In this episode of Digital Photography 1-on-1, host Mark Wallace goes in depth on the subject of light metering and flash balancing. Making use of a Sekonic light meter, Mark shows how to read the light levels in a room, and explains how to interpret those readings in order to adjust flash levels, ISO levels, and alternative light source manipulation. Mark also goes over the important roles that aperture settings and film speeds play when attempting to successfully balance flash and ambient l...
Kip "Kipkay" Kedersha is known for his intriguing and clever how-to and prank videos, even when he teams up with MAKE Magazine. He will show you how to tweak, hack, mod, and bend any technology to your hacking needs. No electronic device, gadget, or household item can stand the test of Kipkay's hacks and mods.
Learn how to make a picture light switch plate cover with expert tips and advice on wiring and interior design in this free decorating video series making light switch covers.
In this how to video series, learn how to string Christmas lights on a Christmas tree from expert Matt Cail. Matt will show you how to test Christmas tree lights, how close to an outlet to put a Christmas tree, how to untangle Christmas tree lights, where to start stringing Christmas lights on a tree, how to weave lights into a Christmas tree.
Sitting in a cubicle and never seeing sunlight during the workday is unpleasant to even think about—and sitting in a flourescent-light cube can have terrible effects on both our work performance and overall attitude. Yet there are ways to counteract the effects of cubicle sitting, even if you can't sit in a sunny office or work from home.
Now that glove light shows have become the most popular style at raves, knowing how to do a continuous finger is a crucial part of your light show technique. This quick tutorial will teach you everything you need to know to practice and execute perfect continuous finger rolls and trip out your fellow ravers.
Does the Low Oil Pressure light in your car always come on? Experienced mechanic Scotty Kilmer shows you a few strategies on how to make this light shut off. Make sure your oil is not too low before trying anything else.
When building a fire in the wild you'll need some hard steel, a sparking tool, such as a ferrocerium rod and something to actually light on fire. If you have access to it, cotton wood is a great choice. It's dry fibers light easy when exposed to a ferro rod spark and this video shows you how it's done.
Light boxing is a pervasive technique in advertising, used to draw attention to the featured product. You can replicate this effect in Adobe Photoshop. Starting from a blank document, this tutorial walks you through the process of creating your own light box effect.
Starcraft 2, like it's predecessor before it, has a very robust level editor that allows you, the DIY modder, to create nearly any scenario within the bounds of the Starcraft 2 engine that you could imagine. We have compiled videos on how to do all sorts of fun things with it, from making RPG's and Tower Defense games to just making you dream Starcraft 2 level. This video will teach you how to lock the camera as well as create lighting effects, city terrain, and short cinematics in the Starcr...
Learn how to preview lighting and shadows when working in Maya 2011. Whether you're new to Autodesk's popular modeling software or a seasoned 3D artist just looking to better acquaint yourself with the Maya 2011 workflow, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started previewing lighting and shadows in your own Maya projects, watch this free video guide.
In this tutorial, we learn how to make light using a stepper motor generator. First, take the motor out of an old printer that you don't use anymore. After this, find a few LED lights. You will need to solder the LED lights, then connect them with a soldering iron to the printer motor. Now connect these to a generator, and the light should now shine so that you can see in the dark! This won't use any additional electricity, so you are helping the environment. All of the pieces used to make th...
In this tripartite video tutorial, you'll learn how to create image-based lighting and depth-of-field effects within C4D. Whether you're new to MAXON's popular 3D modeling application or are just looking to get better acquainted with Cinema 4D and its various features and functions, you're sure to enjoy this free video software tutorial. For more information, including complete instructions, watch this 3D modeler's guide.
Are you unsatisfied with the dim green light that emanates from the big X on your XBox 360 controller out of the box? Don't live with it, fix it. This video will show you how to install new colored LED lights in your controller, making the big X a resplendent blue in this example. You can use whatever color LED's you want and the end results will still be brilliant.
Life is too short to get stuck eating thick, lumpy crepes. In this tutorial, learn how to make the French treat like a professional chef - light, fluffy and delicious. These crepes are so magnificent that all you need is some light sugar to enjoy them. Perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner or anytime!
This clip covers the very basics of how lighting works within the Blender 3D modeling app. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for new tips and tricks, you're sure to be well served by this free video software tutorial from the folks at CG Cookie. For more information, including step-by-step instructions on how to create and manipulate lights, take a look!
In this clip, learn how to make a fast, cheap and super easy mount for your your bicycle to display safety lights. Wearing bike lights at night will help you stay safe in the dark and if you want to avoid the cost of getting lights custom fitted, this hack is perfect for you. All you will need is some PVC pipe and some grip tape (like the kind used for tennis rackets). Follow along and get started. This mount is flexible and fits most standard lights or flashlights.
Why not make the best of an icy cold winter day and make something even cooler? In this tutorial, you will learn how to make a natural ice sculpture in your yard and light it up with LED lights for a cool, nighttime effect. You will definitely have the best house on the block once you start lighting up your ice, so check this video out and get started! This project is super quick and cheap to create, too!
In this video tutorial brought to you by photoshopuniverse, you will learn how to apply mood lighting to images in Photoshop. This is achieved by applying an adjustment layer, called a gradient map, which allows you to adjust the color of the light in an image. You will learn how to access the gradient map from the adjustment layers menu, how to apply the gradient map, then overlay the new layer and fine tune the gradient to create more dramatic looking images.
