artists an extreme level of performance and versatility ready for demanding assignments in the studio or on location.

Read Full

RED DSLR, 3D Camera

2008-11-18T22:25:00.000-08:00

RED are taking on Canon and Nikon by launching a DSLR camera that can shoot stills and video. Just one of the many options in a brand new and completely modular system, you can configure exactly how you want your camera to be, with two different “brains” available (Scarlet and EPIC), 6 different Mysterium-X sensor sizes (including 617 / 186x56mm!), and literally millions of different combinations. The killer headline? Nikon and Canon mounts are supported! If you’ve ever wanted to create your own DSLR camera, this is your first ever opportunity (albeit an expensive one).

Website: RED DSLR Camera

Stunning Images From Flickr Under Creative Commons

2008-10-15T00:02:00.000-07:00

You’ll notice at the bottom of this blog (and many others) a little icon that looks something like this:

This signifies that the work is published under a creative commons license. Click the button and you’ll be taken to the license page - which explains:

Creative Commons provides free tools that let authors, scientists, artists, educators and all content producers easily mark their creative works with the freedoms they want it to carry. Everyone can use Creative Commons to change their copyright terms from “All Rights Reserved” to “Some Rights Reserved.”

I license the work on this blog under Creative Commons, because I want it to be shared (with proper attribution, of course).

Creative Commons defines the spectrum of possibilities between full copyright — all rights reserved — and the public domain — no rights reserved. Their licenses help you keep your copyright while inviting certain uses of your work — a “some rights reserved” copyright. This essentially allows people to share, remix and reuse, legally. Click here to learn more about this great non-profit.
The Widowmaker
image credit: aussiegall

Mountain Trail
image credit: a4gpa

Tree of Light
image credit: jphilipson

Like this? Check out my website PhilipsonPhotography.com

Rain Drop
image credit: play4smee

Arabian Night
image credit: creativesam

Macro Photography from Flickr

2008-09-22T23:30:00.001-07:00

by Jenny Huang

by Jurvetson

by Guylaine2007

by PixelAddict

by WTL Photos

Hasselblad 50 megapixel H3DII-50

2008-07-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

The new 50 megapixel H3DII-50 back it just announced. Building on the H3DII-39 back, the 50 features a 36 X 48mm Kodak sensor twice the size of other full-frame DSLR sensors that generates 300MB files at 1FPS. Pricing hasn't been announced, but don't expect this bad boy to come in under the $37K pricetag of the 39 when it launches in October -- especially since Hasselblad says anyone who buys a 39 now can trade up to the 50 later for the difference in price and instructions on how to properly sleep on beds made of money.

Via

Image Stabilizer For Any Camera - Lose The Tripod

2008-06-24T22:06:00.000-07:00

6 Techniques to Reduce Camera Shake

2008-06-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

6 Techniques to Reduce Camera Shake

Here are 6 options for avoiding camera shake and achieving crisp, delicious images no matter the length of the lens, no matter the shutter speed.

1. Elbows In

As often as possible pull your elbows in to your body and exhale completely before depressing the shutter. When you’re working with a wide aperture or low shutter speed (or both), even a breath can introduce shake. Pulling your elbows tight to your body can really help keep you steady. I also press my elbows firmly into my chest for even greater stability.

Watch remaining 5 Techniques to Reduce Camera Shake

Erin Manning's Top 10 Dos and Don'ts for Great Portraits

2008-06-23T04:09:00.000-07:00

The World's Most Extreme Photography Equipment

2008-04-11T03:30:00.000-07:00

Image: Robert
There are several categories of camera gear available: there's the sensible, the desirable and then there's the stuff that you'd never even imagined. Here's a selection of equipment that most definitely belongs in the latter category.

Read Full Article Here

The Ten Legal Commandments of Photography

2008-03-18T05:19:00.000-07:00

I. Anyone in a public place can take pictures of anything they want. Public places include parks, sidewalks, malls, etc. Malls? Yeah. Even though it’s technically private property, being open to the public makes it public space.

II. If you are on public property, you can take pictures of private property. If a building, for example, is visible from the sidewalk, it’s fair game.

