:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20201117103929-532580a0db8346228f20b8d694ee67cb.jpg)
In 2024, DIY Photography Support Systems
DIY Photography Support Systems
DIY Tripods| How to Stabilize Your Camera without Buying a Tripod
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
When you’re trying to grow a channel on YouTube it can feel like equipment is a barrier, but it shouldn’t be. If you can’t afford a high-end tripod, for example, there are loads of ways to get by without one.
DIY Your Video with Wondershare Filmora
Wondershare Filmora has the best video stabilization tool is your videos have a bad frame or were recorded in dim lights. If a video is shot in bad weather or unfriendly situation where you don’t have all the equipment required for a quality recording, Wondershare Filmora can help you in the background to edit your videos like a pro. And it has all the relevant tools like effects, transitions, background removal, overlays, and background music that could turn your normal video to a professional one.
Here are 3 of our favorite DIY tripods.
DIY smartphone tripod using binder clips or hair clips
You’re a solo operation and your best camera is on your phone. That’s pretty common.
If you have a DSLR then you can set it down on any stable surface while filming yourself, but your phone can’t stand up by itself. It needs something or someone to hold it. Do you just accept that and shoot everything as a selfie?
No. No, you don’t, because there are common household items that can help you out of this problem. For this DIY tripod, you need either 2 binder clips or 2 ‘claw clips’ (also called ‘hair jaws’).
Hold your phone in landscape mode (horizontally, so it’s long rather than tall) and attach clips to the bottom corners. If you are worried about scratching your screen, fold up some paper to place between your clip and your phone.
Here it is with binder clips:
And here it is with hair clips:
Now you can set your smartphone upon any stable surface, like a table or a stack of books.
Here are some more cool ideas!
DIY adjustable tripod using books and a towel
You’ve probably heard a million times that you can stabilize your camera by sitting it down on any stable surface – on your desk, on a stack of books, up in a tree, etc. This is very true!
But if you can use any stable surface, why do people buy tripods?
Because it isn’t convenient to rearrange your furniture whenever you want to make a video, and also because tripods are adjustable. You can change their height, you can use them to pan or tilt, and it’s pretty easy to move them a bit forwards or backward while you’re setting up your shot.
To get similar functions from the ‘any stable surface’ solution you can use a table, a stack of books, and a towel.
- Set up the area where you’re going to sit while you’re filming on one end of the table.
- Put the towel down over the approximate spot you want your camera to be.
- Stack your books on top of the towel.
- Put your camera on top of the books.
Now if your camera isn’t up high enough, or is too high, you can adjust it just by adding or taking away books. If you want to move it closer or farther away from you, just pull the towel forwards or backward.
DIY gripping ‘Gorillapod’ using wire and tape
Gorillapod’s are cool because you can use them like normal tripods, carry them around like selfie sticks, or attach them to things like fences and posts. Here’s how you can make something similar using wire, electrical tape or duct tape, and a 1/4 bolt.
Your wire should be fairly stiff and you’ll need three pieces the same length, which should be at least 10 inches. Old clothes hangers work well. This needs to be something strong enough to support the weight of your camera, but soft enough that it’s not impossible for you to bend.
All of your supplies plus the finished product.
Readying your legs
Step 1: Bend 2 inches at one end of each wire into a ‘U’ shape. You will probably need pliers for this.
Step 2: Pick up one of your pieces of wire and wrap one end with electrical tape. Go around 5-10 times (to prevent it from coming undone at the end) and then, without cutting your tape, start moving up and wrapping the rest of your wire. Stop before your ‘U’ section.
Repeat this with the other two wires.
Attaching your legs
Step 1: Place the ‘U’ section of a leg against your bolt. The bolt’s threading should be pointing away from the leg. Now, use your tape to attach them. Wind it around 2 or 3 times, then repeat the process with both of the other legs individually.
Step 2: After all the legs are attached, wrap some more tape around all 3 as tightly as you can.
