I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/09/diy_flashbender.html
If you'd like to get more control over you flash and a regular bounce card doesn't cut it, then try this handy DIY FlashBender by Bob Jordan. [Thanks, Udi!]
Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!September 1 2010, 7:00am | More »
I posted to hackaday.com
http://hackaday.com/2010/08/25/take-better-pictures-of-your-projects/
[PT] let us know about a fantastic guide to taking better photographs of your projects. It’s a hefty read but well worth the effort. Author [Johngineer] helps us understand how to use simple (and possibly inexpensive) tools like lights, mirrors, and a background material. He also gives some tips on how to recognize what your image processing software is telling your about your photography skills (get the correct camera setup and you won’t need correct your levels in The GIMP). There’s even some tips on photographing LEDs, a topic we’ve seen before, which you’re bound to find useful when trying to make that blinky thing you built into an Internet sensation.
August 25 2010, 4:30pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/papercraft_softbox.html
Low on funds after dropping serious coin on that Canon 5D Mark II outfit and need a simple softbox to diffuse a flash? If you find yourself in a similar situation, check out this papercraft softbox from maker Julian Schüngel. It's the perfect accompaniment to the DIY LADIG cutout bounce card. Speaking of DIY photography gear, anyone know of a good DIY tripod tutorial? [via DIYPhotography]
Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!August 12 2010, 7:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/stick_and_can_3d_lighting_rig.html
Sometimes, good hacks are dog simple. Here, a food can, some cement, some stick-wood, and some spring clamps are used to create photography light, reflector, and backdrop mounts.
Stick in a Can Poorman's Solution for 3D Lighting
August 6 2010, 7:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/make_flickr_pool_weekly_roundup_43.html
MAKE Flickr Pool Weekly Roundup
This week in the MAKE Flickr pool we saw:
Testing prototype with real brass bell (video) by lilspikey,
DIY: lm75 mounted on espresso boiler by linux-works,
LED Orbit by High Performance Double Pendulum by yamamo2,
Synth for Marc's birthday by crayxax,
and Inside a DL330M Led / 9 + dot segments display by jkxathome.
July 25 2010, 5:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/how-to_light_stencil_effects_for_li.html
As a compliment to this morning's post about making "light orbs," here's a second Flickr tutorial, from user tdub303, about making and using "light stencils" in your long-exposure light photography. Basically, the stencil is cut out of a light-tight box holding a camera flash, which is fired off to illuminate the design and record it on the exposure.
Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!July 20 2010, 5:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/make_flickr_pool_weekly_roundup_42.html
This week in the MAKE Flickr pool we saw:
Drilled hole photo by ogk2009,
July 11 2010, 4:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/panobotor_a_diy_panoramic_and_orbit.html
Mhepekka created this excellent looking Panobotor robot, to take panoramic and orbital and photos using a DSLR camera. The kitchen and forest samples look astounding! They used an Arduino, a couple of servos, and some off-the-shelf hardware to build the project. Source code and schematic are included, however it looks like you are on your own for choosing the construction materials. [via tinker.it]
Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!July 9 2010, 1:30pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/la_guillotine_three-lens_action_cam.html
Udi Tirosh, of DIY Photography, sent us a link to this awesome homemade, cardboard, three-lens "action camera:"
Steven Monteau, the out-of-this-world-designer who created the Battlefield Pinhole Camera (and the amazing bokeh video) is back with a new camera the Guillotine (A.K.A Adidas) Camera. It is a homemade camera that creates actions sequences, in a fashion very similar to the Lomo Super Sampler (only better). It does so on 120 film and with great fineness.
Here's a sampling of what La Guillotine can do, converting its output into animated GIFs.
La Guillotine Camera, A.K.A The Adidas Camera
More:
See all of our Photography coverage and projects on MAKE
July 6 2010, 6:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/open-source_panoramic_video_bloggie.html
Golan Levin recently picked up a Bloggie video camera, which is a pretty standard camera except for a neat panoramic lens attachment that you can get for it. Unfortunately, it didn't include Mac-compatible software to convert the donut-shaped video into a wide panorama, so he wrote an Open-Source Panoramic Video tool to do the conversion. The result, a reasonable quality panoramic video, are pretty impressive for such a cheap system! Additionally, the conversion software and camera are both capable of working in real time, which means that it should be possible to capture real-time panoramic video.
