10 Photography Hacks

Photography Tips

As the golden adage goes, if you can MacGyver something together why buy an accessory? All you have to do is invest a little time and a few raw materials that you’ll probably find gathering dust somewhere in your home. Confused as to what are we referring to? DIY photography hacks:

The creative team at DigitalRev came up with this very interesting set of hacks. A word of caution though, not all of them are for the soft-hearted. You may have to use stuff you normally don’t associate with photography—like old stockings, toilet paper tubes, and even Vaseline!

1. Tripod Sling

Attach two key-rings to your tripod using cable-ties on on each end. Take a strap from a shoulder bag. Attach one end to each loop / ring. There you go! Your DIY tripod sling is ready.

2. Vaseline Soft Focus

Take a photo frame, minus the photo and the back cover. Apply some Vaseline to the glass. Shoot through it. Vaseline soft focus!

3. Soft Filter

This one needs, well, a tight. Wrap one around your camera and you have yourself a variable soft filter. Variable? Yes. To use the variable feature just pull it tight to make it less soft.

4. String Pod

This one’s relatively cheap if you can find a way to attach a string to the bottom of your camera. The tension created by the string—attached to the bottom of the camera and held tight using your feet—and the camera strap makes a handy pod.

5. Corn Stabilizer

Fill a resealable bag with corn kernels and zip it tight. You have yourself a corn stabilizer.

6. Toilet Paper Roll Macro

You will need to master a lot of courage to try the next hack. Take an empty toilet paper tube and some black tape. Tape one end of the toilet paper tube and attach it to the reverse of the lens. Tape the other end to the lens mount on the camera. You have yourself a cheap macro lens!

7. Strap Filter

This is a cheap alternative for a graduated neutral density filter. Use your camera strap to cover up the sky. Expose for the ground. Remove the strap at the last moment.

8. Custom Bokeh Shapes

If you’re bored with the simple bokeh shapes that your lens produces, create custom bokeh shapes.

9. Pinhole Bodycap

Pinhole cameras are such intriguing things. Less fuss and more enjoyment. To make one for yourself, punch a small hole in your camera body cap and attach the cap to your camera. Make a small leaf shutter and there you go. Your pinhole camera is ready.

10. Beauty Dish

Cute a hole in a pie plate so you can fit it around your speed light, and you’ve got yourself a DIY beauty dish!

So which hack is your favorite? And which do you find absolutely deplorable?