10 Best DIY Photo Projects You Can Do This Weekend
Whether you love shooting with your DSLR, smartphone, or whatever, now is a great time to get the perfect shot. If you need accessories, some kind of lighting, a studio, or other tools to help you with that, here are some great projects that take a little time, energy, and some DIY spirit.
10. Create affordable, portable, quality lighting.
One of the most important things you need as a photographer is good lighting, especially if you plan on taking great portraits and photographs of your subjects. However, good lighting doesn’t have to cost a fortune. We’ve shown you how even the most affordable lighting can make a huge difference when you know how to position it, and even how to capture great portraits and head shots with just one light source .
If that’s not enough to keep you learning this weekend, consider making these flexible LED panels portable enough to take this ultra- portable brownie-style lighting panel with you, or upgrade your home photography or video studio with this 4-point professional lighting. … installation using affordable store lights .
9. Get clear pictures and videos with a homemade steadicam.
Avoiding the awful camera shake is another important thing for aspiring photographers to learn and for old hands to remember. Easier said than done, of course, and while learning to breathe like a sniper will still help you, you can also build a homemade steadicam to help you get perfect shots and smooth videos wherever you go. We’ve shared a ton of homemade gimbals and gimbals, from this $ 10 kit you can build yourself , to this $ 15 version that guarantees stable video .
If you’re on a very tight budget, these options are really simple – for example, just “grab a scrap,” and this DIY option is perfect for a smartphone, and this one is perfect for that tiny digital camera you don’t have. replaced by a smartphone yet. Oh, and this one is made of LEGO bricks .
8. Set up anywhere with a tripod or DIY holder.
Perhaps more important than the Steadicam for smooth videos or unstable photos is a tripod or camera mount, which you can use for perfectly still and stable shots. We’ve also shown you many that are easy to make from a few items that can be found around the house, or quickly go to the hardware store for inexpensive nuts and bolts. Consider it a clamping mount for the camera very simple solution for taking photographs at unusual angles or a compact ceiling mount for self- assembly for capturing video from the top down.
This DIY dash cam mount will place your phone or other camera in your car if you don’t want to invest in a dash cam yet. If you’re low on supplies but still want great photos, with the right use, just about anything can stabilize your camera – even a folder clip , a frying pan, or better yet, a rope and your own body .
7. Take time-lapse photography
Everyone loves the beautiful time-lapse videos that can be seen on the internet. Stars circling in the night sky, beautiful natural landscapes with the sun passing over them, even city streets over time, when people come and go – all this is interesting, but making them is not as difficult as you think. Take some time this weekend and see how they work and try your hand at one or two – maybe recording a party for your friends, or even a window view during the day.
If you need a little help, Microsoft’s Hyperlapse can help you , as well as Instagram’s own Hyperlapse tool . Both are worth considering depending on whether you want to shoot for a short period and then shoot very quickly, or shoot a really long period and then cut it back.
6. Learn to take the best portraits.
Time and practice are keys to better photography, and if you have a face (and chances are you have), taking a short break to learn how to shoot better portraits will greatly help you with the rest of your photography skills . If you have someone to photograph, consider filling the frame with your subject for a more dramatic and intimate shot, and think about how you use light and how you adjust to harsh light when necessary .
If you only have your face, you can still practice! Consider using open body language to create memorable, expressive images, and of course, don’t go overboard with the whole “shot from above”. These are just a few tips, but remember: practice!
5. Update your DSLR firmware and add Wi-Fi.
This project is a little more technical, but what could be more valuable than being able to take better photos, tweak the camera settings the way you like, and easily save all those photos where you need them? Consider adding a Wi-Fi SD card to your DSLR . We love the Toshiba Flashair, but there are many options, each with different options.
When it comes to custom camera firmware, your first step is to find out which one is best for your type of camera . Many photographers love Magic Lantern and we have a guide on how to install it . There is even a video for beginners on this topic (see above) . Even if you have point and shoot, you can still upgrade it .
4. Build a motorized camera.
Maybe you want to add some electronically controlled power to your photo game. Wonderful! This motorized rig is ideal for time-lapse movies or long panoramic shots , and while it takes time and detail, it’s not too difficult to put together.
Likewise, you can build this motion controlled automatic slow motion (video above) to capture some of those beautiful panoramic views we mentioned earlier, all without your actual presence to control it all.
3. Take beautiful aerial photographs.
Most of us don’t have the ability to be real aerial footage , but getting stuck on the ground doesn’t mean you also have to dwell on ground-related photographs. This kite based aerial photography rig allows you to take beautiful pictures from as high as you can get a kite. You can also always use a hot air balloon to get the job done , even if you don’t plan on mapping your area, but instead pop in an action camera there and take some high quality videos or photos.
Of course, you can also fly with a drone if you buy one that’s great for taking photos and videos. Just learn to fly legally and safely if you do.
2. Back up photos
Learning to take great photos is one thing, but spending a little time on the weekend to properly back up your photos for posterity and make sure you have copies in case something happens to your camera, phone, SD cards or computer. , is the Other. If that sounds overwhelming, this flowchart and audio guide can help you get out of your photo clutter .
Keeping copies locally is one thing and you should definitely do it, but we’re also big fans of online backup services like Crashplan or photo management services like Google Photos , the ubiquitous Flickr, or even Dropbox . These are not your only options: here are many more .
1. Change the camera settings.
If you really want to make a big impact on the way you take your pictures and the quality of the ones you shoot with just a few hours of investment this weekend, you should spend some time getting to know your camera’s settings and options. Whether it’s a 4K camera that you probably already have in your pocket (aka your smartphone), or all of those symbols and choices on the DSLR’s mode dial , take some time to research what each one is for and when it is used. We’ve got a complete photography basics guide to help you.
If you need more, this interactive diagram teaches you how these settings affect the photos you take, this video explains ISO settings and their meaning, and this free photography course walks you through even more of these settings and options individually. ( like this one !) Don’t go crazy – it’s good to have more information than you might need, but sometimes you just need to get out and start filming . Practice will help you more than learning every setting and option for your camera.