Your camera will mount onto the bolt! You’ll be able to use this as a normal table-top tripod or use the flexible legs to grab onto different things like a Gorillapod. Read more at Instructables.
Note: make sure the bolt is a fit for your camera before you get too far into this process.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
When you’re trying to grow a channel on YouTube it can feel like equipment is a barrier, but it shouldn’t be. If you can’t afford a high-end tripod, for example, there are loads of ways to get by without one.
DIY Your Video with Wondershare Filmora
Wondershare Filmora has the best video stabilization tool is your videos have a bad frame or were recorded in dim lights. If a video is shot in bad weather or unfriendly situation where you don’t have all the equipment required for a quality recording, Wondershare Filmora can help you in the background to edit your videos like a pro. And it has all the relevant tools like effects, transitions, background removal, overlays, and background music that could turn your normal video to a professional one.
Here are 3 of our favorite DIY tripods.
DIY smartphone tripod using binder clips or hair clips
You’re a solo operation and your best camera is on your phone. That’s pretty common.
If you have a DSLR then you can set it down on any stable surface while filming yourself, but your phone can’t stand up by itself. It needs something or someone to hold it. Do you just accept that and shoot everything as a selfie?
No. No, you don’t, because there are common household items that can help you out of this problem. For this DIY tripod, you need either 2 binder clips or 2 ‘claw clips’ (also called ‘hair jaws’).
Hold your phone in landscape mode (horizontally, so it’s long rather than tall) and attach clips to the bottom corners. If you are worried about scratching your screen, fold up some paper to place between your clip and your phone.
Here it is with binder clips:
And here it is with hair clips:
Now you can set your smartphone upon any stable surface, like a table or a stack of books.
Here are some more cool ideas!
DIY adjustable tripod using books and a towel
You’ve probably heard a million times that you can stabilize your camera by sitting it down on any stable surface – on your desk, on a stack of books, up in a tree, etc. This is very true!
But if you can use any stable surface, why do people buy tripods?
Because it isn’t convenient to rearrange your furniture whenever you want to make a video, and also because tripods are adjustable. You can change their height, you can use them to pan or tilt, and it’s pretty easy to move them a bit forwards or backward while you’re setting up your shot.
To get similar functions from the ‘any stable surface’ solution you can use a table, a stack of books, and a towel.
- Set up the area where you’re going to sit while you’re filming on one end of the table.
- Put the towel down over the approximate spot you want your camera to be.
- Stack your books on top of the towel.
- Put your camera on top of the books.
Now if your camera isn’t up high enough, or is too high, you can adjust it just by adding or taking away books. If you want to move it closer or farther away from you, just pull the towel forwards or backward.
DIY gripping ‘Gorillapod’ using wire and tape
Gorillapod’s are cool because you can use them like normal tripods, carry them around like selfie sticks, or attach them to things like fences and posts. Here’s how you can make something similar using wire, electrical tape or duct tape, and a 1/4 bolt.
Your wire should be fairly stiff and you’ll need three pieces the same length, which should be at least 10 inches. Old clothes hangers work well. This needs to be something strong enough to support the weight of your camera, but soft enough that it’s not impossible for you to bend.
All of your supplies plus the finished product.
Readying your legs
Step 1: Bend 2 inches at one end of each wire into a ‘U’ shape. You will probably need pliers for this.
Step 2: Pick up one of your pieces of wire and wrap one end with electrical tape. Go around 5-10 times (to prevent it from coming undone at the end) and then, without cutting your tape, start moving up and wrapping the rest of your wire. Stop before your ‘U’ section.
Repeat this with the other two wires.
Attaching your legs
Step 1: Place the ‘U’ section of a leg against your bolt. The bolt’s threading should be pointing away from the leg. Now, use your tape to attach them. Wind it around 2 or 3 times, then repeat the process with both of the other legs individually.
Step 2: After all the legs are attached, wrap some more tape around all 3 as tightly as you can.
