New Material Available for Your DIYs

May 14th, 2012 by Larry Becker

I’ve long been a fan of pool “noodle” floats for all kinds of padding, but the round shape with the hole in the middle, means they’re kind of limited to just applications where a round pad would work.

This weekend I spotted a new pool/ocean toy made out of the same material, on sale at Walmart. I picked up a blue one even though I have no idea what I’m going to do with it yet. I might use it to add some padding to any one of my camera bags or maybe some other project I haven’t thought of yet. The reason I like this material so much is that it’s great padding, it doesn’t flake or get dusty when you cut it, it’s durable, it’s cheap, and it can easily be cut with a sharp knife. And if you want to really “shape” the material, an electric kitchen knife is perfect for cutting smooth curves, unusual shapes or intricate details.

And worst case scenario, I’m ready for a pool party! ;)

REMINDER: The Rogue Contest is still going on, so sign up with an email if you haven’t already.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Posted in Alternate Uses, DIY Projects, Raw Materials | 3 Comments »

Larry’s Goin Rogue — A Contest Wrapup, A NEW Contest, and more…

May 8th, 2012 by Larry Becker

So I gave away some Impact light modifier gear recently. The winners were Linda King, Chad Goldman, and Miguel Palaviccini. Congrats to these Larry’s Cheap Shots readers and thanks to everyone for helping me get the word out about the blog!

This week I want to start a new contest and give away some really cool speedlight gear from a company whose stuff I LOVE. Expoimaging have passed along some great speedlight modifiers and I’m giving away a set. Now, this is some really great stuff if you have speedlights. The package includes a small Flash Bender, a Flash Bender small diffusion panel, a Rogue 3-in-1 Honeycomb Grid, and a set of colored gels for that grid. You’ve seen this stuff on DTownTV with RC and me, and it really is cool, not to mention affordable.

So you’re thinking… what’s the deal? Isn’t this the Larry’s Cheap Shots blog?!? I bet Larry could do his “McGyver” thing on a Saturday with some black straws, hot glue, fabric, special wires, and then just buy some gels. Why pay $132.80 for these four things?
Well, you’re probably right that I could hack together a lame form of these 4 items. It would take me all Saturday (and part of Sunday after church) and it would cost me trips to the hardware store, the Olive Garden (for black straws), the fabric store, Michaels Crafts, and the gas to get to all these places. If my time was free, I would save around $7. Honestly, I have better things to do with my Saturdays. And the quality of these things means they’ll last longer and look more professional than the stuff I would build. So that’s the back story, here’s the gear:

The Rogue 3-in-1 Honeycomb Grid is a nice little device that you strap onto the front of your speedlight/speedlite and you can control the spread of the circle of light, just like grids do for studio strobes. The 3 options are a 16˚, 25˚, or 45˚ and there’s a ton of detailed info about the grid system here. The companion Gels are shaped to fit in the grid housing and come in 20 colors.

The small Rogue FlashBender is a cool thing to have available because it’s not only a bendable reflector, you can even shape it into a snoot for true control!. Very versatile! And Rogue has a nifty little companion diffuser that allows you to turn the panel into a diffused light source. I saw these at a show recently and they were a real hit.

So how do you register to win this sweet little $132.80 package of Rogue small flash gear?
I’ll be selecting one name at random from all the people who come by this blog on or before Friday, May 18, 2012. There are 2 ways to enter. One is to send me ONE email to this special address: TellLarry [at] PhotoshopUser (and that’s a dot com email address by the way). The subject must be “Rogue Contest” and you need to include your name and shipping address in the body of the email. PRIVACY STATEMENT: None of this info will be saved and it will not be used for any future communication (ie: spam) unless you are the winner, in which case, I’ll email you that you won. That’s it. So you can only enter once by email.
A Second Prize Set—
On the other hand, you can post comments to any LarrysCheapShots blog posts, tweet about my blog on Twitter (@BeckerBiz), or mention +Larry Becker on Google+ and each post will enter you as well (but you need to send an email to make sure I have your address anyway). I’ll pick one winner of the big package from emails I receive and I’ll send a grid set plus gels to someone with a social media post.

On Friday the 18th I’ll pick both winners so shoot me an email.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Posted in Affordable Pro Gear, Contests, Don't Be Too Cheap | 53 Comments »

Flare Repair (Strobist Style)

April 23rd, 2012 by Larry Becker

This weekend I took over 1400 pictures for a local triathlon, kids triathlon, 5k, and jazz festival that was hosted by my Rotary club to raise funds for numerous local charities. It was a blast but it really pushed me, since the photography goal was to get as many shots of the athletes as possible, then post the images online and the athletes could see themselves in action. I wish the assignment was more like, “take some cool pictures to help promote the event,” but sometimes we don’t get to choose our assignments.

