nghi_hoang Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 I want to make light panels of various sizes for studio and on- location portrait photography. The ones from Photoflex, Westscott, etc. are either constructed from aluminum or PVC tubes. They are collapsible. They are nice, but there is no way for me to afford them at the moment. I wonder if anyone has constructed his own light panel from either aluminum or PVC tubes and would like to share your experience. I am looking for construction plan and/or specifications for the frame and the type of fabric for the panel (there are too many choices of fabric at the local fabric store and I find it is difficult to know what is used by Photoflex or Westscott, etc.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkantor Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 I make backgrounds and scrims from PVC tubing. Just get $5 worth of sprinkler pipe, plus 90 degree and T connectors that press together and can easily be taken apart. (But spend the $10 and get a pvc tubing cutter - it makes the job much easier.) As for fabric, I'd just experiment a bit and see what works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe heiliger houston, tx Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 In Scott Smith's book, "Studio Lighting Made Simple", He has a blueprint to build diffusion panels from PVC. They look very simple to make and quite durable. Check out his site at: http://www.lightingmagic.com Best of luck, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
critter Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 Damn, someone beat me to it. The more specific link is http://www.lightingmagic.com/difpanel.htm<br><br>reading that inspired me to build a makeshift panel out of pvc and a white sheet and a smaller wing draped with a black sheet. That and a doubleheaded quartz worklight were my main lighting rig for a year. Worked fabulously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yance_marti Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 At most fabric stores you can get white rip-stop nylon. It is more translucent than sheets and is probably the same stuff used in most softboxes. Buy it in whatever lengths you need and just sew up the edges to fit preferably with sleeves for the tubing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nghi_hoang Posted July 1, 2003 Author Share Posted July 1, 2003 Thank you everyone. I realize I was not very clear about what I want. What I want to construct is reflector panel. The reason I am asking about the fabric is because I am looking for a white fabric that reflects most of the light bouncing off of it (rip-stop nylon lets the majority of the light passes through, methinks). I am not looking for silver or gold reflector fabric because those are relatively easier to pick out at the fabric store. Besides, I like the neutrality that white fabric provides. I plan to build big panels (6'x6, 6'x12', etc.) to provide the largest reflective light sources that I could fit into my living-room studio and are not too clumsy when used outdoor on a relatively unwindy day. I'm actually looking forward to building these reflective panels. This project should be fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_ratzlaff Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 but it seems to be no longer available online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brooks short Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 You can easily make frames from schedule 40 pvc pipe an a few corner fittings. Schedule 40 has a thick wall and is quite sturdy. These frames can be simply glued together for use in the studio or left unglued for portability on location. You can bungee cord them internally for quick setup or use them as seperate pieces, mixing and matching sizes and fabrics. The fabrics can be home made but aren't that expensive to buy from the manufacturer already sewn. Look at www.calumetphoto.com for a selection of reflective white fabrics. Buy the fabrics first if you are going to make your own frames. A much nicer though more expensive way to go is to buy Scrim Jims which are made of aluminum and are much sturdier than pvc frames. Pricey but nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_greene Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Vunghi, I made a 3'x5' and a 5 foot square light panels out of PVC with white rip stop nylon fabric. The fabric reflects plenty of light relative to a white foam core reflector, plus it diffuses sunlight very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger_fleenor Posted July 6, 2003 Share Posted July 6, 2003 THE BEST DESIGN I HAVE EVER SEEN IS IN WILLIAM MORTENSEN'S BOOK "OUTDOOR PORTRAITURE" IT IS A WOOD FRAME WITH HINGES TRUNK BRACES AND OPENS/ CLOSES WITH SUITCASE LATCHES. IT FOLDS AND ROLLS INTO A NEAT PACKAGE. ALSO, WHEN YOU PICK YOUR MATERIAL TRY TO FIND A VINYL WHICH CAN BE WIPED CLEAN... LOCATION TRAVEL AND USE PICKS UP A LOT OF SOILING TO A FABRIC REFLECTOR OR DIFFUSION SILK. TRY TO FIND A SUPPLY HOUSE FOR FURNITURE OR CAR UPHOLSTERY. UNIROYAL MAKES A WHITE NAUGAHYDE WHICH WOULD WORK. YOU CAN SEAM IT WITH VINYL WELD. WILL BE HEAVIER THAN CLOTH THOUGH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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