Your camera will mount onto the bolt! You’ll be able to use this as a normal table-top tripod or use the flexible legs to grab onto different things like a Gorillapod. Read more at Instructables.
Note: make sure the bolt is a fit for your camera before you get too far into this process.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
When you’re trying to grow a channel on YouTube it can feel like equipment is a barrier, but it shouldn’t be. If you can’t afford a high-end tripod, for example, there are loads of ways to get by without one.
DIY Your Video with Wondershare Filmora
Wondershare Filmora has the best video stabilization tool is your videos have a bad frame or were recorded in dim lights. If a video is shot in bad weather or unfriendly situation where you don’t have all the equipment required for a quality recording, Wondershare Filmora can help you in the background to edit your videos like a pro. And it has all the relevant tools like effects, transitions, background removal, overlays, and background music that could turn your normal video to a professional one.
Here are 3 of our favorite DIY tripods.
DIY smartphone tripod using binder clips or hair clips
You’re a solo operation and your best camera is on your phone. That’s pretty common.
If you have a DSLR then you can set it down on any stable surface while filming yourself, but your phone can’t stand up by itself. It needs something or someone to hold it. Do you just accept that and shoot everything as a selfie?
No. No, you don’t, because there are common household items that can help you out of this problem. For this DIY tripod, you need either 2 binder clips or 2 ‘claw clips’ (also called ‘hair jaws’).
Hold your phone in landscape mode (horizontally, so it’s long rather than tall) and attach clips to the bottom corners. If you are worried about scratching your screen, fold up some paper to place between your clip and your phone.
Here it is with binder clips:
And here it is with hair clips:
Now you can set your smartphone upon any stable surface, like a table or a stack of books.
Here are some more cool ideas!
DIY adjustable tripod using books and a towel
You’ve probably heard a million times that you can stabilize your camera by sitting it down on any stable surface – on your desk, on a stack of books, up in a tree, etc. This is very true!
But if you can use any stable surface, why do people buy tripods?
Because it isn’t convenient to rearrange your furniture whenever you want to make a video, and also because tripods are adjustable. You can change their height, you can use them to pan or tilt, and it’s pretty easy to move them a bit forwards or backward while you’re setting up your shot.
To get similar functions from the ‘any stable surface’ solution you can use a table, a stack of books, and a towel.
- Set up the area where you’re going to sit while you’re filming on one end of the table.
- Put the towel down over the approximate spot you want your camera to be.
- Stack your books on top of the towel.
- Put your camera on top of the books.
Now if your camera isn’t up high enough, or is too high, you can adjust it just by adding or taking away books. If you want to move it closer or farther away from you, just pull the towel forwards or backward.
DIY gripping ‘Gorillapod’ using wire and tape
Gorillapod’s are cool because you can use them like normal tripods, carry them around like selfie sticks, or attach them to things like fences and posts. Here’s how you can make something similar using wire, electrical tape or duct tape, and a 1/4 bolt.
Your wire should be fairly stiff and you’ll need three pieces the same length, which should be at least 10 inches. Old clothes hangers work well. This needs to be something strong enough to support the weight of your camera, but soft enough that it’s not impossible for you to bend.
All of your supplies plus the finished product.
Readying your legs
Step 1: Bend 2 inches at one end of each wire into a ‘U’ shape. You will probably need pliers for this.
Step 2: Pick up one of your pieces of wire and wrap one end with electrical tape. Go around 5-10 times (to prevent it from coming undone at the end) and then, without cutting your tape, start moving up and wrapping the rest of your wire. Stop before your ‘U’ section.
Repeat this with the other two wires.
Attaching your legs
Step 1: Place the ‘U’ section of a leg against your bolt. The bolt’s threading should be pointing away from the leg. Now, use your tape to attach them. Wind it around 2 or 3 times, then repeat the process with both of the other legs individually.
