DIY Snoot and Grid Tutorial Part 1

After reading some instructions on the web and getting ideas from others on how to make a snoot for a flash gun, I decided to make one for myself, using readily available materials. I made several modifications to the snoots described here and here by using slightly different, and better materials, making for a more professional and durable finish.

I used the following for my DIY Snoot and Black Straw Grid. I am pretty sure you can easily find them in your local sources.

1 pc Black Legal Size Plastic Folder (from your office supplies store)
25 - 30 pcs Black Straw (from the supermarket or from your favorite resto or cafe)
1 roll Double Sided Tape (I used the thin one, not the foam-type mounting tape)
24 inches of black Velcro Tape

I also used the following tools when making the snoot and grid:

Ruler
Scissors
Cutter
Cutting Mat

I started by making the snoot first. I cut the plastic folder in half along the fold, and set one of the halves aside for future projects. I am planning to make a 6-inch snoot so I cut the plastic sheet first into into a 6-inch by 13-inch size. I then measured my flash gun (Nissin Di622) to get the right measurement for the snoot. Based on my measurements, I marked the plastic sheet where I will have to make the folds, as follows: 7cm, 5cm, 7cm, 5cm, 7cm. Note that there are three 7 cm parts, as two of them will overlap. The finished snoot would measure 7cm by 5cm by 16cm (6 inches). I also cut 24cm length of the velcro loop (not the hook) tape which I taped into one end of the plastic sheet with the double-sided tape. I then also taped the two 7cm sides together with a liberal amount of double-sided tape.

Here's the finished snoot.

One end of the snoot has a velcro strip which helps the snoot fit snugly into the flash head. The snoot end without a velcro strip is where the grid piece will go into. Now that we are already done with the snoot, let us proceed with the grid piece, which will complete the snoot and grid combination. Click here for the next part of the tutorial.

>>> Part 2 - Black Straw Grid <<<