III. If you are on private property and are asked not to take pictures, you are obligated to honor that request. This includes posted signs.

IV. Sensitive government buildings (military bases, nuclear facilities) can prohibit photography if it is deemed a threat to national security.

V. People can be photographed if they are in public (without their consent) unless they have secluded themselves and can expect a reasonable degree of privacy. Kids swimming in a fountain? Okay. Somebody entering their PIN at the ATM? Not okay.

VI. The following can almost always be photographed from public places, despite popular opinion:

accident & fire scenes, criminal activities
bridges & other infrastructure, transportation facilities (i.e. airports)
industrial facilities, Superfund sites
public utilities, residential & commercial buildings
children, celebrities, law enforcement officers
UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster, Chuck Norris

VII. Although “security” is often given as the reason somebody doesn’t want you to take photos, it’s rarely valid. Taking a photo of a publicly visible subject does not constitute terrorism, nor does it infringe on a company’s trade secrets.

VIII. If you are challenged, you do not have to explain why you are taking pictures, nor to you have to disclose your identity (except in some cases when questioned by a law enforcement officer.)

IX. Private parties have very limited rights to detain you against your will, and can be subject to legal action if they harass you.

X. If someone tries to confiscate your camera and/or film, you don’t have to give it to them. If they take it by force or threaten you, they can be liable for things like theft and coercion. Even law enforcement officers need a court order.

Source

Sony Cybershot H50

2008-02-28T01:00:00.000-08:00

Sony H50 megazoom camera features

• 9.1 effective megapixels
• High power 15x optical zoom Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens
• Large 3.0-inch (230K dot) Clear Photo Tilting LCD Plus screen
• Enhanced Face Detection for clearer portraits
• Smile Shutter
• D-Range Optimiser + DRO Plus mode for natural results with high-contrast scenes
• Double Anti-blur with Super SteadyShot
• High Sensitivity ISO 3200 for clearer low-light shooting
• Advanced Sports Shooting mode captures fast-moving subjects

For Deep Review visit

Intro to Macro Photography

2008-01-15T22:03:00.000-08:00

by Peter Madeley

Woven Shadows 7 - Macro Photography

2008-01-15T22:00:00.000-08:00

Macro Photography can produce wild and amazing imagery. If you learn how to take great pictures from up close, you can have a lot of fun with it. Woven Shadows 7 contains several ideas to help you improve your techniques in this area.

You can get Woven Shadows 7 here.

Turn a Camera Lens into a Close-Up Lens with Binoculars

2008-01-15T21:36:00.000-08:00

Do-it-yourselfer Chris Knight explains that the innards of cheap binoculars can double as a macro lens for digital SLR cameras and camcorders and can prove especially useful in situations when a macro lens is unavailable. Unscrew the binoculars and remove the front lenses. Tape the lenses securely to the front of your camera. When you first start the camera up, it will take some time to acquire the best focus, but with practice, you'll be able to capture objects at extreme close-up detail.

Digital Photography Tips

2008-01-14T22:21:00.000-08:00

Travel Happy have a useful post for digital camera owners wanting to learn How to Put Your Camera Video Clips on YouTube.
Thomas Hawk has a great post with 10 great Flickr Hacks which I’m sure many of our Flickr using readers will love.
Photodoto give a DIY tip on how to Build your own 42â€³x78â€³ free-standing lighting panel for about $40
Photo Critic get arty on us describe How to Photograph Smoke.
Photoshop Roadmap share 5 Easy Ways to Make Money Online with Photoshop
Better Photo looks at how to Get the Most from a Background.
PCIN takes an overview look at Lens Flare.
Photodoto answer a few questions about How to Crop a photo for better composition.

Via© Digital Photography School

Shooting with an In Camera Flash

2008-01-14T22:18:00.000-08:00

Has anyone noticed how there has been a real anti-flash vibe going around recently in the digital photography sphere? I’m seeing it in books, websites, forums and even from manufacturers of cameras themselves with the recent release of loads of cameras that would rather push ISO up very high than use a flash.

While I would totally agree that flash photography can blow out a shot with it’s harsh light - there are times where there’s no getting around using it and where (when used correctly) it can actually ‘make’ a shot.

