While my DIY Business Cards were good in a pinch, I felt it was time to upgrade to “real” business cards. I wanted something that stood out so I opted for spot gloss accents (the stripes and “Jan Christian” on the back, or is that the front?) and rounded corners.
Gels are thin translucent sheets of “plastic” used to alter the color of lights and strobes. They can be used for interesting effects like adding a colored background to a portrait, or to “correct” the lighting when multiple kinds of lights are used. For example, fluorescent lights, incandescent lights and speedlites all operate at different color temperatures. If you make a picture that includes all three, you could get an ugly mix of color-casts on the subject. For example, if you’re making a portrait in an office with lots of fluorescent lighting (and aren’t overpowering the ambient completely), you should add a “plus green” gel to your strobe so that it matches the color of the ambient fluorescent lighting. They also make gels that go around fluorescent tubes (“minus green”) but it’s much easier to just gel your flash.
(more…)
I’d like to introduce to you the tacticool strobist bag. I was in the market for a bag for my new Gitzo 1541T tripod but wasn’t happy with anything I found. Most were too bulky and/or long, which defeated the purpose of having travel-sized gear. Speedlites are my strobe of choice for their portability and convenience so in that vein I also use Manfrotto 001B Nano light stands (19″ when collapsed), and double-fold umbrellas. Luckily, I found a bag that fits everything! You can find it at County Comm (I love this place).
Meet the Maratac Extreme SAT-COM bag.