Cameras Stores Take Note
One of my favorite outdoor light modifiers I didn’t purchase at a camera store.
A few years back I picked up an E-Z UP canopy, I wanted one with the the U.T. orange and white with the logo, but the store was sold out. I went for the white. It worked out well for me.
The first time I had it out at street fair to attract customer I began to notice that the light falling on people under the tent was soft and wrap around them. It was close the same quality I would have had if I stuff light panel diffusers over the subject for a high noon shot.
The plus to canopy is that it requires less set-up time and I can use if I’m without an assistant. The side panels can be attached and diffuse the light coming from the side. You can even fire strobes reflected off or through the panel to punch up the lighting.
The other plus is the canopy is far cheaper than purchasing a two or three light panel set-up. Cameras should add a couple these to their inventory to see
Wow, I never thought of using a easy-up like that… I have one but I think the cover is to thick to allow any light through.
Yeah so many of the best things to make a great photograph aren’t for sale in camera stores. Manufacturers will take note of idea or concept to bring a similar item to market. I had used panels with nylon ripstop suspended overhead for outdoor shoots when the sun was high and too contrasty. When I thought about it the E-Z UP was no different. I had local tent factory make three side panels out of thinner ripstop that cut the light down by about a f-stop and a half. I would share the factory with, but the economy closed them in the spring. If I were a wealthy man, I would have tried to keep the factory open and convert the production line over light modification tents and panels. One day maybe…
You might enjoy this article from 1982 about Tinker Tubes (PDF). The Tinker Tubes were a project of Dean Collins who was one the best instructors on photographic lighting and in a way D.I.Y. projects for photographers. Sadly Dean left this world before he could educate another couple of generations.