If you need to soften or even out some harsh light but want to do so without emptying out your wallet, there are plenty of alternatives to expensive professional-grade diffusers. Below are a few household items that are not only dirt cheap, but are incredibly effective at diffusing light and even withstanding the high heat of your lighting unit.
Cheap diffusion alternatives:
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Wax paper: Wax paper is the cheapest item on the list in terms of square footage, and it’s great because you can clamp it right onto your light without worrying about burning your set down. However, it doesn’t really provide much coverage for large areas.
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Shower curtains: You can usually pick a frosted shower curtain for real cheap. The best thing about them is they are large enough to cover a broad area.
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IKEA blinds: Usually measuring about 35″x74″, what I like about this solution is that they fold up nicely for when you need to hit the road.
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5-in-1 reflectors: Technically these could be considered “pro” gear, but they’re too inexpensive not to mention. You can pick one up for as low as £15 online and they always come in handy since they serve many different purposes.
But those are not the only solutions to inexpensive DIY diffusion. T-shirts, sheets, white bin liners, even printer paper can make great diffusers. But be sure to keep all flammable materials a safe distance away from any lighting unit that produces heat. If you’re working with LEDs, they produce almost no heat, so you can feel free to slap pretty much anything right on them. Beyond that, paper lanterns, or china balls, are essentially lights with diffusion built right in, so you might want to consider keeping a few handy.