Who’s ready to go to Home Depot and undertake an easy weekend DIY project to improve your studio work? This helpful video will show you how to construct your own v-flats, a highly useful and versatile (and cheap) tool every studio photographer should have.

Coming to you from Felix Kunze, this helpful video will show you the step-by-step process for constructing your own v-flats. If you haven’t seen them before, v-flats are just black and white pieces of foamcore taped together so they bend to form a “V” shape (they’re aptly named for sure). They’re highly useful in studio work, as the black side can be used to flag light or add contrast to a subject, while the white side can be used as a bounce. They can also serve as backdrops quite effectively. They’re also light and highly maneuverable. The only reason they stay in the studio is because they blow over easily (when I was in a dance theater, they would often fall over if I simply ran by them too quickly). Nonetheless, if you have a dedicated studio space, having two or three of these around is tremendously helpful. Just a note: the 48″ x 96″ pieces of foamcore are a good size to use. Give it a try!