Can’t afford an expensive lens with Image Stabilizer (IS) or Vibration Reduction (VR)? This instructional video shows you how to build your own stabilizer in 5 minutes for less than $1. It is super light weight and folds up small enough to fit in your pocket.

Having a DSLR with a built-in pop-up flash is great when you want to travel light and do not want to carry your large hot shoe flash around. The problem is these flashes tend to make harsh shadows on your subjects, and to overcome this many people use Gary Fong Puffer Pop-Up Flash Diffuser which available for around $24 at Amazon.

But why spend $24 if you could make your own Pop-up flash diffuser from vacuum bag, a film canister or even a tissue?

Here’s a tutorial on how you can make a light box or doing still life and product type photography using everyday materials for under $40.

What you need are (5) White Foam Core Board, (1) Roll of Carpet Tape - Two Sided, (1) Roll of Packing Tape, (3) Yards of Thin White Fabric - nearly sheer, Box Cutter, Scissors, and (3) Pieces of Poster Board.

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Raviv has done a nice video showing yout how to add a DIY macro lens to any amateur digital camera using a regular binoculars and a masking tape.

Ever wanted to shoot RAW and having a DOF-calculator in your Canon point-and-shoot digital cameras? or do you want to play games with your Canon cameras?

Now you can have those cool features including Live histogram (RGB, blended, luminance and for each RGB channel), Zebra mode (blinking highlights and shadows), Battery indicator, Scripts execution (exposure/focus/… bracketing, intervalometer and more), File browser, Text reader, Calendar and many more with the CHDK firmware.

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Learn how to make an infrared filter for your point-and-shoot digital camera.

Author: Leann Wrightsman

This step-by-step guide will show you how to make a snoot for your flash easily using items you may even have around the house. You can use your snoot to get a nice narrow light pattern, customizable by squeezing the snoot;

© Leann Wrightsman

STEP 1: Get gaffer’s tape and foam paper.
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Here’s a nice trick for all amateur photographer on a budget for making a cheap tripod using a ‘bean bag’. I’ve tried it myself and I must say that it works like a charm.

Learn how to make a better bounce card for your camera flash.

A ringflash or ring light gives your photos a unique look, because by using a ring light all light is coming from the front, imparting a virtually shadowless look onto the front of your subject, while even shadows show around the edges of any three-dimensional surface. You can buy a ringlight for around 1000 bucks or you can make your own ringflash for $100 and 3 hours of time to assemble by following this guide written by Instructables member Bankara.

Materials needed:
-20 feet of 12 gauge wire, 10 black, 10 white. it is pretty cheap, maybe 30 cents a foot.
-12 100 watt bulbs, $5
-bag of electrical connection caps, $3
-box of 1″ screws (for sockets)
-box of 5/8″ screws (for hinges and bolt locks)

Tools required

-wire stripper
-electric drill
-screwdriver
-jigsaw

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