It is not necessary to have the most expensive camera to achieve incredible photographs, just as it is not necessary to have the most expensive accessories to be able to photograph like a professional . While the quality of the accessories is essential to achieve clear and quality photographs, the important thing is to understand how these elements work, beyond the materials with which they are made. You can achieve amazing results using items that you would commonly throw away. Waiting to save money to get a diffuser, a window of light or why not, your own photo studio, can be desperate but, with a little imagination, you can make it yourself. You will be surprised with the results you can achieve. In today's article I have prepared a selection of photographic accessories that are easy to manufacture with disposable materials and that will be essential when working on your photographs while saving you some euros. Bricogotography begins
FLASH DIFFUSERS
Diffusers are accessories that are placed in front of a light source (flash, reflector, etc.) in order to manipulate the way it affects the subjects or objects you are going to photograph. You can blur it, direct it, bounce it, etc., according to the way they are constructed. Not all diffusers are the same, there are as many as situations you can present when taking your photographs and even more if, using your imagination, you manage to make your own. Here are some examples of homemade diffusers that you can build yourself, using materials normally available to anyone: 1. Honeycomb These types of flash diffusers allow you to have more control over the direction the light will take when shooting from your flash . The light passes through the small tubes preventing it from dispersing, channeling it through them. Even if you are surprised, you can make your own almost for free, just get a few sorbets, glue and desire and you will be ready to make your own. How to do it? Check out the video below that I have left for you.COLORED JELLIES FOR YOUR FLASH
Colored jellies are filters that are used to change the color of the light emitted by the flash and thus achieve spectacular effects. They are an excellent accessory since they are not expensive at all, even less if you make them yourself. Go to the nearest store, buy colored acetates and use them the next time you fire your flash. You can use them both in external flashes as well as in the flash built into your camera just by putting it in front of it during shooting.PAPER PARASOLS
The main function of the parasols is not to decrease the "amount" of light from the socket as the name may suggest. Parasols are used to prevent unwanted halos of light from ruining our shots. This defect is known as "flare" and occurs when the lateral light that reaches the target is reflected in the crystals. Don't worry, just by placing your sun visor you can avoid it! What have you lost the sun visor? Do not run to the store to spend a fortune to replenish it, you can get out of step by printing it again. If, you heard correctly , you read correctly, entering LensHoods.co.uk , you will be able to download the one corresponding to your objective and print it in a matter of seconds.LIGHTBOXES
A lightbox or "softbox" is, as the name implies, a box with translucent sides that allows to convert hard and direct light, applied through it, into a soft light that does not generate very sharp shadows. This accessory is ideal for photo products and still lifes with professional results without the need for expensive equipment. Although you can get them for very little money on sites like eBay, you can make your own without spending a single penny and, at the same time, recycle. You will only need a cardboard box, some white cards and a light source. You will be surprised by the results that you will be able to obtain thanks to it.LIGHT WINDOWS
A window of light is a diffuser of soft light but on a large scale, that is why the name "window". They are used in studies to make the light of a flash or reflector as smooth as possible. The larger the surface where the light bounces, the softer the light in the scene. This is why light windows are widely used by professional photographers in their studios. With a little imagination, cardboard and a white cloth you can make yours without much effort. You can use as your light source, either your external flash or, if you don't have one, any lamp you have on hand.UMBRELLA DIFFUSER
Another accessory that will make you feel like a professional are the reflector umbrellas that are used in large photographic productions to scatter light. Again, it is not necessary that you go into too much expense to be able to get one: any white umbrella will help you blur the light in your photographic productions, at least, until you can get a professional one.ACCESSORIES FOR STABILITY
As I mentioned in the article "24 ways of how to achieve sharpness" , the stability of the equipment at the time of taking the shots is essential to achieve clear photographs. But what to do if you don't have a tripod? Easy, you make one! Here are some pictures for you to use as inspiration: 1. Mono pieRAIN PROTECTORS
As we saw in the article “Complete Guide: Cleaning Tips for SLR Cameras” , water and dust fight side by side to see who is the worst enemy of your camera. Once inside the camera, outside, on the threads, buttons or between the gears of the lenses, dust and water are a threat to both your photographs and your equipment. What if I told you that all these risks can disappear with a simple bag? Yes Yes. Look, you can minimize all these risks if, when you go to the supermarket, you buy a pair of “Ziplock” bags, of these with airtight closure. Be sure to place the bag as seen in the photo below, and there will be no rain that can stop you.OBJECTIVES AND FILTERS
1. Neutral density filter Neutral density filters are not an economical accessory and even less quality ones, but if you do not have many euros to get one, you can use as a neutral density filter protective glasses that are used in the construction to make welds. They are easy to get, cheap and ideal to achieve this kind of effects for little money.3. LENS OR FILTER FOR BOKEH
The bokeh or blur is the way in which a target manages to blur the objects that are in front of and behind the focal plane, that is, the sharp area. The magic of the bokeh happens in the diaphragm, and in how it is constructed: the amount of leaves of this defines the naturalness of the blur. But, what happens if you place a cardboard with a cut-out shape in front of the target? Check out the results and you will see it.LENS COVERS
One of the most effective ways to prevent dust, sand and moisture from attacking your targets is to keep them in the right place: their case. But: do you have a case for each of your accessories? You don't have to be a great seamstress to make a cover for your goals, filters, etc. Just a piece of cloth of your liking, a pad for the base and a rope with a bolt to ensure that nothing enters or leaves it.EQUIPMENT BAG
At the beginning of your life as a photographer you may worry about the safety of your equipment when transporting it. The backpacks and bags that you can find in stores attract too much attention from thieves and are quite expensive, so finding an alternative becomes somewhat tempting. You can transform any ordinary bag or backpack into an ideal one to transport your equipment safely, with a little imagination. Look at the following examples that I leave below:INFINITE BACKGROUND
In product photography , in fashion photography and in macro photography it is very common to work on plain backgrounds known as “infinite backgrounds” that are used to be able to abstract the subject or object from the background without having to spend hours in front of the computer then in the edition. To make your infinite background you can use almost any material: cardboards, fabrics and even a sheet, you just have to keep in mind that, the greater the thickness of the material you use, the better results you will get.YOUR OWN STUDIO
Now that you have seen all the accessories that you can make yourself, you are in optimal conditions to build your own home studio with very little money. You have no excuses!