After playing around with it a bit, he also noticed that the camera resolution in panoramic mode was limited to 720p. To get around this, he modded the panoramic lens, removing a magnet that notified the camera to reduce it's resolution. This allowed him to capture 1080p video, however because of the way the camera sensor works, it turns out that the top and bottom of the panoramic donut are cut of. If one can live with that, however, it almost doubles the resolution of the panoramic video.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!June 26 2010, 4:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/dead-simple_shutter_speed_tester_fr.html
Pablo shows off his simple hack for testing the shutter speed of the old cameras he restores: A phototransistor from an old computer mouse, a battery, a flashlight, and a mono stereo plug to his computer's microphone port. He records the pulse in a simple audio recording utility and measures the time between the peaks. [Thanks, Billy Baque!]
June 16 2010, 12:06am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/dslr_pinhole_lens.html
Do you like the way a pinhole photo looks, but don't have the time to develop the photo? That's where the DSLR pinhole lens comes in. Maker Matt Devlin has put together a tutorial on how to make your own using household materials. [via DIYPhotography]
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!May 26 2010, 7:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/make_your_own_six-month_duration_im.html
Make Your Own Six-Month Duration Images of the Sun's Path Across the Sky, Justin writes -
Pinhole photography suffers the illusion that, as its science is simple, it should be easy to master. In practice, creating an effective pinhole image requires learning many variables including: hole size, exposure times, digital vs analog and focal length--all topped off with a fear of getting the math right.What follows is a simple and effective design of a pinhole camera that enables the user to capture six-month duration images of the sun known as solargraphs without the need for any chemicals or a darkroom.
May 11 2010, 11:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/diy_wiggle_stereoscopy.html
Andrew Odewahn of Cambridge, MA wrote this helpful tutorial for creating your own stereoscopic images.
In wiggle stereoscopy, the 2 images are aligned so that the "subject" overlaps, and then the right and left images are alternated quickly. Past a certain frequency, the brain interprets the alternations as parallax motion, which creates the illusion of depth. (It's important to note that this is not really a 3D image, but rather a visual trick. True 3D is more complex.)
The first step is to take 2 photographs; fairly simple objects work best. Take the first picture of the object and then (and this is the important part!) slide the camera to the other eye and take the same picture, but at an offset. This is the tricky part -- you don't want to change the angle of the camera or move your position in any way. You simply want to slide the camera from one eye to the other, keeping the lens in the same plane. With practice, you'll get the hang of it.
He includes a Processing script to help create the animated gifs.
More:
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!May 11 2010, 3:22pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/diy_shoulder_rig_for_dslr_video_wit.html
In this video and at this site, annoyingly good-looking Swedish videographer Jonathan Bergqvist details the construction of this clever shoulder-mount device for shooting video with a DSLR. Designed by Jonathan and his father Erik, the rig itself is made out of birch and includes a manual focus puller, actuated by twisting the left handle, that is hacked together from R/C control rod parts and a hose clamp.
More:
May 7 2010, 8:55am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/05/camera_staff_for_when_a_monopod_isn.html
From the MAKE Flickr pool:
Flickr user 0olong added a 1/4" screw to the top of a homemade wooden staff to create this handy camera staff. When not in use as a monopod, he has a set of different staffheads that he can screw on for decoration. Neat!
More:
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!May 5 2010, 4:15pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/fisheye_lens_from_decapitated_soda.html
San Francisco-based camera hacker extraordinaire Bhautik Joshi just posted a how-to on making your own fisheye lens using a soda can. From his site:
Built using a fisheye peephole as the main lens element and a decapitated soda can as the lens body (!), this attaches directly to my SLR camera. For well under US$20, I ended up with a lens that has nearly a 180-degree field-of-view, adjustable focus, a canon EOS mount, and due to it's stylish and sleek exterior, can generate limitless amounts ofadmirationridiculeconfusion. Unlike commonly (and cheaply) available fisheye adapters, this build does not attach to the front of an existing lens - it's a completely self-contained unit that doesn't require any other optics to work.
