Introduction: No Cost Camera Holder for Making Instructables

By Children in Freefall
About: Old inventor, reverted back to my 10 year-old self. A shop full of tools, a boat, race car, 3D printer and a beautiful wife who wants me to invent things for around the house... Now how cool is that?

This is so simple, I'll be surprised if no one has published it before.  I did a quick search and didn't come up with anything, but if I missed it, please let me know and I'll attribute it to you.

It's been slowing me down to have to stop work, pose my shots and shoot my Instructables with one hand while trying to show what I'm doing with the other.  Since my wife is above the menial task of following me around with a camera, my only other option was a tripod, which actually took longer, was way too cumbersome and far less accurate than the one-handed method.

This morning, I had a flash of inspiration and came up with this idea...

A quick comment about ideas... There are three types I can think of (four, if you count "bad" ideas).

The first type are "new" ideas.  The iPod was a new idea.  New ideas come from people who understand the market and have the expertise to develop the technology.  Not everyone can come up with a new idea.  When you see one, you say, "Wow!  I want that!"

Next come "good" ideas.  The electric toothbrush is an example of a good idea.  You don't have to be an expert in the technology to think of it.  The technology only needs to be available.  Good ideas are those that make you say "That's a good idea... I wish I had thought of it".

The final type is the "great" idea.  Great ideas make you say "Are you kidding me?  I could have thought of that".

Thanks for listening... I hope you enjoy my short Instructable about making Instructables a little easier to make...

Step 1: You'll Know How to Make It As Soon As You See It...

Think "harmonica man".  Take any wire coat hanger, bend a small loop in the hook end with a pair of pliers, shape the coat part into a loop that will slip over your head, add a knob from a tripod (or a short 1/4 x 20 bolt) a few washers and ba-da-bing, you have a camera mount that goes wherever you go, rests in front of your chest so you can see the screen and lets you take photos of both hands working on your project (if your camera has a timer).

It also follows you around, ready to record your every move, saving you time as well.

Step 2: Caveats...

1. Keep as much of the wire as possible against your chest.  The further away from your body the camera is, the more bouncy it will be.  Bouncy is not good.

2. You can bend the wire to aim the camera in any direction you need.  Try not to put stress on the connection to your camera... Better to break the coat hanger than your expensive equipment.

3. The first photo is probably too low.

4. The second photo is a tad high.

5. Strive for something in-between.

6. With the exception of caveats number 1 2 & 7, the rest are my attempt at humor:)

7. As pointed out by 18nite, this wouldn't support heavy cameras, but it works well with point & shoots. 

If you've been struggling with Instructable photographs, I hope this helps.

I also hope you think this is a great idea.