Overtorquing...

Some people don't realize there are torque specs for just about every bolt/nut in a car... even the little ones! (Of course, finding those specs isn't always easy)

This is what happens when an overzealous repairer over tightens one of the nuts. A broken battery terminal clamp.

Next to it, a big fat, serious mutha of a replacement cable just waiting to take over!

The before shot, taken in a dark garage lit by car trunk light and an LED work light provides a great opportunity to test the lowlight capabilities of the Canon 1DMkIV and how steady my hand is... (1/10th, ISO 12800 !!!)

Not super-sharp, but an amazing example of being able to get a shot, no matter what the conditions, without having to resort to flashes.

... and after lots of cursing and violence due to the big fat replacement cable being too big and rigid to fit... finally there was an after picture.

This mod is purported to increase engine HP (like every other gimmick!) because the lower resistance allows the battery to charge better and reduce the load on the alternator. Hah! At least I know I can rely on my camera's lowlight claims...

Wedding DIY

Got married recently. Decided to do a bit of our own photography, and just use a pro for the ceremony, and some shots afterwards.

That meant things like the make-up, bouquet, all those 'behind the scenes' sort of shots were up to me.

We got married in Hawaii, which meant, I had to use the gear I could carry on a plane. No worries, if anything, strobist has taught us to pack light (not that I usually do), and use what's available.


Enter, the DIY studio...

A fairly simple setup, with a double 580EXII through a brolley, using a reflector for fill, and a cool DIY glass+coffee cup bouquet holder.

Why a double 580EXII? Because I had them already set up on the stand that way, and it seems to give a slightly better light spread.

Why the umbrella slightly collapsed? Because of where I needed to put the camera. At that sort of distance, the light source is still big enough to be soft.

The real gem here was using the towels.

By getting the camera to bouquet to towel distances right, to match the aperture... the towels blur out nicely, so you don't pick up the rough detail on them, and they become a nice, draped background, reminiscent of a wedding dress, without having to try and work out how to hang the wedding dress above a TV!

Oh yeah, and that's a light stand under the tall towel...