When writing yesterday’s post about the diffusing effect a piece of cellophane tape can have on an on-camera flash, I started to look around the net to see what other alterations people had made. Turns out, there’s a whole world of cheap and easy flash modifications I knew nothing about.

Pro photographers who use Speedlights and other bulkier flash units are all too familiar with the myriad ingenious - and often expensive - ways to modify the light their flash gives off with gobos, snoots, spheres, etc. But the photographers with the point-and-shoot cameras have often been left out of the fun.

Fortunately, a little do-it-yourself ingenuity and a few common materials will help you make some flash mods of your own on the small scale. Check out three easy modifications for your on-camera flash after the jump.

Film Canister Diffuser

Image and design from natuurplaat on Flickr.

What it does: Acts as an even stronger diffuser than a piece of cellophane tape or a piece of paper. The film canister converts the harsh, direct light of the flash into a more uniform result.

How it’s made: Simple. Cut a hole in the film canister to accommodate your pop-up flash. Fire as needed. Unfortunately, users with more compact digital cameras lacking a compact flash are kind of left in the dark on this one. You may be able to fit the canister over the flash like a clamshell style, but this is definitely easier if the flash pops up.

Things to watch out for: The clear film canisters are the only type that work for this modifier. Black film canisters will simply block the light - not diffuse it.

Total cost: The price of a roll of film, or the time to look through a junk drawer for one of these relics.

Gels

What it does: Alters the color of your flash, enabling you to shade your image as desired.

How it is made: Simply apply a piece of the gel - which is actually a sheet of plastic about the thickness of a piece of paper - directly over the flash. Secure as needed.

Things to watch out for: This effect can be cool, but don’t overuse it. People will get sick of looking at Technicolor images from your flash.

Total cost: A few bucks. Gel sheets in their full size are quite expensive, but you luck out here. Because on-camera flashes are so small, you can get away with ordering a sample pack. Not only will this cost you barely nothing, you also get hundreds of different colors to play with. Just cut out a shape from the sample swatch that matches the size of your flash head and you are good to go. Adorama (via Amazon) sells a sample pack from Roscolux for $2.50 that will fit the bill perfectly.

Mini Snoot

What it does: Allows you to focus the light from the flash into a beam.

How to make it: Again, unless you have a pop-up flash, you are out of luck with this one. Measure the dimensions of your flash and construct a cardboard tube to fit around it. You may need to secure it using tape. The longer you make the tube, the more focused the beam of light becomes.

Things to watch out for: You may need to use a longer exposure, as the snoot will steal a lot of your power from the flash, which isn’t very strong to begin with. Don’t expect to reuse your snoot much on a pop-up flash, either. While a cardboard snoot may be able to be built to last for a large, removable flash unit, pop-up flashes are small and it’s difficult to fasten the snoot down. Typically, you end up with an inelegant solution of strips of tape securing it to the camera. It doesn’t look great, and it won’t hold up.

What it costs: Virtually nothing. Everyone has cardboard, right?

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