Anthony's Film Book Shelf 1

Anthony's Film Book Shelf 1, originally uploaded by downanddirtydv.

You can't learn this game without putting your head in some film books. What's on my film bookshelf? CLICK ON this interactive Flickr photo to find out my recommendations for gaining guerrilla knowledge.

DIY Ring Lights

Add a little sparkle to your subject's eyes with a homemade ring light. What's a ring light you ask? Well it's a circular shapped ring of lights that mounts around your lens to give a nice even glow to your subject. More notably, the reflection of the ring-shaped lights, literally adds a brilliant sparkle to your subject's eyes.

I believe they are commonly used for macro still photography, but they are also used in video for commercials, glamour shots, and music videos. Professional units run in the hundreds, but if you're on a Down and Dirty budget, you can build your own for less than $50.

Peep out this DIY tutorial from fellow blogger, Joseph Holst, who is a still photographer out of St. Louis. It's a work in progress, but I think the pix and descriptions are more than enough to pull it off. If you're not afraid of electricity and powertools, give it a go or see if you can talk one of your more "D.I.Y." friends into helping you. It's a cool thing to have in the arsenal to add some production value to your more flashy shoots. Click the link below for the tutorial. Peace.

Joseph Holst's Ring Light Tutorial

(Photo: Ring light effect as seen on Joseph Holst. Source: Jyoseph.com)