As one of 5 shooters, one of the assignments I got to shoot was the kids’ triathlon during a foggy sunrise. Lesson 1, flash does not help when it’s even slightly foggy! It just lights up the fog and everything looks hazy (but that’s not my story today). A little later in the morning I found this really cool place to stand, at a transition area, with a low sunrise in the background giving the kids a rimlight/backlight (like you see above).

I shot a bunch of images like this into the sun, and even with my lens hood on, I still got flare like you can see in the image above. I was able to fully extend my arm in a ‘salute’ position over the lens, and kill the flare a few times, but most of the time I couldn’t. So I started thinking… there has to be a “Cheap Shot” solution for this. I started thinking about it for a little while and then decided I’ll tackle it some weekend soon.

Then this morning I was catching up on some blogs I enjoy and what do you know… David Hobby had posted on his Strobist blog a GREAT solution for this exact situation. I don’t want to steal his thunder, so here’s a link to his site for the clever Cheap Shots worthy solution! Thanks David!!

Popularity: 24% [?]

Posted in Behind the Scenes | No Comments »

Why Are Fabric Grids So Expensive?

April 20th, 2012 by Larry Becker

The short answer is, a patent. Turns out that just about everybody producing some sort of egg crate grid has to pay substantial patent fees to the patent owner. So when you see a good value on fabric grids, then that means the manufacturer is probably not making much at all on the grids. My guess is that they probably just want to provide them to increase the value of their softbox.

Now if you watch DTownTV you probably already know that the 28″ Westcott Apollo umbrella frame softbox is in my top 2 favorite light modifiers for my strobes. I’m not sure why I never considered looking for a grid for it. I guess because I know grids are quite expensive. So when I found out I could get a grid for it, and when I found out the grid wouldn’t break the bank, I put in an order right away! (B&H’s web site even says it should be available on my birthday.)

Disclaimer: In blog posts you’re supposed to let people know if you’re being paid for talking about specific gear. I’m not. It’s true that I have friends at Westcott, but I found the grids on my own and haven’t even spoken to them about the grids as of this writing. In fact, I’m rather surprised no one from Westcott contacted me about the grids. I’m a very important photo gear guy (#sarcasm). I’m gonna have to have a serious talk with them! (#who-am-I-kidding?)

.

REMINDER: Through this weekend you still have a chance to win the Impact gear I told you about Monday. So fire up your social media skills and get some gear. Details in Monday’s post.

Popularity: 27% [?]

Posted in Affordable Pro Gear | 3 Comments »

Are Ya Reelin’ In the Gear…

April 18th, 2012 by Larry Becker

In my first season on DTownTV, an early Cheap Shots gear video tip was a way to deal with the Hoodman Loupe. It’s a great shade/magnifying viewer for your camera’s LCD so you can check your images on your LCD in the brightest sunlight, but it comes with a lanyard for hanging around your neck. Ironically, when I’m taking pictures, my camera hangs around my neck too, and kinda fights with the loupe. So I came up with one of those belt-clip, custodian key reels and a piece of Velcro. I’ve never dropped my Hoodman Loupe, it’s always handy, and other people can borrow it while it’s still attached to my belt! Simple, inexpensive, inspired alternate use of gear. A prototypical “Cheap Shot!” (Just make sure you buy the key reel with a cord, not a chain reel.)

The reason I’m bringing this one back up is because it was one of my earliest videos and lots of people have missed it… and because the reel and Velcro can be used for other things besides a HoodLoupe. For example, if you’re shooting in low light and you need a small flashlight from time to time, the Velcro is super quick to detach from your HoodLoupe (you don’t really need a loupe in low light anyway) and attach to a small LED flashlight. I’d be willing to bet readers could come up with other uses too.

Remember, it’s still contest week, so if you haven’t entered, see Monday’s post and get in the running for some cool Impact gear!

:)

Popularity: 28% [?]

Posted in Alternate Uses, DIY Projects, Raw Materials | 4 Comments »

An Update, A Thank You, Some Raw Materials, and A Contest

April 16th, 2012 by Larry Becker

Thanks!
Friday’s post was great for me because I got such great feedback and lots of suggestions, as well as a couple of new ideas. I have some post planned as a result and I’m working on some projects now too. Which brings me to my next subject, some new raw materials.

