It’s Been a Long Time, Kaptain Karl

Kaptain Karl was the only willing test model for my new lights today. And since he hasn’t had pictures on the blog in a long time, I decided to share. Above, one of his favorite places to hang out: the dining room chairs.

More pictures below.

Another fave hangout spot: the tower by the squirrel window.

He’s indifferent to squirrels today. Incidentally, the light I’m testing in this shot is my new off-camera Alien Bee powered by radio triggered from another radio on my camera.

See these little studs? Can’t make it all happen without them, and I spent, oh, probably 6 hours trying to find replacements for the three I had lost. Ugh. Off-camera lighting is not the easiest thing, and, horrors, it usually requires a trip to Radio Shack, not that there’s anything wrong with Radio Shack itself. It’s just that the place kind of freaks me out. No jokes, but I thought I might need a mono male to mono male 6-foot audio cable (both ends 1/8-inch) in order to make my flash work. I wasn’t SURE that’s what I needed because the manuals that come with the lights don’t tell you these things. You buy the light; it doesn’t work; and you start wracking your brain. Did that make your head explode? If not, then you’re one of those types that isn’t freaked out by Radio Shack. But CHECK OUT THAT PICTURE! The off-camera light is THE BEST! I mean, who knew a picture of studs could be so beautiful. (Get your mind out of the gutter, you know who you are.)

Anyway, back to Karl. In the under-table series, I was testing a little video light. I had the light sitting on one of the other chairs pointing up to shine directly on the bottom of the table so that the light would bounce all over Karl. What does this teach me? When I use the video light, I’ll get a very different result when I point it directly at my subject vs. bouncing the light off of something else and scattering it around the room.

I think Karl is preparing to attack the light.

The light has a little diffuser over the bulbs. The diffuser has a lanyard attached to it. Karl is definitely going to pounce.

POUNCE!

yum yum yummy string

Nah. Tastes like… not chicken.

I like the even quality of the light. Never thought I could get a decent shot of my cat under that table. Pretty dark under there normally. Hold on…

…SURPRISE ATTACK! He pulled the string, pulling the light down. Notice how the entire quality of light has changed now that it’s pointing directly at Karl instead of bouncing off the table.

A split second of investigating the light, and he was gone.

That’s his “go away and leave me alone now” glare.

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