Creativity can be an expensive venture. There are lot of cool tools we wish we had and we yearn to make part of our studio. I wish that was reality for all of us.
You have to think on your feet sometimes.
About a year ago I chanced across a small styrofoam box sitting in a stores recycling bin. I'm unsure what its original use was. It was like a tiny cooler with a snug top that could be removed. I brought it home and tossed it in "might find a use for someday" pile.
Several months later I had an opportunity to do some outdoor photography with friends. Unfortunately there was rain in the forecast. I needed a way to keep my camera safe if the weather did indeed turn bad. I figured I'd just bring a bag to put it in when I noticed the styrofoam box sitting on a shelf.
The camera didn't fit inside as there were several ribs the stuck out within. If those ribs weren't there, the camera just might fit. So I grabbed my heat pen and within moments had removed the inner ribs. The camera still didn't quite fit. So I decided to cut a hole where the lens could stick out. If I could do it right I might even be able to use the camera from within the box. So I cut a hole to allow the lens to stick slightly out. And just like that, the camera slipped in perfectly.
Now I examined the way the camera sat in the box. What would I need to do keep the camera dry yet still operate it?
First, I needed to be able to reach the shutter button which also turned the camera on and off. So I cut another small hole on the right side that was just large enough to allow two my fingers easy access.
Okay, what else? Should I cut a hole to see through the view finder? Wouldn't work, its too far away to see clearly any shot I'd want to take.
So I took the camera back out and removed a third rib from the inside. The one was along the back wall. I then placed the camera back in and adjusted my digital screen so that it would lay flat behind the camera. I then Cut a third opening on the top at the back, just large enough to allow me to see the digital screen and thus see the what the lens was seeing.
That was it. I had access to all the basics. There was one thing though that I would not be able to use and that was the flash. If I cut a hole in the top it would defeat the purpose. So did I really need the flash? No, ultimately as long as I was taking shots in the day, I could get by without it. I didn't use it very often anyway. Even at night I shot most photos on low light and without the flash.
I placed the camera into the enclosure, replaced the lid and I was off to the races. Now I've seen rain gear for cameras. I've seen bags they can safely put in and I've tried out a friends a few times. But my trusty little styrofoam box worked perfectly. And if I dropped it (which I did several times in the rain) the styrofoam cushioned the falls.
As I said, sometimes poor creatives have to improvise. This worked well for me. Maybe some day I'd buy something fancy, but the simple fact is, I found a way.
Our creativity is not limited to our chosen creative path. If we think about it, we can often find a solution. This is the true nature of creativity and I would like to think it makes us better at everything we do.
~Grey~
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