Here are a few shots Bhautik took with his homemade fisheye:
[via Photojojo]
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!April 21 2010, 10:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/diy_macro_lighting_ring.html
Taking a picture of a circuit board just got a little easier. Using aftermarket automotive LED headlight rings and a spare lens hood, maker Udi Tirosh has fashioned a DIY macro lighting LED ring. [Thanks, Udi!]
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!April 20 2010, 7:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/make_flickr_pool_weekly_roundup_38.html
This week in the MAKE Flickr pool we saw:
DIY Multiple Voltage Bench PSU by krusty,
55-250 with WeightShifter by skazi,
Breadboarding SMDs by lightsink,
HeatSync Labs 4/15 meeting by JohnKit,
and iBall Prototype 1 by Drew Mithi.
April 19 2010, 4:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/caleb_charlands_science_art.html
I love Caleb Charland's geeked-out photography. His work, in essence, consists of scientific experiments explored on film -- magnets, electricity, fluid dynamics -- all beautiful.
My process and choice of subject matter stems from growing up in a do-it-yourself household where I learned to appreciate the power that tools and materials hold. As I explore the garage and search through the basement to solve these pictures, I find new ways of putting old tools and familiar materials to work. Much of this work pursues temporal phenomena and the influence of physical forces on matter. Photography serves my practice well as a means to experience this activity in a single moment or to combine several different moments into a single experience.
The artwork I create combines my scientific curiosity with a constructive approach to making pictures. I utilize everyday objects and fundamental forces to illustrate my own experiences with wonder. Each photograph begins with the simple question "How would this look? Is that possible? What would happen if...?" and develops through a sculptural process of experimentation. I first test my assumptions about the interactions of certain objects or forces. Often this leads to more fascinating properties than I could have imagined. As each image develops over time the subject's natural tendencies strongly influence my aesthetic decisions. An image is complete only when my intentions rectify with the fundamental qualities of the objects and forces.
[via PetaPixel]
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!April 11 2010, 2:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/make_flickr_pool_weekly_roundup_37.html
This week in the MAKE Flickr pool we saw:
Packshotnik by svofski,
MEGABENCH! by bondcliff,
Audio beacon by JohnKit,
Light Spray Graffiti by Brigade Neurale,
and anglerbox012 by peterman921.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!April 11 2010, 5:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/make_flickr_pool_weekly_roundup_36.html
This week in the MAKE Flickr pool we saw:
Arduino digicam by arms22,
LED lighting PCB board etching by Joel Miller,
March 28 2010, 5:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/pinhole_photo_contest.html
Lensbaby, who make fun lenses for DSLRs (including, not coincidentally, a pinhole simulator lens) are offering a pinhole photo contest.
Pinhole photography can be beautiful, ethereal, and even magical, and takes us back to the earliest origins of image making. Help us celebrate this wonderful photography medium just in time for Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day! Submit your best pinhole photos for a chance to win a Joby Tripod, a gift certificate from Red River Paper and a Lensbaby gift certificate.
Any pinhole image, whether shot with a real pinhole camera or with a lens that simulates a pinhole effect, is eligible. See the full rules. [image: Matt Callow]
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!March 26 2010, 4:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/more_bodging_missions_to_the_edge_o.html
Another day, another amateur storming heaven with a spacecraft built from pocket change and stuff found laying around the house. Here, British amateur scientist and inventor, Robert Harrison, captures amazing images about 22 miles above sea level. His styro and duct tape "craft" houses a digital camera, camera servo, AVR MCU, radio transmitter GPS (module) GPS/GSM (tracker), temperature sensors, and power supply (battery). As the BBC reporter says at the end of the above piece "more bodging missions to the edge of space" are planned. Oh goody! [via HacDC e-list]
Icarus Project (Robert's project page)
Who needs a Space Shuttle? Amazing pictures of Earth captured by one man, a balloon and his compact camera (Daily Mail story)
Yorkshire space enthusiast records Earth using balloon (BBC story)
More:
March 26 2010, 12:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/flashback_2-mile_camera_remote.html
We just shipped the newest issue of MAKE, Volume 22, to the printer, and my head is swimming with all things remote control, which is the theme. This got me to thinking about previous remote control projects that have graced the many pages of MAKE. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention, and maker Tom Rodgers wanted to be able to take more "adventuresome shots than the standard timer or short-range remote would allow" so he came up with a clever hack pairing his digital camera and walkie-talkie to make the 2-Mile Camera Remote. He shared his project with us back in MAKE Volume 15 and we're sharing it with you here today.
