Kaouthia
Posts: 3,080
Lancaster, England, United Kingdom
The main thing I think you'd have to watch out for is the colour temperature and light spectrum it throws out.
Most of the plastic ones can turn your light very blue (and some of the cloth ones make it warmer), and both can block certain colours.
I'd be tempted to use the frame, but replace the material with some white ripstop. You'd probably want to aim your flash towards the back and let it bounce forward for a more even spread. Then it's essentially acting the way a Lastolite HiLite does (which I use as a giant softbox often).
Anyone ever use something like this as a softbox? What were your experiences, good and bad?
I'm all for using 'alternative methods' for well, anything... so it may be worth a try. A bit limited though, as the light would be a bit low to be a main light (I think).
Also, the zipper will create a line in your catchlights. Still worth considering though. Good luck with it!
It looks as though there would be a lot of light lost and scattered due to all sides being translucent. And there is no internal baffle for diffusion. It may have a somewhat diffused bare bulb effect though used as is.
I prefer the garment rack from Ikea or Bed, Bath & Beyond, with ripstop nylon. The latter offers two choices of frame size:
44444454325 19.99
44444455172 59.99
Digiography
Posts: 3,122
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
I think you would blow so much light out the sides of that thing that you would be just as well firing your strobe backward at a white wall behind you and get similar results.
God knows I've done a ton of experiments with DIY lighting set ups but I found most of them were a waste of time and money except for the experience of experimenting with light.
I think you would be better buying a cheap strobe and experimenting with cookies, flags, gobbles etc., than reinventing something that is already relatively inexpensively available.
Why reinvent the wheel?, get creative with the hubcaps instead.
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