If you're in the market for a ring light, you might've found that they can be somewhat expensive, especially if you're also paying for build quality. 

There are a lot of cheap knockoffs floating around that have features like dimmers, multicolor capabilities, and included accessories (light stands, mounts, etc.) for as low as $30, and while that sounds like a steal, you're definitely taking a gamble on a potentially shoddy light that may not work the next time you're on set.

So, why not split the difference and make your own pretty decent ring light for even less than that?

In this tutorial, Peter Drazy shows you how to put together a DIY ring light using mostly household items, as well as some very inexpensive LED rope lights that have a ton of cool features that'll serve you well during your next shoot.

This build is really straight forward but, yeah, it'll take some time to wrap all those components in tape. That's really the only drawback I can see, though, because the materials are inexpensive, you don't need any hardware, and it looks like it can withstand some punishment from handling it unlovingly during a shoot.

It's possible, though, that the tape may not be the best thing to put over the LEDs, because it might affect the way the light behaves...maybe...but it doesn't hurt to try it out. If it turns out to be a total dud, the only things you've really given up are a few bucks worth of LED rope lights and a couple of hours of your time.

Stuff You'll Need

  • A wire Christmas wreath frame
  • LED rope lights (Drazy used these in his tutorial)
  • Aluminum foil
  • Cardboard
  • Transparent tape

Is this build super pretty? Not really, but damn, if it can make my images look pretty, then IDGAF.

If you want to take your DIY ring light game to the next level, check out this tutorial that teaches you how to make one like Oscar-winning DP Roger Deakins.

Do you use a DIY ring light? How did you make yours? Got any ideas on how to make this DIY ring light better? Let us know down in the comments.

Source: Peter Drazy

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