Cameras cost a bomb, really good lenses cost an atom bomb, and even accessories ain't cheap.

But has anyone got any photographic accessories that they've made for nothing (or next to nothing) that they find really useful?

Care to share your inventive genius?

Here, for starters, is one of mine - a simple reflector. I cut an A4-sized chunk of particularly stiff cardboard from the side of a box and, using contact adhesive, covered it with crinkled aluminium baking foil. It makes a great little reflector that can be hand-held to direct diffuse light just where I want it in macro shots and portraits. And it's small enough to slip into the laptop pocket of my carrying bag.

Any more ideas out there?

I use a variety of different sized mirrors and floor tiles as both reflectors and backdrops for small product photos.

I made a light table (i wanted to backlit objects) with a simple 2x4 white acrylic sheet that i place in the empty space of an expendable table (i know it sounds ghetto)...it cost like 20$ and works really well. You can also simply "clamp" it at the edge of a table and bend the sheet by pushing it on a wall (i don't know if I'm clear enough, maybe i should make a picture of it lol)

I also use a black acrylic sheet which cost the same.

I made also a white reflector for my flash heads out of a tropicana plastic 1.81L can that looks like that:

http://www.alienbees.com/ubr.html

Tropicana can = 3$  them: 30$

Ill try to think of more stuff

Cheers,

Math

Here in the Uk, when you buy pre-packed smoked salmon it comes on a golden shimmery card board tray, wash well and you have a small golden reflector! SY

My beautiful Korean girlfriend gives me 'free' advice when I'm photoshopping.

In return I let her have sex with me now and again.........!

Here is a great site with lots of do-it-yourself equipment ideas complete with instructions.

http://www.diyphotography.net/

Quote from: hatman12 on July 02, 2007, 23:46
My beautiful Korean girlfriend gives me 'free' advice when I'm photoshopping.

In return I let her have sex with me now and again.........!

Sounds way better than my reflector