DIY HACKS
Claire Gillo shares her tricks of the trade so you can get professional-looking images on a tight budget!
We all know that photography equipment costs a fortune (especially the top-end brands), however the good news is not all of it is necessary!
To try our photography DIY hacks, the only bit of expensive kit you’ll need is a camera and a lens.
The rest of your ‘kit’ can be found around the home or bought at a budget price. For some of our DIY hacks you may need an external light source, but once again if you don’t have an external flashgun or fancy studio lights you can find an alternative budget solution such as a halogen flood light or a household lamp. Remember as well that to save yourself money, look at the second-hand market no matter what you are buying, because not only is this better environmentally (big win!) it will also save you some pounds.
In this feature we have it all covered, from budget background options to household lighting modifiers, so you can take professional-looking images without forking out the big bucks. It’s all about thinking smart and taking the time to put your accessories together.
Hack 1: Cheap lighting gels
Gel lighting is when you alter the colour of the light source to create a moody and alternative effect. The trick when using colour gels is to use two complementary colours that enhance each other. For example, on the colour wheel choose opposing colours – ie a cool and a warm tone – as these will complement each other. Blue and red work well together, or yellow and purple.
To create your own colour gels all you need is cellophane (we purchased small square pieces from Amazon for £2.79). To attach to our light we got a hair band to secure it in place. Note that we could do this safely because the output heat of our flashgun is low. If you are using a light source with a hot bulb, do not tape anything over it as it’s a fire risk. LED lights or flash are best here, as they stay cool. Alternatively if you don’t have a flashgun use a torch and secure coloured cellophane over it. Torch light isn’t that powerful so it’s best used for small object set-ups where your camera is on a tripod.
Hack 2: Honeycomb grid
If you want to create a spotlight effect then the best lighting ac
