DIY Beauty Dish

[Coelus]

So I'm gonna try my hand at the cheap DIY version. The plan is to use the plastic translucent shade from one of those inverted floor lamp things. I think it's called a torchiere lamp or something like that. Anyway, it's dish shaped with a hole already in the middle and about 18" dia. For a center reflector I was thinking a small stainless steel bowl polished on the outside. And the real beauty of it, a 1000w stage light with a dimmer on it.

The main question I have so far is should I do something with the outside of the lamp shade. Cover it in foil, paint siver or opaque white, etc. I figure as long as I can keep from melting the shade with a truly hot, hot light it might be a nifty set up.

[ramblinray]

A couple of thoughts on covering the big dish. Depending on the background behind the light, it may add some reflected light due to the bleed through of the big dish. Good or bad, who knows. If the big dish is painted/covered somhow, it prevents bleed through and you would be better able to control the total light emitted from the aparatus. I don't know if covering with a reflective covering would increase the light output or not. It might be worth experimenting with aluminum foil to see if it helps or not. Easy to test with a good digital light meter.

[RKDauph]

Sounds like you're doing a hot light version. I did a flash version, photos here: http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...ad.php?t=64444.

It's fun to play with.

[Coelus]

Oh it's hot all right. At full power the heat is noticable at a good 12 feet, uncomfortable if you stay in front of it. So I had to out it on a dimmer just to make it usable. I thought about making another one of my cardboard sofboxes but I didn't want to risk the fire hazard.
I picked up two of these lights from a guy at work who was using them as fishing lights on his boat, only he kept draining his batteries through the ac adapter. These things suck some juice at full power.

[RKDauph]

Good luck and have fun with the project. Be sure to upload some photos before the fire starts.....

[Daniel W.]

I did one this weekend, it was quick & dirty though. Aluminum Pie Pan with a cut out in the back, and velcro to hold it to my flash. Then a takeout soup container with a piece of foil tape in the middle / bottom of the cointainer, and open top.

Quick, easy, pretty nice but I do lose about 1.5 stops, but it's nice light.

[Nikolai]

I made mine out of a cheap white plastic bowl from Wally World with a CD in the middle for the reflector. Works ok, needs refinement, but all my test shots were pleasing.