Lens hoods serve a very useful function in that they shade lenses from unwanted light that can cause flaring and a drop in contrast. They’re usually made from high-impact plastic which as well as being light also provides some level of protection for the front element of your lens.

Lens hoods can be awkward to carry around, if they’re not in active use. Some allow you store them still attached to your lenses, but reversed. Whilst it saves some space, it can mean you have to remove the hood before you can get full access to the lens controls.

Many photographers consider lens hoods to be an essential piece of kit and yet they aren’t always supplied with new lenses. They can be bought as accessories, but form some reason that’s beyond me they can cost anything from tens to hundreds of pounds.

Thankfully, there is an alternative to shelling out £20+ for some shade and that’s to make your own lens hoods from cardboard! All you need to do is get hold of some cardboard (black would be best to absorb the most unwanted light), print off one of the downloadable PDFs and cut out your lens hood. Your creation is then ready to be attached with an elastic band or stashed away neatly in your camera bag.

Hmmm, pay £439.99 for a lens hood to put on my Canon EF 600mm f/4 L lens (okay I don’t actually own one of these lenses, but it’s a good example of a ridiculously priced hood) or make my own for virtually nothing. Tough choice…