Walkie-talkie actuator lets everyone pose without rushing for a timer.
By Tom Rodgers
A few years ago, I was hiking with a friend along the ridge at Crater Lake in Oregon, and I saw a great spot for us to pose for a picture, on a cliff overlooking the lake. Unfortunately, the perfect place from which to take that picture was 250 yards away, over treacherous terrain. There was no way I could cover that distance in the 10 seconds allotted by my camera's timer. So I stayed with the camera and sent my friend ahead to pose on the cliff alone. I was right, it was a great shot, but I was sorry we couldn't both be in it.
This gave me the idea to create a camera remote with enough range to let me take more interesting, adventuresome shots than the standard timer or short-range remote would allow. It occurred to me that a handheld radio could be used as a remote control, enabling me to set up the camera in advance, and then go pose for an "action shot" anywhere in the camera's field of view. I could then trigger the camera with the radio.
MATERIALS
Simple digital camera I used a Digital Concepts 3.1 megapixel camera, about $30, but any similar, simple digital camera should work. It should have a fixed or auto focus and zoom, so that it doesn't need to be adjusted when it's first turned on.
Inexpensive FRS radios (2) I used the Kenwood FreeTalk EL, but I've tried to write the instructions so you can use any FRS (Family Radio Service band) radio. Cobra makes a nice inexpensive model that runs about $25/pair. You'll only need to modify one radio to interface with the controller, but you'll need a second one to trigger it. If you're careful, you'll still be able to use the radio for standard communication even after you mod it.
1" stereo panel-mount audio jacks (2) RadioShack part #274-249
Mini SPST momentary switches (2) One switch is used for the camera's power and the other for the shutter. I had 2 different ones lying around, but you could use 2 from the same RadioShack 4-pack, #275-1547.
Sheet metal such as aluminum flashing, or 0.016"4"10" aluminum, Hobbylinc, part #k+s5255, hobbylinc.com
6"×4"×2" project enclosure RadioShack #270-1806
Mini project board RadioShack #276-148
Stereo plugs with wires (2) cut from dollar-store headphones
BASIC Stamp 1 microcontroller $29, Parallax part #BS1-IC, parallax.com
16-pin SIP socket Parallax #450-01601
9-volt battery connector RadioShack #270-324
DPDT submini toggle switch RadioShack #275-614
SPDT and SPST submini toggle switch (optional) RadioShack #275-613 and #275-612
3-pin header Parallax #451-00303
Compact 5V DC/1A SPST reed relays (2) RadioShack #275-232
2N2222 switching transistor RadioShack #276-1617
10kΩ resistor RadioShack #271-1335
Assorted jumper wires
Adhesive rubber feet
9V battery
Scrap of foam block
Paper for making enclosure mock-up
TOOLS
Wire stripper and wire cutters
X-Acto knife
Small screwdriver
Needlenose pliers
Electrical tape
BASIC Stamp 1 serial adapter Parallax #27111, $5
Soldering/desoldering tools
Multimeter
Hot glue gun
Serial cable Parallax #800-00003
Read the full step by step instructions in our Digital Edition. You can also pick up a back issue of MAKE Volume 15, the Music Issue, over in the Maker Shed.
March 25 2010, 9:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/print-your-own_35mm_pinhole_camera.html
From the MAKE Flickr pool:
Francesco Capponi created this handy printable template (A4, unfortunately for U.S. makers!) for creating a pinhole camera using a roll of 35mm film. Both the template and instructions are found on Francesco's Flickr page.
