AR-Graphics

What's in the Bag The extra odds and ends I find useful 1: Bag Over the years I've used (and abused!) various camera bags. At the moment I am using a top loading Lowprow bag. It's modular design allows me to add and change various pouches and cases as required. There seems to be a current fashion with backpack style bags, but I'm not a fan. Despite their generally large capacity, and load distribution, I don't like the fact it's contents are not readily available and that you usually have to put it down to get inside. Not good on wet, dusty, or dirty ground. 2: Flash Bracket & sync lead As well as a flash and spare batteries, I also carry a flash bracket that allows me to get the flash off and away from the camera yet keep the whole thing relatively compact. There is also a TTL flash lead for the rare occasions I switch the flash from manual. I also attached a Velcro strip to the bracket so I can mount a remote shutter trigger (I really mis...

I Have The Power! Anyone who uses a speedlight knows their voracious appetite for batteries. No sooner do you put in a fresh set and start shooting than the recycle time seems to start climbing! It's one of the main reasons I tend to avoid using this lighting if I can. I like to maintain something of a rhythm during a shoot and having the ability to take a coffee break whilst the flash recharges, tends to break the flow. A lot of the time I'm using studio flash, however there are times when that is just not feasible and so I need something that has the portability, without the problems associated with AA batteries. An external battery pack seems an ideal solution and there are commercial versions available. The cheapest just add extra AA batteries, and better versions tend to start getting expensive. So I decided to look into a DIY solution. The Answer My research lead me to the Sealed Lead Acid battery (SLA). These batteries are used in a selection of ite...