I’ve updated my main site with the latest version of WordPress which the theme Twenty Sixteen is also being rolled out.

For as long as I have been using WordPress I have been changing to the default theme for that year. I know that there maybe better themes out there for the content I’m producing but I just like seeing what it is like “out of the box” without messing about too much.

This latest theme I have to say that I’m not really impressed with. To me it is a bit jagged with the text and images not lining up on the page. I don’t recall than any of the previous themes did anything similar.

I’m a bit sad that I won’t be using Twenty Sixteen. Then if I’m being perfectly honest I really shouldn’t take the easy option with the default theme and find another theme that would be a perfect fit for my site.

Ever since I’ve started this project I’ve been having a bit of a logistics problem. How to take my light stands to a shoot. 

I have a Kata light stand bag which is now no longer in production but it is way too big to take on public transport so it is only useful when I take the car. But as I live in London, the car is often not an option. So when I can’t take the car I have to stick a small folding stand in the side of one of my Think Tank Photo rolling cases.

The down side to this is that I can only take one stand and there is no way to also take any of the Westcott Apollo light modifiers.

So I’ve been try to search for a light weight bag big enough to carry a couple of my bigger light stands plus one of the Westcott Apollo light modifiers. What I’ve found so far has been a bit of a disappointment.

I found a light weight canvas bag but it doesn’t come with attachments for a shoulder strap. Some are just too big and heavy. Others that might work have been discontinued.

So my search for the perfect solution continues.

I saw a pair of Westcott Apollo Mono Mounting Arms for sale on an internet auction site and as they were fairly cheap I decided to get them.

What the arm does is to enable to use my Westcott Apollo light modifiers with a mono block type flash head like the Profoto B1 head. 

Having played around with it I’m not sure I would use them on a real shoot. The screws that attach the Apollo to the arm via the plastic block are really tight. Taking a spanner or pliers on a job isn’t great. But it does remind me that it would be a nice Christmas present to myself in getting a good multi tool.

To be fair, I think that after some use the thread in the plastic block will ease up. But still it is fiddly trying to get these thin metal tubes to connect without twisting around. 

Without the expensive flash head in place it just doesn’t feel very stable. I’m sure it would be ok but do I really want to risk an expensive flash head come crashing down?

If I do decide to get the Profoto B1 head I’m going to have to invest in some dedicated soft boxes too I think.

Pictures courtesy of Profoto

Since playing with the Ice Light a bit more since my purchase I’ve come to realise that it isn’t a great long term buy. The main reason is that the battery is not interchangeable so at some stage when it wears out it will not be a simple swap.

So I’ve been looking around for something else and came across the Profoto B1.

From what I can see there are plenty of advantages to this flash. First is that it is pretty powerful. Second, it is powered by a removable battery. So no power cables to trip over. Third, it has a modelling light which you can use as a continuous light source if needs be. Fourth, as it is a flash can “freeze” fast moving action.

The down side is the price. At over £1600 for one head it is not cheap. But having said that Ice Light 2 is over £500.

Time to start saving up my pennies.

Just did a couple of test shots with the Nikkor 24mm f1.4 G lens.

Seems all right to me. I’ll have to use it on a proper shoot now to see what I get.

The screws came in today for me to attach the enlight photo frio cold shoe to the Westcott Adjustable Shoe Mount/Swivel Bracket . As you can see it works.

And it is as solid as a rock. No more fear of my flash guns fall off their perch.

On my last shoot I had my PocketWizard and my flash gun attached to my Westcott Adjustable Shoe Mount/Swivel Bracket when it came crashing down. 

Now there is nothing wrong with the bracket. It is a great bracket that I would recommend to anyone. It is built for day in day out use. 

What the problem is is that the cold shoe is not very good. I was always worried my kit would take a dive one day and on the last shoot it did.

Luckily nothing was broken. A few spilt batteries was the only damage. But I would like to try to avoid things like this, so my search was on for a solution.

What I found was the enlight photo frio coldshoe. It is a much better connection between the foot of your equipment and the light stand.

I’ve also ordered some screws which I’m hoping will fit into the bracket so that I can have a bit of angle on the flash. They haven’t arrived yet but when they do and if they do fit there will be a part two to this post.