My preference with flash photography is to have dedicated flash that is either on a hotshoe, flash bracket or off camera - however there are plenty of times when all you’ve got at your disposal is the in camera flash. 99% of all cameras have them - so perhaps it’s time we thought about how to get the best results from them.

Here are a few tips:

1. Get In Close

Photo by Thister

The main limitation of built in flash units is their power. Whereas external flash units have their own dedicated power source and can be quite large - a built in flash shares it’s power with your camera’s other components and it’s generally quite a bit smaller.

Knowing this should drive you to get in close enough to your subject for the flash to have some impact (usually within 2-3 meters). If you can’t get in close (for example if you’re at a rock concert and are sitting in the back row) you’ll probably achieve better results by turning your flash off and bumping up the ISO setting.

2. Try Slow Sync Flash

Another limitation with in built flash units is that they can produce quite harsh results that mean any other ambient light in a scene is lost. This is partly because the light they produce is unable to be directed/bounced indirectly onto your subject.

One way around this is to use Slow Sync Flash. You can read about this technique in our tutorial on the topic - but in short it involves choosing a slower shutter speed and firing the flash while the shutter is open.

3. Diffuse or Direct Your Flash DIY style

Photo by digitalhead!

I’ve already alluded to the problem of not being able to diffuse the light produced by a fixed flash unit - however one technique that some inventive photographers use is to take a Do It Yourself approach and create their own diffusers.

Some photographers I know always have a roll of semi-opaque adhesive tape in their camera bag to put over their flash. This doesn’t stop the flash’s light but diffuses it.

Other friends take a little piece of white card with them which they put in front of their flash to bounce it up or sideways.

Using these techniques might mean you need to play with exposure compensation (you’ll probably want to increase exposure by a stop or two) as your camera won’t be aware that you’re taking some of the power out of it’s light.

4. Fill-in Flash

Don’t just use your flash when it’s dark. Often when shooting outdoors a flash can really lift an image up a notch - particularly when photographing a subject with strong backlighting or one with harsh downward light. A fill in flash lights up shadowy areas. Read more about Fill Flash.

Via© Digital Photography School

10 Great Flash and Lighting Hacks for Digital Photographers

2008-01-14T22:08:00.000-08:00

Lighting can be the difference between a good shot and a great one.

Walk into most professional photographer’s studios and you’ll be confronted with truckloads of lighting equipment. To the average hobby photographer it’s enough to make your mind boggle - and for your stomach to turn as you think about the cost of it all.

Most of us can’t afford a full lighting rig - however what if there was a way to experiment with the type of lighting gear that pro photographers use without spending too much money? What if you could make it yourself.

In this post I’ve found 10 DIY Flash and Lighting Hacks that put some of these lighting techniques within the grasp of the rest of us. Some are more involved than others but all are fun and will provide you with some new lighting gear to experiment with.

1. Multi-Super-SB-Ring Light

What can you make with six speedlight flashes, a coffee can and a little spare time?

You get a multi-super-sb-ring-light! (pictured left).

You could probably also blind a small village if you’re not careful!

Find out what it is, how to make one and what the results are like here.

This one looks like a lot of fun to play with - even if it’s just for the challenge of it and the looks you’d get when you pull it out next time you do a shoot..

2. Poor Mans Ring Flash

All you need for this one (pictured left) is a used milk bottle/jug and some scissors.

The result is that you’ll have a Poor Mans Ring Flash.

A ring flash is one that fits around the lens - it creates a wonderfully unique lighting effect. They will usually lighten your wallet by a couple of hundred dollars.

It’s so simple that I whipped one up for myself today in 5 minutes.

It worked out pretty good too - not bad for the cost of a couple of liters of milk!

If you want to experiment with other methods of making DIY ring flashes you also might want to check out this post for another method. This one is a little more involved, but I think will probably get better results.

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3. Inexpensive Light Tent

Have you ever wanted to replicate the crisp clean product images that you see in catalogs with the products seemingly floating on a white background?

If you do - you need some kind of light tent/light box.

As usual, light boxes can cost you quite a bit - but thanks to DPS reader Jeffrey Bail you might be able to achieve the results without having to spend much at all.

