Binoculars give your cellphone real telephoto

    For many people, cellphones are their cameras.

    On the one hand, most of us always have them with us, they're stupid simple to operate and, depending on your phone, can produce a decent picture.

    But they have a few drawbacks. The most obvious one is that most of them don't have an actual telephoto function.

    Most cellphone cameras give you the option to zoom in, but that is a digital zoom. Rather than actually magnifying the image as an optical zoom lens does, digital zooming merely crops the picture and then stretches that part of the image across the "canvas" of the image. That might be fine for a minor adjustment, but if you're really trying to see something far off, it is going to be a pixelated mess.

    Frankly, I consider digital zoom as one of the great frauds perpetrated upon consumers.

    But I saw someone suggest a way to get a relatively decent optical telephoto with a cellphone camera. It involves using binoculars.

    What you do is first focus your binoculars on the subject you're looking at, and then put the cellphone's camera lens against one of the eyepieces and take your picture.

    You get a picture that covers a small part of the sensor, but it's a true optical enlargement of the image. You can crop it and it still looks more decent than a digital zoom.

    Here's a few shots I did to test this.

 

This one is with the camera at its default focal length.

 

Now, we're looking through the binocular eyepiece and you can see the enlargement of the image.

 

 

Cropped to make it square.

    It's not the sharpest image, but it is better than what you would get with digital zoom.

    The biggest challenge is juggling the binocular and cellphone, especially if you can't rest the binoculars on a steady object, like a railing. And since you are using an extreme focal length in comparison to your sensor size (unless you're using a high-end cellphone, your sensor's going to be about as big as the fingernail on your pinkie), any minor movement in your hands is going to make it shake like a major earthquake.

    But it offers a way to get a close-up view. You can also use this technique on a telescope if you want to get a close-up picture of the Moon with your phone.

DIY hack lets you get Gary Fong-like lighting from your speed light

    Speed lights, or flashes as we used to call them, are great for getting lighting where it's needed.

    But, in their basic, unmodified state, they produce a light that's pretty hard and not flattering. 

    So far, I've shown how you can make bounce cards and soft boxes that will take the edge off that harsh light and make your subject look better.

    Another device for doing this is the Lightsphere developed by Gary Fong. It's essentially a translucent plastic-and-silicone sphere that attaches to your flash and provides a diffused light for your subject.

    I remember seeing one in a picture of a press scrum at a Mitt Romney campaign event and joking that it looks like Mystery Science Theatre 3000's Tom Servo is a Romney supporter. 

    The concept is actually quite good, especially when you're in places where there isn't a white ceiling and/or wall to bounce a flash.

    But it comes with a $70 price tag, which can be a "hard nope" for some people.

    However, there's a way to get the same effect at a fraction of the price, and all it requires is a trip to the local department store for a few odds and ends. Specifically, you'll need a plastic drawer/shelf liner (not the self-adhesive kind) and velcro tape.

    As shown on Instructables, you cut a 15-by-6-inch piece out of the shelf liner, apply the velcro on the narrow ends of the piece on opposite sides and then you wrap it around your flash.

    It should look like this when you're done. (Photo credit: Arthur Gajewski, cc-by-sa)

    You'll notice it appears to be sideways on the flash, but that allows you to effectively use it whether you're holding the camera in a landscape or portrait orientation.

     So, how does it work?

    Allen Mowery did a Youtube video demonstrating. Check it out. I think I'll be adding one to my ever cramped camera bag.

 

Household photography hacks

    When he was the host on DigitalRev TV, Kai Wong did a video showing a few DIY photo hacks done mostly with items found around the house.

    Among the hacks he shows are filling a bag with popcorn kernels to use as a makeshift stabilizer, using a couple key rings and zip ties to hook a strap to your tripod and using an old nylon stocking as a soft-focus filter.

    Some of the hacks are worth trying out, although if you are going to do the Vaseline diffuser, I would probably get a cheap UV filter dedicated to that rather than trying to hold up a sheet of glass in front of your lens.

    Do any of these interest you? Or do you have a suggestion on household photo hacks?

How to turn a dishpan and cake dish into a monster DIY studio light

    If you are looking for a way to really light up what you are shooting, you might want to take a trip to the kitchen aisle of the local store.

    Griffin Hammond, of Indy Mogul fame, did this video showing his plans for a DIY studio light that had the output of the equivalent of 13 60-watt incandescent light bulbs. While the video is about nine years old, his idea is still a good one.

    His light uses a deep plastic dishpan for a reflector around the lights, which are in socket splitters in four light sockets, with the cake pan serving as the electrical box for the rig.

    Griffin's rig uses eight 100-watt-equivalent CFL bulbs, but LED bulbs should work just as well. He estimated the cost of the rig at $85, but it's not a bad price if you compare it to a commercial rig with similar output.

    You can also lower that price point by purchasing some of the supplies at your local dollar store instead of the big box stores. You'll probably still need to go to the hardware store for the lighting rigs.

    Griffin's rig requires some knowledge of electrical wiring, and his video doesn't clearly show the wiring pattern. If you'd rather not bother with making your own electrical circuits, some of the commenters on the video suggested using a power strip with plug-in light sockets, simplifying that part of the project.

    I would probably paint the outside of the pan black, giving it a better appearance as well as minimizing light spill.

    From his video, it looks like a great option if you're shooting video or prefer to use continuous lighting in your photo studio.

Getting close to eliminate reflections

    There are times when you want a reflection in you picture for artistic purposes, but there are more than a few times when it's a pain in the tuchus.

    This usually happens when what you're photographing is behind glass, such as in a display case, you're looking out a window or standing on top of the Space Needle in Seattle, where even on the outdoor deck you're behind glass.

    Some ways to get rid of the reflection, if it's ruining your composition, include changing your angle so the reflection isn't going straight into your camera lens (angle of incidence = angle of reflection) or using a polarizing filter.

    The only drawbacks with those methods is you might be limited in moving to the sides, and the light may be at the wrong angle for a polarizer, which works best when the light's coming from a right angle.

    While reflections can be eliminated in post (I had to do that with a picture I took of a stained glass window in a museum), that can be extra work you wouldn't need to do if you can eliminate the reflection before you trip the shutter.

    But Jefferson Graham, a writer/photographer/Youtuber, suggests getting right up against the glass.

    It's not a bad strategy, as you are blocking the light causing the reflection from your lens.

    (Do not try this tip with a museum display case. You may either knock over the display or set off an alarm.)

    The only thing I take issue with him on this matter is his suggestion that this option only works with phone cameras, as they typically have a flat lens. A DSLR, he argues, has a curved lens and can't be put in such contact.

    To which I call shenanigans.

    First, most of us use UV or skylight filters on the front of our lenses to protect them from damage, so we do have a "flat" surface to put against the glass.

    Second, a lens hood also provides the shading that can keep the stray light from messing up your photo. It works especially well if you have a collapsible rubber hood. Just make sure the hood is right for your focal length or you'll get vignetting.

    Another option to have a friend hold a jacket up behind you to block anything behind you from being reflected in the window. Just make sure they hold it in front of them, so you don't get their reflection in the window instead.