DIY flash diffuser

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

After buying a good camera and lens, many photographers feel the need to purchase additional light sources. That is, outbreaks. Since the on-camera flash of even the most modern SLR cameras has very serious drawbacks: it does not allow you to adjust the direction and strength of the light, and does not give room for creativity. External flashes are good in every way. They are compact, similar in nature of light and temperature to sunlight, and allow you to adjust the power. When choosing the first flash, you should pay attention to models with a rotary head. And, of course, you will need a flash diffuser. It allows you to control the distribution of light. Note that the larger the area of the working surface of the diffuser, the softer the light will be. For ease of use, you will need a mobile design that does not take up much space and will be easy to unfold. Consider how you can make a DIY flash diffuser.

Source Materials

To work, you will need a thin A4 stationery folder made of flexible and dense white plastic, as well as textile Velcro about two centimeters wide with an adhesive layer. You can buy it in a store selling curtains or cornices. You will need only 25-30 cm. And, of course, you should stock up on scissors, a ruler, a pencil, paper.

Splash diffuser

This flash diffuser is very easy to make. A trapezoid of approximately the following dimensions is drawn on a sheet of paper: narrow side - 65 mm, wide side - 160 mm, height - 125 mm. If desired, you can change the dimensions (depending on the flash model and your requirements). From below, on the “burdock”, the side of the Velcro with hooks is glued. The soft side of the Velcro is attached to the flash around the perimeter from all sides. This will make it possible to mount a homemade diffuser in any position. Note that before gluing the Velcro, degrease the surface with alcohol. It is better not to use aggressive solvents for this, as they can ruin the plastic. With all its external simplicity, such a flash diffuser gives a lot of room for creativity. You can easily bend the structure and place it in various positions. This will allow you to direct the light not only to the ceiling, but also forward, to the side, at an angle (without fear of getting a hard light and completely “killing” the cut-off pattern on the faces of the models).

Bouncer diffuser

In casethere are no walls or ceiling nearby to diffuse the light, you will need a more sophisticated reflector design. For example, it could be a "bouncer" that looks like this.

Such a reflector is less flexible, but it will become indispensable if there are no reflection surfaces where the light could be directed. Note that a lens for a Canon or Nikon flash, in fact, does not differ from each other. The design is quite easy to fold and easily fit in the pocket of the bag. Fastening is carried out using the same Velcro. Therefore (depending on the shooting conditions) you can use a bouncer or pop-up flash diffuser.