Raw Materials
This weekend I picked up some 3/4″ thick insulation foam sheets that are 4′ wide and 8′ tall. The type of insulation is called R-Matte 3 and it’s sealed and shiny silver on one side and white (with printing) on the other side. First I found it at Lowes and its core is pressed Styrofoam beads. The product at Home Depot with the same name is more of a beige close cell foam but it has a silver side and a white side (with printing). A couple things: there’s lighter weight, similar material that has printing on the silver side. I didn’t use that. Also, the silver side on the stuff from Lowes was very shiny and the silver side on the Home Depot stuff was more of a matte silver. Because of how my weekend went and when I had my son’s truck available, I bought mine from Home Depot, but I’d really rather have the shinier stuff from Lowes.

On a separate trip for a different project, I went to ACE Hardware and saw a great, affordable option for diffusion material. It’s an extra-large shower curtain and it was just $16. Sure, you can always go the bed sheet route or get white nylon cloth by the yard from a fabric place, but this was handy, thin, white, and affordable. I’ll let you know how it goes.

A Contest
I happened to notice that I have a few great little Impact brand light modifiers in my office I’m not using because I have a ton of these already [otherwise I'd selfishly keep them]. One is a 43″ silver beaded umbrella another is a 30″ or 32″ convertible umbrella and the final item is an Impact speedlight mounted Strobos beauty dish. I’m gonna give these away to three Larry’s Cheap Shots readers who do me the courtesy of letting your friends know about this blog.

Just mention @BeckerBiz on Twitter or +Larry Becker on Google+ and tell people you read this blog, plus include a link to this blog. Also, you could blog about Larry’s Cheap Shots if you have your own blog, and drop me an email telling me about your post, with a link in that email back to your blog so I can see it. Then I’ll pick 3 winners at random and send you the gear. I’ll leave the contest open all this week.

Thanks again for reading and good luck!

Popularity: 36% [?]

Posted in Alternate Uses, Behind the Scenes, By Request, DIY Projects, Little Extras, Raw Materials, Reader Suggestions | 9 Comments »

There Has To Be A Cheaper Way…

April 13th, 2012 by Larry Becker

This is my first Larry’s Cheap Shots bucket list column and I need your input! I have a bunch of projects I’ve done and some that I plan to do, but frequently I build stuff that I personally don’t need, but others do. (For example, I built a 20′ high tripod for Scott Kelby that was surprisingly inexpensive. — I’ll probably write that one up soon.)

Anyway, I’d love your input regarding the affordable and DIY stuff you’d love to see, or the less expensive gear you’d like to know about. Here’s some stuff that’s on my list:

  • Egg crate grids
  • Giant flags
  • A softbox-like giant, lit background for high-key model shoots
  • Various interesting, textured backgrounds
  • A portrait reflector

Now these are some of my DIY plans, but I also want to know what gear you need to save money on. Do you want advice on entry level studio lights? What about strobes and reflectors and lightstands, etc.? Or is there some nagging problem you have with a particular piece of gear… like my Hoodman Loupe solution or the lens fogging problem when you move from a cool (air conditioned) place to a warm (humid) environment?

What do you need fixed? What’s just outside your budget range but you wish you could afford? [Remember, there are no "Cheap" D4's or 5D Mark III's ;) ] All I want is everyone on a budget to tell me what Cheap Shot solution you’d like to see. Post it here on the blog, email me, or post it on G+ or Facebook. Just let me know!!

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Popularity: 39% [?]

Posted in Behind the Scenes, DIY Projects, Reader Suggestions | 17 Comments »

Weekend Project – Building A Brick Wall

April 11th, 2012 by Larry Becker

I love thinking about inexpensive solutions for photography and, while this solution is needed for a video production I’m working on, it could work equally well as a still photography backdrop…

Recently I picked up a 1080p Logitec webcam because of a recommendation from my buddy Terry White. In tinkering with it I determined that I hate how my background looks. I keep all my camera gear, stands, etc. on shelves behind where I sit when I’m at my desk, and it just looks junky. Of course I pulled out a trusty Coroplast V-flat and hung it horizontally from a lightstand with a clip. It was okay but the white duct tape seam looked ugly and you could kinda tell it was Coroplast.

When I started looking at other materials I could hang behind me (or prop up back there), most of them were pretty heavy and would be a big pain in my office. So I did a quick search and found out that you can order wallpaper that looks like a brick wall. So this weekend I’m gonna buy some and mount it to a new, single piece of Coroplast so I have a light weight, inexpensive, brick wall behind me. I love that it’s on Coroplast so it can be easily moved to and from storage by one person and just one lightstand with a clip can hold it in place.

Since I haven’t bought the wallpaper yet I’d love your input… Besides brick, any other suggestions?

