Colorful Filters Can Resurrect Your Old Flash

By

These fun filters are a great reason to charge some AAs and dig out that old abandoned flash
These fun filters are a great reason to charge some AAs and dig out that old abandoned flash

You have a camera, and maybe you have an old flashgun lying around the place. Problem: while you know what to do with the camera, even in all-manual mode, you are terrified of that flash. Used on top the camera it washes everything out and makes it look like a drunken birthday party photo taken in a bar. Used off the camera… well, in that direction there be dragons.

You really should learn to use off-camera flash. But seeing as you never will, Photojojo’s neat set of flash-filters will at least give that old strobe something to do.

[The kit](https://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/color-flash-gel-kit/) consists of twenty (20!) different gels which can change the color of the light beaming from the flash. You can tweak the light to make it a little warmer or colder, or go all-out with bright greens and blues to make people look like aliens, or add Instagrammatical effects without the Instagram.

And because the color only affects the parts of the photo on which the flash light falls, and that light fades fast the further it gets from the camera, you can selectively color parts of the image. Add in multiple exposures and things start to get *really* weird.

The gels are sized to cover most flashes, and have a couple of ear-like tabs, one at each side. These fold back along the sides of the strobe and are secured by a thick, stretchy rubber band. Simple and ingenious, and if you lose the band, just find another one.

The [kit costs](https://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/color-flash-gel-kit/) a mere $30, and includes a pouch to keep the gels both organized and safe. A steal, considering it’ll breath new life into that expensive you have in the closet, still in its box. 

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.