Step 2: After all the legs are attached, wrap some more tape around all 3 as tightly as you can.
Your camera will mount onto the bolt! You’ll be able to use this as a normal table-top tripod or use the flexible legs to grab onto different things like a Gorillapod. Read more at Instructables.
Note: make sure the bolt is a fit for your camera before you get too far into this process.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
When you’re trying to grow a channel on YouTube it can feel like equipment is a barrier, but it shouldn’t be. If you can’t afford a high-end tripod, for example, there are loads of ways to get by without one.
DIY Your Video with Wondershare Filmora
Wondershare Filmora has the best video stabilization tool is your videos have a bad frame or were recorded in dim lights. If a video is shot in bad weather or unfriendly situation where you don’t have all the equipment required for a quality recording, Wondershare Filmora can help you in the background to edit your videos like a pro. And it has all the relevant tools like effects, transitions, background removal, overlays, and background music that could turn your normal video to a professional one.
Here are 3 of our favorite DIY tripods.
DIY smartphone tripod using binder clips or hair clips
You’re a solo operation and your best camera is on your phone. That’s pretty common.
If you have a DSLR then you can set it down on any stable surface while filming yourself, but your phone can’t stand up by itself. It needs something or someone to hold it. Do you just accept that and shoot everything as a selfie?
No. No, you don’t, because there are common household items that can help you out of this problem. For this DIY tripod, you need either 2 binder clips or 2 ‘claw clips’ (also called ‘hair jaws’).
Hold your phone in landscape mode (horizontally, so it’s long rather than tall) and attach clips to the bottom corners. If you are worried about scratching your screen, fold up some paper to place between your clip and your phone.
Here it is with binder clips:
And here it is with hair clips:
Now you can set your smartphone upon any stable surface, like a table or a stack of books.
Here are some more cool ideas!
DIY adjustable tripod using books and a towel
You’ve probably heard a million times that you can stabilize your camera by sitting it down on any stable surface – on your desk, on a stack of books, up in a tree, etc. This is very true!
But if you can use any stable surface, why do people buy tripods?
Because it isn’t convenient to rearrange your furniture whenever you want to make a video, and also because tripods are adjustable. You can change their height, you can use them to pan or tilt, and it’s pretty easy to move them a bit forwards or backward while you’re setting up your shot.
To get similar functions from the ‘any stable surface’ solution you can use a table, a stack of books, and a towel.
- Set up the area where you’re going to sit while you’re filming on one end of the table.
- Put the towel down over the approximate spot you want your camera to be.
- Stack your books on top of the towel.
- Put your camera on top of the books.
Now if your camera isn’t up high enough, or is too high, you can adjust it just by adding or taking away books. If you want to move it closer or farther away from you, just pull the towel forwards or backward.
DIY gripping ‘Gorillapod’ using wire and tape
Gorillapod’s are cool because you can use them like normal tripods, carry them around like selfie sticks, or attach them to things like fences and posts. Here’s how you can make something similar using wire, electrical tape or duct tape, and a 1/4 bolt.
Your wire should be fairly stiff and you’ll need three pieces the same length, which should be at least 10 inches. Old clothes hangers work well. This needs to be something strong enough to support the weight of your camera, but soft enough that it’s not impossible for you to bend.
All of your supplies plus the finished product.
Readying your legs
Step 1: Bend 2 inches at one end of each wire into a ‘U’ shape. You will probably need pliers for this.
Step 2: Pick up one of your pieces of wire and wrap one end with electrical tape. Go around 5-10 times (to prevent it from coming undone at the end) and then, without cutting your tape, start moving up and wrapping the rest of your wire. Stop before your ‘U’ section.
Repeat this with the other two wires.
Attaching your legs
Step 1: Place the ‘U’ section of a leg against your bolt. The bolt’s threading should be pointing away from the leg. Now, use your tape to attach them. Wind it around 2 or 3 times, then repeat the process with both of the other legs individually.