More:
March 21 2010, 11:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/control_your_dslr_with_a_nintendo_d.html
Open Camera Control is a project from HDRLabs to build a custom cable to interface your DSLR with a DS.
The OCC project arose from our need to shoot HDR images for film production using Canon cameras. Canon has stubbornly chosen to stick to its standard 3-shot method for bracketing shots - one metered shot and two additional shots one or two stops above and below the metered shot. For texture shooting, it is sometimes necessary to shoot 5,7,9 or even 11 or more stops of bracketing around the metered exposure. We've since found that the OCC system can work with other brands like Olympus and Sigma cameras.
The project includes a full rundown including schematics, source code, and shooting guide. [via techchee]
March 17 2010, 7:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/how-to_photograph_exploded_fruit.html
Over on DIY Photography, photographer and artist William van der Steen, has a nice tutorial on creating sliced fruit photos. [Thanks, Udi!]
Create Wonderful Sliced Fruit Images
More:
March 17 2010, 12:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/make_flickr_pool_weekly_roundup_35.html
This week in the MAKE Flickr pool we saw:
Smallest Zine In The World by The Bottomless Paddling Pool,
play clothtylophone by syano,
Schlitz box amp by nitdoggx,
Oscilloscope + arduino by zeni666.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!March 14 2010, 5:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/seasonal_flickr_color_cycle.html
This visualization of the way colors in Flickr images change over the course of the year was created by Fernanda Viégas and Martin Wattenberg of IBM's Visual Communication Lab. It's called "Flickr Flow."
The two of us see the world as a stream of color, and in 2009 we finally had a chance to draw the river in our heads. We began with a collection of photographs of the Boston Common taken from Flickr. Using an algorithm developed for the WIRED Anniversary visualization, our software calculated the relative proportions of different colors seen in photos taken in each month of the year, and plotted them on a wheel. The image [above] is an early sketch from the piece. Summer is at the top, with time proceeding clockwise.
The finished infographic, complete with seasonal labels and callouts of representative images, appeared in the Metric section of Boston magazine in March of 2009. You can view a low-res version of it here.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!March 11 2010, 4:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/make_flickr_pool_weekly_roundup_34.html
From the MAKE Flickr pool:
March 7 2010, 4:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/diy_ladig_cutout_bounce_card.html
Last month at MacWorld I stopped by the LADIG booth to see what all the fuss was about. Making my way through the swarm of DSLR toting macheads I finally got to the booth to find beaming LADIG members handing out these fantastic cutout bounce cards. If you're unfamiliar with LADIG:
The LADIG (Los Angeles Digital Imaging Group) is dedicated to advancing the art and science of digital imaging in all its forms.Membership is open to all digital imaging professionals: photographers, designers, illustrators, prepress providers, software and hardware developers, fine artists and corporation communication workers...
If you would like to print your own, the folks at LADIG were kind enough to mention that they have a downloadable PDF on their website.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!March 3 2010, 6:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/lovely_solargraphy_photos.html
Polar and horizontal mounts of solargraph 35mm pinhole-can cameras. Images captured in Nuremberg, German. Camera: plastic 35mm film cans, paper: Agfa BS310 RC. [Spotted on the MAKE Flickr pool]
More nifty solargraphy pics in the Solargraphy Flickr pool.
Polar and Horizontal Can-Mount
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!February 25 2010, 6:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/ultra-slow-exposure_pinhole_photogr.html
Finnish photographer Ollipekka Kangas tapes pinhole cameras to trees and sign poles for months at a time, accumulating some pretty crazy imagery.
Basically solarigraphic camera is a pinhole camera, very slow one. These pinhole photographs taken with a lensless pinhole camera with a extra long exposure. I use black&white paper which is 5-10 ASA. Exposure time can be very long, in some photos up to six months. Usually average camera is hidden in city for one to two months. The picture will appear without developing photographic paper with any kind of chemicals. Exposured paper is scanned in darkness and developed in Photoshop. All the cameras are very low tech, cheap boxes, canisters or film cans. I can take only like 5 pictures in month.
