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.
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I was in need of a flash bounce diffuser that’s able to disburse more light, and in addition, can cover greater area than my small Omni-Bounce Flash Diffuser. While doing some shopping online, I’ve stumble across a few sites which featured DIY (Do-It-Yourself) diffusers, made from inexpensive, everyday material. In an effort to save a few bucks, I decided to fabricate my own flash diffuser. I’m pretty pleased with its performance and the results– it’s highly portable, lightweight and durable.
Here’s the diffuser attached to my Canon 430ex Speedlite Flash.
On the right is the schematic directions for the DIY 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, use to score paper or plastic before folding.
- box cutter
- hole puncher
- self-adhesive Velcro
- a sheet of 0.5mm thick soft plastic (I purchased mine from Pearl Paint for $1.17) Here’s the website to the plastic manufacturer, www.midwestproducts.com, if you have trouble finding it in your area.
As shown from left to right: Where to apply the Velcro onto the flash unit; How the diffuser is attached to the flash; The flash/diffuser in action. This particular bounce diffuser directs most of the light forward and utilizes the ceiling for bounced light.
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Photographers often use the post-production process to achieve a more artistic and rustic/antique quality in their photographs by utilizing Photoshop filters, actions, and even texture layers. While Photoshop filters and action sets can easily be applied and created within the software itself, natural looking texture are usually more convincing they are taken from a “real” photograph instead of a software-rendered image.
However, usable textures of high quality are usually very hard to find online. So I basically, went out and took my own texture photos. Among the 20 to 30 photographs taken, the following eight textures seem to work the best for me. Once applied to photographs, I also simplify the overall color and details of these photos to enhance its effectiveness.
A lot of photographers and photoshoppers who regularly visit my site asked about textures and I thought I’d put some up for you, these are downloadable, by the way. You’re welcome.
Click on each image below to enlarge in new window
Please note, in order to effectively blend these textures into your photographs, the use of Photoshop layers, layer mask and layer blending mode are highly recommended. Not all textures will work for every photograph. You should definitely take the time to test on and play around with a few of them before deciding which will work for a particular picture. You may be able to create variations of a textured image by applying more than one texture to your photograph. Another good technique is to use a small section or pieces of texture instead of using the entire texture image. Just look for interesting patterns within the whole and you’re bound to find something that works best. One effective way to create a unique effect is to apply a white texture onto your photography instead of using a black one. The use of these textures, in combination with the advance editing tools available on Photoshop, can potentially produce an endless array of artistic possibilities.
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