This video covers the steps for creating USB Christmas lights. Take battery powered Christmas lights and convert them to USB powered to decorate your office. Take apart the battery casing. You have to rewire this. You also need to cut open a USB cord and do some soldering.
Say you're hosting a birthday party and the birthday girl's cake needs to be lit up, but you've just run out of matches. What to do? While you can certainly go to the store and purchase more, doing so would take at least half an hour (an eternity to wait for little kids), it's probably easier to make a flame with what you've got at home.
Want to replicate that cool effect when you can watch Christmas lights flash in time to music? It's easy! You'll need a set of speakers, an outlet adapter, excess power cord, a solid state relay and, of course, Christmas lights! Once you've gotten all your project pieces assembled, follow this tutorial so you can wire them up to your music.
Learn how to grow amaryllis bulbs. Gardener Allen Smith gives tips on how to grow this easy plant, which will turn any brown thumb green.
The 'Light My Fire' Dead Island accomplishment exists as both an Xbox 360 achievement and a trophy on the Playstation Network. You will need to "collect" a ton of zombies into a group so that you can burn them all down with a single molotov cocktail weapon to unlock either the trophy or the achievement.
Bring a touch of elegance into your home with a gorgeous pendant lighting fixture. Lighting is one of the easiest ways to dramatically transform the atmosphere in your living space. Whether its an apartment of a house, pendant lighting fixtures make for a stylish home.
Plasma TV's are awesome but extremely fragile. If all that happens when you turn your plasma set on is a blinking LED light or it works for a while then turns off, you may have a blown capacitor on your power supply board. This video will show you how to fix the problem yourself and save $800!
If you are the proud owner of a 1997.5 - 2004 Buick Regal, chances are that at least one of your dash lights has gone out by now. Worry no longer, as this is an easy and cheap problem to fix. Watch this video for step-by-step instructions on fixing your gauge cluster, including the mileage light and driver info center.
If you're looking for an easy spruce up to your house, try repacing the light fixture. This is an easy task you can do safely that will give your house or apartment and fresh new feel. Check out this DIY elctrical task today.
Come on baby light my fire! If you're going to be a survivalist, the first thing you'll need to know is how to start a fire. This simply video shows how to use a piece of quartz and a piece of steel to build yourself a fire and stay alive! In addition, the video shows how to pack it all together in a nifty little Altoids tin.
The greenscreen has allowed filmmakers to take us to worlds they never could have otherwise, but they can ruin a movie when used poorly. Watch this video for a guide to picking a screen, lighting it, and getting a good key for it using Final Cut Pro or After Effects.
Three awesome film special effects, one video. Ryan at Film Riot sure knows how to make one-stop shopping filmmaking tutorials. This video will show you how to shoot someone's head off, use a jib and dolly together to get more dynamic shots, and also how to make a great cheap light ring.
Rock stars have their own custom made equipment, so why shouldn't a Rock Band star have custom controllers? Here's how you can connect four Rock Band lighting boxes together, and also how to mod your microphone to make it light up.
Organic LEDs (OLED) are even more efficient than their standard LED cousins, but does that mean they're harder to make? Perhaps somewhat, but no excessively. Watch this video to learn how to make a DIY OLED at home, allowing you to make really cool light-up displays.
Electroluminescent (EL) materials light up when electricity passes through them, as opposed to more common incandescent lights that respond to heat. EL displays are becoming very popular in advertising and art,but getting them or the materials to make them can be expensive. Watch this video to learn how to turn an LCD into a simple EL display, and also how superglue can be used as a cheap dielectric in this sort of project.
Remove yourself from the "Stronghold Passage" by successfully completing this level in Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, available only on the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live Arcade. This video gives a walkthrough for the "Stronghold Passage" level in the Lara Croft / Tomb Raider game. For more, check out the other walkthroughs for Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.
Get out of the "Toxic Swamp" alive, before the poisonous enemies destroy you! This walkthrough series covers the gameplay for "Toxic Swamp" in Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. This new Lara Croft / Tomb Raider video game is only available from the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live Arcade. After you've successfully made it out of the swamp, check out the other walkthroughs for Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.
Light shows are one of the best parts of raves, bringing people together to participate in a whole new type of social interaction. Gloves have become the most popular tools of the lightshow trade, and this video will teach you how to make your own custom set exactly how you want them. It discusses types of lights, batteries, and everything else you need to know to make your first set of gloves.
Your "check gauges" light comes on inside your vehicle, which prompts you to notice your oil pressure gauge, which is reading pretty low. What do you do to resolve this car problem? In this video, Scotty Kilmer shows you what you can do to shut that low engine oil light off for good!
The most common thing that goes wrong with water heaters is the pilot light going out. If your hot water has stopped working, watch this video to learn how to check your pilot light and light it if it has gone out.
Can't seem to get past all the nasty arrow traps, threatening skeletons and enemy ambushes in the "Flooded Passage" mission in Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light? Then, follow this three-part walkthrough from Mahalo to learn the best way to go about beating the "Flooded Passage" section of the hit Lara Croft arcade game, available on the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live Arcade. For more Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light walkthroughs, click here.