Thanks to Flickr user Matt Jones for hipping me to Udi Tirosh’s recent homemade softbox design contest over on DIYPhotography.net. For those, like myself, who may be unsure, a “softbox” or “soft box” is simply a diffuse lighting source for taking photos, commonly with a reflective interior and one or more diffusing panels that scatter the light and help prevent it from casting harsh shadows. The contest had seventy submissions, reportedly, and Udi has winnowed it down to his top 24. My personal favorite is one of the runners-up, shown above, by Minneapolis photographer Frank Syse. It consists of two bright CFL bulbs, an IKEA lamp cordset, a socket Y-adapter, and a cut-and-paste foamcore box.

More:

• Diy Softbox From An Umbrella
• How-To – Super Softbox
• Diy Softbox Lighting