Lampshade Improvised Softbox: Are You In Wintertime Studio Hell

[jpo3136b]

<p>Anybody else been getting stuck in wintertime studio hell? Look up that Zack Arias "Transformation" video. Keep on photographing.</p>

<p>Tabletop setup with a lampshade used as an improvised softbox. <br /> Pentax K200D, 28-80 FAJ, VIV 285HV on PC cord. Lampshade.</p>

<p>I wanted to bring it up because it had just never occurred to me before that just about every common lamp in the house has some sort of diffuser on it: the lampshade. I simply removed one and strobed through it.</p>

<p>If I remember right, this photo was made with the lampshade just sitting on the tabletop with the flash sitting inside. I think flash power for this one was set at 1/2, with a distance of less than one meter to subject.</p>

<p>To use the lampshade handheld, I taped a piece of paper over the opening in the bottom. To suspend the flash inside, to keep the flash more in the middle of the lampshade, I put it on an umbrella bracket (equipment, under $20) with the bracket set in an L-shape to create a crook that I could hang from the lampshade's internal wires on the top. I moved the flash off camera with a PC cord and a hot shoe adapter. Because of proximity and angles, I used a lens hood. All in, the equipment besides DSLR and lens came in at under $100.</p>

<p>The lampshade has a tendency to drop two stops. If you shoot through the sheet of paper, it has a tendency to drop a stop. Seemed to be effective at distances of less than 6' (2 meters). Yet, at those distances it's time to cut down on the strobe power anyway, so using a lampshade might be a useful trick. Many people have them around.</p><div></div>

[jpo3136b]

<p>What has been keeping you preoccupied this winter? Got still life? Or, still got life?</p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>If you're interested in some El Cheapo light modifiers to play around with I have two more suggestions: 33¢ neoprene snoot and common kitchen items.</p>

<p>Photo of the snoot below. It's just a sheet of neoprene foam (I bought mine in the craft section at WalMart [i know, but I heard it was at Walmart]). Wrap the foam around the head of the flash and duct tape it in place. Because the foam has some "give", its structural elasticity means that it can be removed and re-installed just with its snugness. I throw mine in the box or bag and it takes up almost no space. That 60' flash photo in POW was made with this snoot.</p>

<p>The kitchen items idea came from this blog post: http://www.davidejackson.com/blog/?p=256<br>

It was written by David Jackson. His ideas included a cheese grater for a cuculoris and using a white plastic garbage can as an improvised softbox. I think I read it during the last Studio Hell.</p>

<p>Of course, all 100% compatible with that Pentax on manual!</p><div></div>

[personalphotos]

<p>John some good ideas. I have in the bag some similar items. The snoot above that you created and I enhanced it by using some spray on contact cement to add aluminum foil to the inside. Since doing that I'm going to use a Mylar potato chip bag and make another. Also I Krazy glued a Velcro strap to the outside for fast and easy mounting to various heads and changing the shape (like more or less flared. </p>

<p>Using the same material, I have a few flash diffusers that are scoop shaped. Made from 2 layers. Black on the back, foil in the center and a white inner layer, glued and sandwiched together. Makes a great tool when bouncing is challenging or outside for fill.</p>

[michael_elenko]

<p>This is a good <a href="http://www.picturesocial.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1483478%3ABlogPost%3A49403">site</a> for more photohacks.</p>

<p>ME</p>

[jeremy_corbin]

<p>Quick! Someone get me a lampshade! :-)</p>

<p>I've tinkered a little with making snoots and other things. I like my gutter snoot pretty well, and I've got a neoprene snoot for my small boosters as well. They make really nice hair lights since you can just hit the hair (or other detail) without the spill from a bare flash.<br>

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4320187096_65ce442798_o.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="665" /><br>

The shot above was quick and dirty just now. I used the LP120 handheld to my left, the booster on the stand is on, and a second booster off camera right to get rid of the shadow caused by the LP120.</p>

<p>This is the gutter snoot I made. Gutter as in rain gutter connector from Home Depot for $2. I used a saw and cut a slit in the top to use credit cards to further modify the light in different ways. Little effort, lots of experiments to be had...<br>

<img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4224016161_19f3981696_b.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="684" /></p>

<p>It's relatively directional as well... I'm still experimenting with other stuff...</p>

[jpo3136b]

Best use for a MasterCard in this economy!

[bob-c]

<p>Great stuff guys. Thanks!</p>

[miserere_mei]

<p>What about the classic Pringles snoot?</p>

[andrewg_ny]

<p>I used a spaghetti box for a snoot about a year ago...didn't bother lining its interior. I think its "window" was probably on the flash head side and mostly blocked by the flash head inserted in the box.</p>

[trw]

<p>If you actually want to photograph a lamp and are using flashes to light it's detail, I find a mini pocket slave strobe with a coiled up piece of vellum set up like a snoot makes a sufficient approximation to a lightbulb to make it look like it's lit.<br>

Like this: <br /> <a href="http://cheekymonkeyglass.ca/gallery.html"><img src="http://cheekymonkeyglass.ca/images/thumbnails/dragonflylamp.jpg" alt="lamp" /></a></p>

<p> </p>

[levy_fulop]

<p>Great ideas! Great for trying out, if nothing else, then for fun! :-)<br>

This was done with some old box, put on my laptop`s keyboard, and a DIY honeycomb gridspot.</p>

<p><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2786/4336537621_275bec7658.jpg" alt="" width="332" height="500" /></p>

<p>