Step 2: After all the legs are attached, wrap some more tape around all 3 as tightly as you can.
Your camera will mount onto the bolt! You’ll be able to use this as a normal table-top tripod or use the flexible legs to grab onto different things like a Gorillapod. Read more at Instructables.
Note: make sure the bolt is a fit for your camera before you get too far into this process.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Guidance for Effortless Addition of YouTube Playlists to Your Site
YouTube is an excellent resource for entertainment, education, and general information, but did you know you can also display a YouTube playlist on your website?
Embedding a YouTube playlist will allow you to showcase a collection of videos on a topic or theme on your website. It’s also a great way to keep your visitors engaged on your site for more extended periods.
To help you with the process, we’ll explore different step-by-step methods to embed a YouTube playlist on a website to add interactivity to your site.
So, if you’re ready to get started, read on!
How To Embed a YouTube Playlist on a Website
If you want to embed and display a YouTube playlist on your website, we’ll give you a complete rundown of the three methods you can try to get this done. But, of course, each method has its pros and cons, so you’ll need to decide which is right for you.
Here’s how to embed a YouTube playlist on a Website:
Embedding a YouTube Playlist on Website Using WordPress Plugin
The plugin is the simplest way to add a YouTube Playlist to your WordPress website. This will help you get this done in no time without having to write any code for the process.
With plugins like YouTube Feed Pro by Smash Balloon , you can extend your website’s functionality and create, customize, or embed a YouTube playlist with just a few clicks of a mouse.
To embed and add a YouTube playlist on your website page/post, do the following steps in sequence:
Step1 Launch a browser on your PC and head to your WordPress website’s login page. Sign in to your dashboard using your username and password.
Step2 Click the “Plugins” option from the left-hand side menu on the WordPress dashboard. Now, click “Add New” and use the search option to find and install the YouTube Feed Pro plugin. Afterward, click the “Activate” option to enable the plugin.
Step3 Click the “YouTube Feed” option from the left menu and open “All Feeds.” On the next page, click “Add New” at the top left of the screen.
You will now be asked what type of feed you want to create. Select “Playlist” and click “Next.”
Step4 You need to create your YouTube API Key , copy it, and paste it into the pop-up. Click “Add” to connect your YouTube account to the plugin.
Step5 Select the Playlist you want to display on your WordPress website and take its ID. Paste that in the next pop-up window and click “Next” to continue the process.
Your YouTube playlist will be connected to your WordPress website. To further customize it, select the template you want and click “Next.” You can also configure the Feed Layout and Color Scheme.
Step6 Once you are done with customization, click the “Embed” option on the top-right side of the screen, and a pop-up window will appear. Next, click “Add to a Page,” and a list of pages on your website will be displayed.
Choose your page and click “Add” at the bottom of the pop-up window. You’ll be directed to a new page where you can embed the feed. Click the “Plus” icon at the top-left of the screen, search for YouTube Feed and choose the Feeds for YouTube block to embed and add your playlist.
That’s about it! You’ve successfully embedded a YouTube playlist on your WordPress website.
Embedding a YouTube Playlist on a Website Using oEmbed Code
Another method to embed a YouTube playlist on your WordPress website is to use oEmbed Code. This method requires basic CSS, HTML, or Java knowledge; otherwise, you won’t be able to customize your playlist.
Moreover, this method is too complicated for beginners, and you will miss the customer support provided by WordPress plugin developers in case of any mishaps.
To use the oEmbed Code method, do the following steps:
Step1 In the first step, head to your YouTube account and access the Playlist you want to embed. Next, click the three dots below it and copy its URL.
Step2 Now, login to your WordPress dashboard and open the post or page editor where you want to add the playlist.
Step3 Paste the URL directly in the editor and click “Update” to save the changes.
WordPress will grab your playlist from YouTube and automatically show it in your post using oEmbed. The outcome is a single video with a menu that your viewers can click to see other videos in the playlist.