If you’ve ever found flash photography to be too harsh, but often wondered how the pros get those evenly lit studio shots, you should check out a ring flash. Shooting through a ring flash will get you smooth, even lighting, and that perfect twinkle in the eye. You’ll also lose the harsh shadows that usually accompany a flash.
Ring flashes can be cost prohibitive, which is usually why you don’t see them much outside of the studio. It’s the sort of thing that screams for a DIY solution, of which there are many. If you’re looking for a quick and easy alternative to messing around with pie tins and duct tape, I’d suggest checking out DIY Lighting’s Ring Flash Kit.
Shipped flat-pack and easy to assemble, the DIY Lighting Ring Flash Kit will get you up and running in the time it takes to fold and tape together this clever light guide. You may lose a stop or two compared to a true ring flash, but you’ll get those awesome results you’re looking for if you’re willing to experiment a little. I’ve found it to be great for fill as well.
8 thoughts on “DIY Ring Flash Kit”
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Hi Adam and Make,
This is udi from DIYP. thanks for the plug. Always great to see a big entity like Makezine mention us.
have a great weekend,
udi
Great reference, Adam! Sadly, I’m also with the grammar police and we have to question your use of “loose” rather than “lose.”
I think Adam wanted to set those harsh shadows free…
;-)
Not to bash or belittle the product but, as a former professional photographer specializing in macro scientific and industrial images, this is not a true ring flash but something called a light guide. I have worked with lucite and fiber optic light guides as well as constant-on LED ring-lights and true xenon tube ring flashes. That being said I think this light guide would an excellent item for someone starting out (or wanting to try out with minimal equipment investment) in portraiture, hair style or make-up imagery where evenness of light can be critical.
For those interested in macro photography here is a DIY macro lighting set-up an acquaintance of mine has shown at deviantArt, a macro photography box-type light guide: http://dark-raptor.deviantart.com/art/Macrophoto-52908518 His gallery is stunning and, AFAIK, routinely shot using his homemade light guide. You can view his gallery here: http://dark-raptor.deviantart.com/gallery/