Unless you come from a well off family or unless you have stellar luck breaking into the business, you probably have your eye on a lot of cool photography studio lighting equipment but don’t have the funds to acquire them. I know your pain well.
But there’s a solution! There’s always a solution.
DIY!
Need a snoot but don’t want to shell out the moolah for a name brand one? Make it yourself.
Need a light table but can’t afford the shiny professional one you’ve been drooling over in a catalog or online? Make it yourself.
You can easily find DIY photography projects online, but recently, I received an issue of Popular Photography magazine in which there was an article entitled “DIY Photo Studio”. This article had several pieces of photography lighting equipment that you can make yourself for a fraction of the cost you would have to shell out for a professional version, including a salad bowl light dish, a snoot made from straws and a Pringles can, a simple snoot made from foam, a light saber (no, not the Star Wars kind!), and even a light table made from a cardboard box and a piece of glass! These DIY tools are great to help you start off until you can afford those professional versions.
You can find the article and detailed directions for each piece, here. I actually think I might try that light table…
Happy crafting Photo friends!
Until next time…
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~A.M.
Audrey May Photography 