I’ve had this idea for a snoot for about six months. But the issue was how to fit the square peg (flash gun) into the round white plastic (“Betty Crocker” frosting tub). A few nights ago the idea appeared before in my day-bag:
About eighteen months ago I got a Apple Touch. Within six months, it had three rows of black pixels, so I took it in for repairs. They suggested I find a way to protect it when carrying it within my day bag. The answer to that was found in my office.
A neoprene beer-bottle holder. I bet NASA are slapping the foreheads now, wishing they had been able to solve their problem similarly.
Being round, flexible and slightly stretchy, it fits perfectly over the flash, and the white plastic slides straight over the neoprene. All in all, a perfect fit. But would it still let enough light out of the flash gun whilst diffusing it?
Before I answer that last question, check out the photographs of the process:
Step 01: The best step of all … because that white tub has to be empty! It’s cake icing, so make a sponge cake and smother it all over, put a ten candles on it and give it to your niece. That’s what we did. When it is empty, remove the paper and glue. The date-stamp on the base is easily removed with the tip of a finger.
Step 02: About three years ago I was the state webmaster for Apex SA/NT. Subsequently I was on the state board and was required to attend the convention displayed on this neoprene ‘beer bottle holder’. I bought 4 of these for myself and the members of my Apex Club. But the club folded before I could blink and I was holding these and bunch of other trinkets. So now I am putting one of them to good use. Well… well, I’ll tell you how good the idea is in a minute…
Step 03: So here you can see that I have cut the base out of the neoprene-holder, plus a slight curve out of the side of the neoprene — and then pulled it over the top of my “Canon Speedlite 580EX II Flash“. The idea is that this enables a rectangle to fit into a round hole.
Step 04: So here we see the round white plastic slides onto the neoprene, thus a completed idea. But the concept has its flaws. The flash lights up everything in a 360turn. I was blinded a few times. At this stage, this is a FAIL. But it is a great idea. KEEP MOVING FORWARD. (Meet the Robinsons” was on TV tonight, so I had to say it!)
Somewhere I have seen neoprene holders for large beer bottles. (We don’t like to hold our beer cold, yet we drink Coopers Beer near frozen!) Now to buy a half dozen for further designs…
So what’s next in my bag of ideas? Not sure. I’m thinking through an idea for a Mini Ring-Flash … I’ll get back to you!
Stephentrepreneur.com 
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