How to Make Your Own Flash for Photography

Remove all the exterior plastic, film and shutter from the disposable camera. Then remove the battery from the camera, and make sure the onboard storage capacitor is completely discharged to avoid electric shock.

Hold a pair of insulated pliers across the (+) and (-) terminals, to manually trigger the flash and release any stored energy. The positive and negative terminals are located near the shutter. Solder the camera's flash switch to the "on" position.

Cut off one end of the stereo cable, and prep the individual wires. Expose the red, white and black wires under the cable coating, by running scissors around the end gently -- without cutting through completely. Remove the excess cable coating.

Attach the cathode pin of the silicon controlled rectifier to the (-) flash terminal on the camera with solder. Solder the anode pin to the (+) flash terminal. The cathode pin is where the positive current leaves the device, and the anode pin is where positive energy enters the device.

Attach the red and white wires of the stereo cable to the silicon controlled rectifier gate pin, with solder. Rectifiers have three needles emerging from the device, so the only pin not yet attached to anything is the gate pin. Solder the stereo cable's black wire to the (-) flash terminal on the camera.

Remove the cassette recorder's tape door using a small flat-head screwdriver. Depress the recorder's write protection button -- located opposite the record head -- to "record" mode. Plug an electret microphone into the recorder's input jack, and plug the stereo cable jack into the "phone" output on the recorder.

Mount your camera on a tripod, and set the shutter speed to "B" or bulb exposure. This setting will allow your camera's shutter to remain open for a few seconds, while you trigger the flash.

Insert batteries into the disposable camera. Press the recorder's record button to begin charging the flash. The flash is ready when the small light near the flash is completely lit. Tape a balloon to the tripod of your camera.

Hold the flash close to your subject. Turn off all lights in the room. If there is any excess light entering the room, the flash will not be as successful.

Manually trigger the camera's shutter, then quickly pop the balloon. The recorder will catch the loud sound and trigger the high-speed flash. Trigger the camera's shutter again, to close the shutter after the flash releases.