Sun draws many interesting traces in photos, you can really see the time passing by. Some times camera is tilted by passerby or tape just goes loose. Double exposures or traces of humidity can be seen in photos.
[via @GreatDismal]
More:
February 25 2010, 3:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/scratch-built_slr_camera.html
This discussion board is in French, but it's still fascinating and rewarding enough to scroll through the postings to see the progress pics of this scratch-built SLR camera. Really inspiring. [Thanks, Jacek Tomasiak!]
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!February 24 2010, 6:01pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/curtain_made_from_film_slides.html
Becky spotted this "kodachrome curtain" from Flickr user yarnzombie in the CRAFT Flickr pool this week. Besides the coolness of the idea itself, this is a great example of the power of a good photograph to sell your project. Gorgeous shot! [via CRAFT]
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!February 15 2010, 11:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/diy_light_tent_using_plain_paper_an.html
Do you have to take some tabletop product shots in a hurry, but don't have access to studio seamless or a light table? Try this hack. Using plain paper and some binder clips you, too, can assemble your very own light tent. [Thanks, Nathan!]
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!February 10 2010, 6:00am | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/flashback_infrared_photography.html
MAKE Volume 12 hit newsstands in November of 2007 and featured a special themed section called Upload, focused on digital arts and crafts. Richard Kadrey offered this cool little tutorial on getting started with infrared photography. Enjoy! You can also still pick up a back issue of MAKE Volume 12 over in the Maker Shed.
Looking at the Low End
Infrared photography reveals a world invisible to the naked eye.
By Richard Kadrey
For the human eye, the lowest visible wavelengths are red light measuring about 700 nanometers (nm). Below that, infrared radiation runs from about 750nm down to 1mm. When photographed in this part of the spectrum, leaves and grass glow with energy, as if the entire natural world is lined with fiber optics. Skin is luminous and perfect, like alabaster. Infrared photography gives you an inhuman view of the world, and it's a beautiful one.
In the beginning, infrared photography was nothing you needed to know about. It was a high-tech procedure reserved for laboratories and mapping satellites. Even when artists got their hands on the stuff, it required special film that had to be kept in an ice chest until it was used, and special processing that required access to a darkroom with the right chemicals, and all the expenses those items entailed.
Digital photography has made infrared accessible to everyone. That's great news to those using IR for the first time, because this is when you're liable to make the most mistakes. Better yet, you don't need an expensive camera to take great shots. In fact, cheaper and so-called "dinosaur" digital cameras can be the best ones for IR shooting. The reason is simple: most high-end cameras come with a built-in infrared-blocking filter (sometimes called "hot glass") that sits right in front of the camera's sensor chip. Cheap cameras don't always have this IR filter, and they're easy to hack if they do. But remember when picking your cheap camera to make sure it has a Preview mode. This will allow you to see your infrared shot and make adjustments on the fly.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!January 27 2010, 8:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/photographing_snowflakes.html
A few years ago I picked up Ken Libbrecht's Field Guide to Snowflakes, thinking any self-proclaimed snow junkie like myself should own it. A renowned snow scientist and physicist, Libbrecht's great little book taught me about snowflake fundamentals and helped me identify different types of flakes and learn what each shape tells us about the weather. Then my friend Katie got me Libbrecht's The Art of the Snowflake: A Photographic Album, a stunning coffee table book filled with snowflake photographs (like the one above) Libbrecht has taken using his snow photography rig. Recently I stumbled across his site, which details each component of his photo-microscope rig, including cost (although this part is a bit dated), perfect for trying to come up with the setup for cheaper. Check it out if you have any interest in snowflakes or micro-photography.
January 14 2010, 8:00pm | More »
I posted to blog.makezine.com
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/diy_beauty_dish.html
Australian Flickr user Andrew converted a regular flash into a beauty dish by adding a 7" stainless steel dish, a lid from a food tin, a "4n20 Pies giveaway stubby holder" and some pieces of Mechano.
Here's an example of the effects he got with his dish.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Photography | Digg this!January 4 2010, 3:00am | More »
