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Cost: $ $ $ $ $

Difficulty: • • • • •

Time: 15 mins

another zero budget project :D
If you don't know what a flash diffuser is and you're wondering if you need one: YES! Absolutely. It makes the flash look much less harsh, and especially people will look much less like deer in headlights ^^
I usually avoid using flash at all but sometimes it's the only option.

Since I don't have an external flash yet and couldn't find any good diffusers for the built-in flash, I've tried out various means of diffusing it with rags, cigarette boxes, plastic bags, cardboard etc.

But recently a friend asked me to take pictures at a club, and it doesn't make a very professional impression to have a heap of rubbish tied to your camera when you ask strangers if you can take pictures of them :P

So I took a walk through the house to find something neutral and tidy looking that would work.

Posted by n k. from Germany, Pennsylvania, United States • Published 12th September 2012 • See n k.'s 18 projects »

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Mariana G. favorited Shampoo Bottle Flash Diffuser 30 Dec 18:14
MamaMindy added Shampoo Bottle Flash Diffuser to Photography Tutorials 11 Nov 19:48
George S. favorited Shampoo Bottle Flash Diffuser 10 Jul 10:19
mountainlove added Shampoo Bottle Flash Diffuser to photography 09 Jan 18:20
arina m. favorited Shampoo Bottle Flash Diffuser 08 Jan 23:03
Sandra M. favorited Shampoo Bottle Flash Diffuser 12 Jul 02:23
Crafterella added Shampoo Bottle Flash Diffuser to Camera Accessories 25 May 10:43
Nora E. added Shampoo Bottle Flash Diffuser to Photography Ideas 05 Apr 02:30
Kate B. favorited Shampoo Bottle Flash Diffuser 27 Jan 04:20
cristinakilljoyway favorited Shampoo Bottle Flash Diffuser 04 Jan 19:35

Step 1
Find an empty shampoo bottle and hold it in front of a light source to see if it's REALLY WHITE (a very slight "warm" tint is ok when you're photographing people but a neutral white is best)

Also watch the labels - they need to be removable, not printed on.
Step 2
Clean the bottle and get rid of the labels and the cap.
Step 3
Cut a hole into the bottle top.
it needs to be big enough for the flash but tight enough so it doesn't keep falling off all the time.

Try if it fits a couple of times, and if it fits well, *slightly* melt the edges with a lighter so you won't scratch your camera with it. (Shampoo bottles are usually made of very soft plastic but at least it'll look better)
Step 4
You're done! Now take a couple of pictures with and without the diffuser for comparison.

Sorry about the dirty mirror and the henna on my head xD
Step 5
I wanted to spare you more pictures of myself, so here's some random shiny alcohol-related objects.

I'd normally use a lightbox for that but with the lightbox I don't use the flash of course so that wouldn't make sense ^^

Yes, the glass looks "worse" with the diffuser, but that's exactly the point! That's what will make peoples' eyeglasses and shiny foreheads look less reflective :P
And you can see that the shadows have softer edges.
Step 6
If you like to experiment, you can also use colored bottles for colored flash effects.
Step 7
Here's more random stuff photographed with the red diffuser
Step 8
... and with a blue one.