How To Pack And Organize 72 Rechargeable AA Batteries

How To Pack And Organize 72 Rechargeable AA Batteries

Seventy two Sanyo Eneloop Batteries in one compact package

Seventy two Sanyo Eneloop Batteries in one compact packagebatteries showing used and fresh charge

These images should be pretty self explanatory. A Pelican 1060 Micro case and AA battery holders from LightwareDirect.com. (they are in the Cool Tools section). This battery kit lives with my speed light flashes. It’s always there. The nifty thing about using this is that battery will insert either way. So if I insert the battery and the little silver top is showing in the hole ( at the top) it tells me its charged and ready. If the battery is inserted up side down and its showing the flat side (-)  it tells me it needs recharging. Simple but effective. They stay organized and makes traveling easier.

LED Flashlights, Great For A Focus Light

LED Flashlights, Great For A Focus Light

Image from Amazon.com

I ran into these cool flashlights from a student in the Mentor Series Workshop in New York City. We used them to allow the camera to auto focus in a dimly lit restaurant. Later we also use a pair of them to give a champagne bottle a nice backlit glow in anther shoot. The have now found a place in my location kit that I take on every job.

You can find them here on Amazon

microGaffer tape is here! Grab your own pack.

microGaffer-tape-multi-colored-rolls-photographic-grip-mini-four-pack

Lightware Direct just got a new addition to the Cool Tools line in the store. Yeah I know, you say I just wrap some regular gaf tape around a pencil and keep some in all of my bags. Yeah I did to until I found these. I like having the different colors so if we are doing video I can mark (spike?) spots on the floor or carpet where the models are to be when they walk into the frame. I don’t have to buy huge rolls of the colors they already come the right size.  Also useful for marking a set here in the studio if we have to take it down for some reason and then reset. We do a little map and then also write on the tape what light went on that spot. Personally I like the bright colors for my work along with the universal black.

New Lumedyne Mounting Solution

tf-plate-mini-mount-foursquare-lumedyne-head-mount-softbox

I sometimes like working with my Lumedyne in concert with speed lights. In fact all my location work is now Speed Lights, Lumedyne, and a first release of the Elinchrom Ranger. This mounting idea came about when I was wanting a specular highlight right in the center of a FourSquare box that was a point source, with no diffusion on the box

After some tinkering, this is what I came up with. I am showing you that either of the two styles of Lumedyne heads can be mounted the same way, just a little different on how I drilled out the bar. A single head in a FourSquare is a great light when you need more than what a speed light can deliver. Let me know if this helps you out and we could make some up for you.

David Tejada Shares A Terrific Camera Tip

Video - AE/AF Lock Button as Shortcut to Commander Mode

 

David Tejada brings us this fantastic tip that is all about optimizing your camera settings for shooting with the built-in flash as a commander for your speedlights. Changing these setting used to be completely impractical due to the time it used to take. Now with this simple switch of controls, the menu to adjust your power settings from the back of the camera is a single button press away, making it a true convenience as opposed to a bell or whistle.