Some DIY Camera Accessories

Every photographer knows that accessories for our cameras cost a fortune, and we “need” so many.

So here are a few ideas to save on things that we may not use all the time.

DIY Monopod (sort of)

This one is going to sound odd but trust me, it works. Take a piece of heavy string or tent cord about 6 feet long and tie a loop in one end into which you can put your foot. That’s it, job done! No, I’m not kidding that really is it. When you need an extra bit of stability all you have to do is stand with the loop under one foot and the other end wrapped around your “camera” hand. Adjust the length of the string so that it is taught when your camera is held to your eye. The tension in the string between your foot and your hand will help to stabilise your camera.

Simple Flash Diffuser

I really do mean simple. A piece of tissue paper placed over your flash will reduce the power of your flash enough to cut down on over-exposed areas especially in close-ups. One layer peeled from a tissue is often enough but do experiment, more layers will soften the light even more.

Cheap Reflectors

There are so many things you can use as make-shift reflectors that it is hard to know where to start. A sheet of white paper, a pillow case, a length of baking foil, all are useful for portraits. A large white towel or a bed sheet can be used for full length shots. How easy is that?

Effective Portable Snood

First, for those who aren’t sure what a snood is: It is a cone shaped bit of plastic which fits over your flash unit and is used to light a very precise area in a photograph.

The easiest snood you will ever make is made from heavy paper, a sheet of A4 photo paper is ideal. Just roll it into a tube shape so that the end of the tube fits neatly over your flash gun and tape it in place. Then tighten the other end a bit so you have a cone and secure it with another bit of tape. The beauty of this is that it is endlessly adjustable so you can control the width of your flash lit area.

These are all ideas that I have used and they really do work. They may not look very professional but who cares? They will save you a bit of cash which you can spend on gadgets that you can’t make yourself. Take a look at my wedding and portrait photography, I bet you can’t tell which images were taken using some of the tricks above.