Photographer reveals clever trick for using empty toilet paper rolls for perfect lighting: 'Can't believe I haven't thought of this'

Many items in our daily lives can be recycled; only sometimes, we need someone to remind us.

The scoop

That's why Alexei (@alexei.dc) is here. The TikToker, who helps entrepreneurs scale and monetize their content, has the perfect recycling hack for any budding and seasoned videographer or content creator who wishes to recreate the famous spotlight lighting effect with a limited budget. Very limited.

@alexei.dc Day 51/60 on helping videographers and content creators - Want to know how to recreate the spotlight lighting effect on a budget? This spotlight effect is a popular lighting technique that I see time and time again popular creators use. So let me show you how to do it with just something that everyone has at their house. The toilet paper roll. A cheap alternative to spotlight adapters. Try it out next time. And if you don't have any just comment "matt can you please send me your finest toilet paper roll 🙏" And I'll somehow convice Matt to send you some but I can't make any promises 🤔 #videography #videoediting #videographytips #filmmaking #videoeditor #contentcreator ♬ original sound - Alexei | Personal Branding

By shining a light through the end of the empty toilet paper roll, you can create the effect.

"There it is, the humble toilet paper roll," the OP says in the video. "This unassuming tube transforms into a powerful tool by just simply shining a light through one end of the roll."

How it's helping

For starters — and this is more than obvious — using a simple toilet paper roll to lighten up your videos will help you save money, as "you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on fancy spotlight adapters," Alexei explains.

Beyond the financial win, recycling, composting, and repurposing helps limit the amount of waste that ends up in nature. Because yes, we produce a lot of waste — be it formerly loved clothes, broken electronics, or, in this case, household items.

According to data from the World Bank, we produce more than 2 billion tons of waste each year. 

Most of it will end up in landfills, where it risks contaminating groundwater and soil while releasing planet-warming methane at decomposition. Another part will be found on our coasts and in our oceans, floating among the fish. Other times, trucks will go straight for our forests.

So, not only does "this cheap alternative [prove] that creativity can thrive on a budget," the OP says, but it's also a way to lower your contribution to the world's ever-increasing waste.

What everyone's saying

The online community is excited to try it out.

What do you usually do with your old electronics? Store them at home 📦 Donate them 🙏 Trade them for cash 🤝 Throw them away 🗑️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Can't believe I haven't thought of this yet! Thanks for the tip," one TikToker commented.

"Am neva throwing it away again," another one said.

"I tried this tip a couple months ago, and today I just realized that I'm not the only creative guy with a low budget," a third online user wrote.

As Alexei concludes, "Sometimes the brightest ideas come from the roll that's left behind."

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