Building a portable DIY modular flash system

It's not only lighting that makes for great pictures, remember were the light is lacking is just as important. Paul Morgan explains that flash accessories can be made for next to nothing, all that is needed is a little creativity and a little spare time.

I decided to have ago at a DIY modular system, a simple box, housing a reflector with interchangeable panels for different effects such as gobos, grids and softboxes. This attaches to a portable flashgun with Velcro.

What you need

• Ice cream or margarine containers
• A4 sheet of silver card, or a bacon foil take away container
• Spare ice cream/margarine container lids.
• Velcro
• Grease proof paper or any white semi translucent material for the screen of the soft box
• Glue, tape, modelling knife, some black paint and a cutting board

The gobo
Gobos are thin masks that are placed in the gate of the light source in order to shape the light beam, creating an endless variety of patterns. As well as breaking up the beam this artistic tool can add patterns, structure and depth. These patterns can add dramatic or subtle effects to almost any surface.

You can make your patterns for the gobo using software such as Photoshop and then print them out on OHP film. Alternatively use tracing paper and a black marker. Then just cut them out and fit them to the inside of your spare lids. One of my favorites is to divide the screen into four or six divisions to give the effect of shadows cast by a window.

The softbox This is great for reducing shadows and gives softer lighting than direct flash. Step 1 Take your container, on the back cut an opening for your flash gun like this and attach Velcro to the flaps. I use an old plastic chopping board that's usually used in the kitchen to do the cutting.

Step 2 Fit your reflector, making sure there is enough space for the grid to be added later on. Leave a gap of about one inch to the top of the box for the grid if needed.

Step 3
Now take your lids, cutting out rectangles like this, glue or tape your translucent soft box material to the inside of this lid.
For a tidy finish paint matt black, the soft box is now complete. Leave the lid detachable. With your spare lids glue or tape colour gels or home made gobo screens to different lids for various effects.

This is the large version, but you can use smaller containers if you prefer.

The left shot is with bare flash, the warmer right hand shot has the softbox in place which gives a less harsh result.

The grid
The grid gives you a tight spot of light, tighter than a snoot and with good edge gradiation.