I've built scrims out of shower curtains and pvc....and gobos from trash on the floor and a "white box" from foam-core for shooting jewelry and other highly reflective stuff but what other bits from sources other than calumet etc. have you found particularly useful in the studio? Do you order everything from Roscoe or have you found a cheaper substitute at your local grocer or hardward store?

-- Trib (linhof6@hotmail.com), August 12, 1999

Answers

I recently found a white umbrella on sale at my local Grand Union supermarket. It's a very neutral white and is moderately translucent. Seem to give about a 2 stop loss shooting through it or bouncing off it. Added to that, in a real emergency I'm guessing it would also keep the rain off me and/or my camera! It also makes a good "translucent tent" for outdoor macro work in bright sun. Folds to around 12". Cost under $10. If you're going to carry an umbrella, might as well get a white one.

Of course you can get a "real" photo umbrella for around $20 (Eclipse), so this isn't exactly a way to save big $$, but this one folds smaller and I'm not sure I'd want to use a photo umbrella in the rain (plus they don't have a handle).

-- Bob Atkins (bobatkins@hotmail.com), August 12, 1999.

excellent I'm gonna use that one Bob!...that reminds me of my silver sun-shield for my car...it strangely resembles those flex-disc reflectors and folds up just the same...now if i could just find one in gold and white....the best part they are crazy cheap...and if I just had some sewing skills I could make them convertible with white and gold lame' slip-covers! Hey I like this I'm spit-balling and saving money like mad...thanks Bob!

-- trib (linhof6@hotmail.com), August 12, 1999.

Diffusion panels are extremely easy to build from pvc pipe and fabric. I built mine to the same size as Calumets/Lightform, as buying the fabric was only a few dollars less than getting a finished one, but the frame (42"x78") cost less than $10; some 90-degree joints and some pipe.

12"x12" mirror tile from the building supply shop for $2.50 works well for that-tape the edges to prevent cutting yourself. Not as durable as acrylic, but less than 10% the cost.

3x4' overhead lighting panel covers come in a variety of plastics with different textures/grids/colors/etc, and are great for backgrounds or tabletops for shooting translucent subjects. Shoot a gelled light through them as backlighting on portraits as well.

-- Kevin Connery (connery@keradwc.com), August 14, 1999.

I have also built a reflector from 1/2" PVC pipe and fabric. We used white muslin on one side and silver fabric on the reverse. The PVC frame can be taken down into four pieces and the material has three elastic loops on each side to hold it taut. It cost less than $20 to make and works very well.

-- Jim Erhardt (jimerhardt@hotmail.com), August 14, 1999.

There's a company called DeWitt that makes fabrics for gardening. Some are for weed control and some are for modifying light for seedlings and such. I use one that is called "Seed and Plant Guard" that is made for seedling protection against sun scorching and cold weather. It's a white "spunbond" fabric that has irregular patterning and makes an excellent light modifier causing fluctuations in light intensity across it's 10 ft (x 12 ft) width of less than 1/2 stop in a relatively small unrepeating pattern. When used as a scrim in bright even light (softbox or sun) it lends a natural dappled "sun through the trees" effect without shifting color or much loss of intensity. Double or triple it for extreme softening. Check gardening and nursery supply stores.

They also make woven shade cloth that is catagorized by it's percentage in decrease of light intensity. Percentage increments range from 30 to 80% reduction in 5 types, all black polypropelene. It might be good for neutral density on your lights instead of on your lens, it's completely uniform and black. I've never used this, but I've used the white spun stuff with great sucess ...t

-- tom meyer (jparady@mindspring.com), August 15, 1999.

In response to sunshields for cars. I have been using three of them now as reflectors for years. I have a small 18' gold and silver one, a larger 36" silver one and a large silver rectangular winshield size one. Probably not a huge savings on studio equipment but it all adds up. When I have compared them to my friends photo reflectors it is hard to tell the difference. Good cheap light to ya Chris

-- Chris Hansen (falcons_wing@mcoe.k12.ca.us), August 16, 1999.

This may be old news but the reflective material backed with insulation used in re-siding houses has an iteresting reflective quality - bright but not hard.

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), September 07, 1999.