In our Inexpensive Light Tent tutorial Jeffrey shows you how to turn a box, fabric, tape, glue board and light into a great little light tent.

4. Party Bouncer Card

Another cool DIY Hack is this Party Bouncer Card (pictured left) which is so simple yet promises to be so useful and effective.

This one is for those of you with a camera which doesn’t have the capability for an off camera flash.

It allows you to bounce some light off the ceiling while also diffusing the light going forward - this will enable you to get a less harsh flash effect that many flashes leave images with. I like this one as it pushes the light out from your flash in two directions which can lead to a more even light rather than just diffusing it - a little more sophisticated.

Another quick DIY on diffusing a flash is to put a little translucent magic tape over a flash (or a piece of white tissue paper can do it too).

Any of these methods will decrease the amount of light getting out from the flash onto your subject - hopefully resulting in a more subtle light and a less blown out image.

5. Turkey Pan Beauty Dish

Beauty dishes are wonderful pieces of photographic equipment to experiment with - but they can be very expensive.

Not any more (at lest if you use this DIY trick).

In this hack learn how to use a simple Turkey Pan to get some pretty amazing beauty dish results! The comparison examples in this tutorial between the turkey pan version and the real thing are pretty convincing.

I must remember to add Turkey Pans to this week’s shopping list.

Check out this tutorial here.

6. DIY Ghetto Flash Extender

I’d not heard of this type of device before - but since I found this tutorial I’ve discovered a number of photographers who for one reason or another want to be able to extend the reach of their flash.

This is particularly useful for wildlife photographers who want to supplement natural light in tricky lighting with fill flash. Of course sometimes it’s difficult to get close to that animal and a normal flash would have no impact.

Enter the Flash Extender (one popular one is the ‘better beamer’).

Want to make one for yourself? This tutorial for the DIY Ghetto Flash Extender will tell you how.

7. Disposable Camera Flash Slave

Lately I’ve had more and more questions from readers about how to set up shots with multiple flash units to light a subject from more than one angle.

It’s not difficult to do if you have the budget to buy yourself an extra speedlight flash or two (or more) but if you don’t have the budget is there a way?

In this tutorial and author shows you how to use a disposable camera to act as a remote slave flash.

OK - this tutorial isn’t for anyone looking for a quick simple solution - but it is a challenge that I’m sure some of you will be up for!

8. Flash Mounted DIY Softbox

Another way that professional photographers diffuse the light that comes from a flash and gets a nice subtle and even light on their subject is to use a softbox

A softbox sits over a light (it’s a big box with white walls) which ensures the light is spread out evenly.

This DIY Softbox tutorial is great - it requires card, a white sheet (silk if you can), velcro, scissors, glue and the template that the tutorial provides you with.

The results look pretty good - but if you want more DIY softboxes the same site also has another tutorial for an alternative softbox.

Again - this one looks pretty good.

9. Flash Bouncers

There are a lot of DIY flash diffuser hacks and tutorials around but this one from our friend Chris at DSLRBlog is pretty cool.

It costs £1, takes 5 minutes, requires craft foam, a little elastic and some scissors.

The tutorial even includes a template for you to print out on your printer and then cut out - what more do you need?

Even the technologically challenge could make this one (speaking of myself of course).

Nice work from Chris with that one.

Another similar Flash Bouncer/Diffuser can be found over at DPReview here. This one is foam also.

Lastly - another card/paper version of the flash bouncer.

10. Full Budget DIY Lighting Studio

It’s time for one last DIY lighting hack - this one attempts to bring it all together with a full DIY Budget Studio setup.

The author of it takes up the challenge of creating a full studio lighting system for under $75.

It includes lights, reflectors, diffusers and flash diffusers - all using items that you could pick up at hardware and craft stores.

It also shows you a few test shots at the end of the tutorial that compare different lighting options.

You will need your own flash unit to use the flash diffusers on - but the rest is all included in the tutorial.

I particularly light the suggestions around globes for the lights. I know a couple of DPS forum members have had similar success with these sorts of lights.

A Beautiful Flower

2008-01-06T12:39:00.001-08:00