A favorite gadget
What’s less than $6, is a Boy Scout “Ten Essential,” and offers creative possibilities you can’t buy in a photo store?
Introducing a favorite lightsaber gadget of choice, the Energizer LED Glow Stick Flashlight available for under $5 here.
Why?
- They’re different. Why have the same stuff as the rest of the professional photographers? There’s no comparison. Not better or worse, just different.
- They’re simple, cheap, and packable. The right side of my brain loves utilitarian spirit paired with MacGyver gusto. They are kid-friendly, too.
- I like the colors. Red, blue, green are staples in a box of crayons. Those just happen to be the flavors of choice. Keep in mind, our taste in color changes as we age. Pair a 4-year-old’s chosen outfit with those you see exiting a cruise ship and you’ll see firsthand how special we really are. Make it work.
- They make me think. Painters in the Pointillism era gave much thought about color juxtaposition. After all, they chose those pigments to go on the canvas using hands to make painstaking brushstrokes. Respect.
- They make clients think (and smile). Whether you entertain a group of groomsman or a fresh engaged couple, they’ll appreciate the dog and pony show which they can walk home with the enthusiastic memories. And if you like many of my clients, there will at least be one or two amateur photographers in the mix that will ask the right technical questions. Bingo: Rapport!
Professional lighting equipment doesn’t have to expensive or have lots of fancy options and buttons in order to be useful. Light is light. And unless the laws of physics change in my lifetime, it should still serve the same use in the next century.
Pros
Little. Blue. Different. Seriously true.
Cheap. All gadgets shouldn’t break a $10 bill.
Kid-friendly. There’s even space to imagine a lightsaber battle, and a break-away lanyard to boot.
Cons
Suitable only in low-light situations.
How I use it
With a tripod, set your exposure to 20 seconds, about f/16, ISO as low as it goes. Play. If you want to incorporate subjects, you’ll need a flash powerful enough to exposure properly at f/16 given you distance to subject and preferred quality of light (I choose a huge octabank at full power on 1200 W/S). And don’t forget to play through the process of experimentation.
Final Words
Choosing creative tools relies on personal preference, aligned closely to style, patience, effort, and risk. And money can’t buy these things! Relish in simplicity, explore, and then share your own tricks and tips. And if you need a dose of inspiration, be sure to lighten your load by reading my 4 tips to reduce gear on a shoot.
Photographers: I encourage you to seek to create something different with your lighting style. Not sure how? I offer private lightpainting mentoring detailed here and share a ton of tips and tricks here. Drop a comment and I’m happy to help!
Go imagine and do the impossible.
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