My DIY Ring Light Project
📸 My MDF ring light took a bit of work but it's a fun and novel continuous light source.
I'm something of a ring light fan. I own a handful of Ray Flash and Roundflash modifiers, as well as this larger and more delicate DIY ring light which I build myself. I really like to soft but punchy look from ring lights, as well as the rather novel catchlights.
While they are not to everyones taste, I personally love the novelty factor, especially for fun, youthful or glamorous shoots. It was portrait shooter Dani Diamond who inspired me to make this ring light in the first place, though mine is not as monstrous as his!
The main structure is MDF..
... a 26 inch (diameter) circle of MDF (half an inch thick), to be precise. There's a 16 inch circle cut out of the middle. The initial measurements were calculated somewhat haphazardly but in the end they were just about right. Had it been bigger, it would be very cumbersome, and smaller may have been less impressive, and the gap a bit small. So if you're considering making your own, the 26 inch diameter is a great starting point. There are 12 halogen bulbs. I went for large bayonet fit bulb holders, but they are available in many fits. Wiring them is a tedious task, but it's worth the effort.
The silver spray isn't just for effect, it is a neutral color rather than the brownish MDF, which was causing a cast at first. The reflective silver also increases diffusion and light efficiency. The ring light can be mounted on a light stand via an industrial "L Bracket" which is bolted to the MDF, but I'm hoping to improve on this with something more elegant in time.
It's very bright, and very hot!
At the moment I'm using 12 x 42W halogen bulbs, and the combination creates very intense light, allowing me to shoot at low ISOs and get a very fast shutter speed. You could shoot with fluorescent bulbs to save electricity and reduce heat, but household fleuros produce inconsistent color shifts, and the professional fleuros are very expensive. Even in the film industry, where LEDs are becoming increasingly popular, halogens are still the preferred choice for many, as they produce a consistent and natural looking light. Also I live in Ireland so the bulb heat is usually a welcome artifact. I've been keeping my eye on high quality LED bulb prices though, and they are coming down fast, so it's only a matter of time before I make that switch.
How much did it cost?
- MDF and custom cut from local woodworker = 30 euro
- 12 Bulb Holders = 18 euro
- Bulbs x 12 = 36 euro
- Silver Spray = 6 euro
= Total = 90 euro (around 100 dollars)
That's about as cheap as you could expect to make a large MDF ring light with halogen bulbs. It might seem like a lot, but the professional ringlights of this size are very expensive indeed. I took some fun shots with my nieces as you can see on the top of this page. Here's a few more test shots I did; first with the lovely @vajola, followed by two shots of my friend Steph...
Amazing post thank you so much for sharing
Cheers man. Thanks for the nice comment. Following you.
orangy friend makes naughty, instrument for photoshot is well describe.
The shots have come really epicly well !!!
Wow... I definitely need to do this! :). Just what i'm missing... along with the model. You know what, I actually wanted to get into the alt model web scene so many years ago when I saw girls I knew getting there kit off for someone on riotgrrls or whatever it was called haha. My other half disallowed it though, but now we've been together 11 years perhaps she'll let me hides.