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Five Great DIY Hacks for Photographers

Posted: May 05, 2015
[caption id="attachment_12293" align="alignright" width="229"]Paracord-wrist-strap-close-up Image from digital-photography-school.com[/caption] Being a photographer means having everything available that's needed for a job. However, there may be situations that arise where something is needed, but you don't have it. These five great DIY hacks are essential for any photographer to have in their bag....just in case. Sarah Hipwell, writer for Digital Photography School, shares some great DIY tricks that all photographers should know.

5 DIY Hacks to Have in Your Camera Bag

1. Camera strap(s) I stopped using the camera strap that comes with the camera (DSLR) quite awhile ago now. My fundamental gripes were as follows:
  • Not at all comfortable to wear around the neck, especially if you have a long lens attached to the camera.
  • Didn’t particularly like the camera brand name in bright colors screaming out to potential camera thieves that you have a nice camera worth taking!
  • The strap was a nuisance when the camera was mounted on a tripod.
  • Because of the strap length, it was irksome and fussy putting the camera back into the camera bag.
I like to switch from handheld to mounting the camera on a tripod when I shoot. I do however, like the security of a strap when holding my camera. Some years back, I found a useful DIY tutorial online, outlining how to make a camera wrist strap using paracord. Take a piece about 27 inches long and make a loop about 7-7.5 inches long by tying both ends together into knot. I used a simple overhand  knot but you could use a more sophisticated knot such as a Lanyard knot. You will need to burn the ends of the cord, after the knot, to stop it from fraying. This paracord is strong and really inexpensive to purchase. It comes in a variety of colors. There are a multitude of uses for this cord, it’s a dream for most DIY enthusiasts. However, this configuration of strap isn’t a fail safe option should you let your camera fall out of your hand. Read the entire article 5 DIY Hacks to Have in Your Camera Bag on Digital Photography School.