In my never ending pursuit to create affordable and portable diffusers, I invented yet another easy, DIY creation much like the DIY Flash Bounce Diffuser posted from last week. This DIY Pop-up Flash Diffuser is fabricated from basic, easy-to-find materials around the house. Costs no more than one dollar and a few minutes to assemble and attach to the pop-up flash on an SLR.

Here’s a comparison of the results:
The image on the left was shot with flash only. The image on the right was shot using flash, with the addition of the DIY pop-up flash diffuser. As you can see in this photo, the mannequin cast a very soft shadow and is evenly lit all around.

Here are the materials used to make this diffuser.
On the right are the schematic directions for the DIY Pop-up Flash Diffuser.
Click here to download the schematic as an Acrobat file.

Here are the tools and materials:
- straightedge metal ruler for measuring and cutting
- small cutting mat (Not required, but will certainly help protect the cutting surface)
- pen or pencil for marking the lines
- bone folder, used to score paper or plastic before folding
- box cutter
- self-adhesive Velcro
- double-sided tape
- a semi-translucent loose leaf binder (purchased at Staples for 99¢)
- a piece of regular printing paper cut to 4.25"w x 3"h

Here’s how the Pop-up Flash Diffuser will look attached to my Canon Rebel XT camera. Kind of looks like a sail, doesn’t it?
On the left, the diffuser is inserted through the underside of the flash and into the hot-shoe flash mount. After experimenting with a few prototypes, I learned that the curvature of this particular diffuser helps scatter light more evenly.