Popularity: 38% [?]

Posted in Behind the Scenes, DIY Projects, Raw Materials | 17 Comments »

“Un-name” Your Camera Bag’s Laptop Slot

April 9th, 2012 by Larry Becker

Okay, so maybe this isn’t a money saver, but it’s definitely a tip to help you out in your photography, and it doesn’t cost you anything if you already own a 5-in-1 reflector (if you don’t you should and I’ve mentioned them on Cheap Shots here, here, and here) and a camera bag with a laptop slot (as many folks do). The tip is to not think of the laptop slot as a laptop slot.

I commute an hour to work every day, so I’m not likely to drive home if I forget something and need a piece of gear. As a result, I have my tripod and ballhead in my car all the time, plus a GorillaPod and second (smaller) ballhead, as well as a selection of tools and a tire patch kit (but that’s another story), and I always go to work with my camera bag, even if I don’t have a shoot planned. This results in usually having the gear I need for situations that arise during the day. Which brings me to my point…

Sometimes you can open your mind to possibilities by simply changing the name of something. Stop calling that wide, flat compartment in your camera bag a laptop slot and you might think of other uses for it. Much of my gear stays at home and I only have whatever gear I can fit in my backpack camera bag, so I try to make full use of all the compartments, including the laptop slot. But 95% of the time I don’t use the laptop slot for my laptop so I carry a 5-in-1 reflector folded down to a 12″ disk. A big disk like this gets in the way in most camera bags, and most people carry reflectors, stands, etc. separately from their camera bag anyway. But since a reflector is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment, and since my laptop slot almost never has a laptop in it, that’s where I keep one of mine. It’s come in handy a bunch of times!

Hope that helps somebody else. ;)

Popularity: 37% [?]

Posted in Alternate Uses, Little Extras | 2 Comments »

Turns Out, I Was Wrong

April 4th, 2012 by Larry Becker

Over the years I’ve suggested all kinds of tips and tricks for photographers, most of which are intended to help save a little time or money or both. I have to admit now, that one of my recommendations was bad and if you followed my advice you might just “stink” as a photographer.

One of the biggest airshows in the world (second only to Oshkosh) happens every year in my home town, Lakeland, FL. (If you want to see some great shots, check out Scott’s blog!) I’ve been before and shot it during the day, but this year a pilot friend of mine had a really nice reception, so my family and I went to hang out with friends for the night airshow and fireworks spectacular. It was great hanging out with old friends I hadn’t seen in years and even though I didn’t plan on shooting pics, lucky for me, my camera bag was in the car!

Turns out it was almost entirely a waste of time trying to shoot because (unlucky for me) even though I had all my best lenses and gear, I really needed a tripod, which wasn’t in the car. Besides some decent handheld fireworks shots (everybody’s seen fireworks so I didn’t post those) the only decent shot I snapped was this one of a jet-car flaming down the runway. — And as lame as this shot is, you know my airplane shots have to be really bad!

Lesson 1
If you’re serious about night photography and committed to getting some usable shots, gear up for it with fast glass and a solid tripod. Sure, I knew this intellectually, but I thought I could do at least a few handheld shots with some rapid-fire bursts and my 70-200 2.8 VR glass at a high ISO… NOPE! They ALL stunk! I should have just relaxed and had fun with friends and snap a few with my iPhone (since they turned out as good as anything from my $3500+ rig).

New Recommendation 1
No tripod night photography of airplanes is a waste of time. Forget the camera and just enjoy the show.

Lesson 2
As I mentioned a LONG time ago on Cheap Shots, keep some bug repellant in your camera bag in case you’re shooting landscapes or something and there are mosquitoes. Lucky for me I always carry some bug repellant in my camera bag. UNLUCKY for me I thought I’d be smart and keep Deet Free repellant in the bag. Bad idea!

The problem with bug repellant that has Deet, is that if you get it on the palms of your hands or fingers, it will act like paint thinner and remove precious markings from your camera and lenses. That’s bad. But the Deet free repellant I had stunk soooo bad that I was apologizing all night to everyone I was talking with and explaining that I really do have good personal hygiene, it’s just this awful bug spray that stinks.

New Recommendation 2
Use bug spray that has Deet but just be very careful to not get any on your palms/fingers, and make sure you don’t scratch your arm or something (where you’ve sprayed repellant) and accidentally transfer Deet to your camera that way. The Deet free stuff I had STUNK and I’d rather be bitten.

As my wife reminds me from time to time… I’m not always right. ;)

Popularity: 41% [?]

Posted in Behind the Scenes, Updates | 12 Comments »