Easy Way to Use Gels with Fiber Optics

Michael Erlewine

Winter advances and I move indoors to a studio. Even though I have a large, fully-equipped studio less than a block from where I live, I tend to do most of my work in a tiny room crammed with stuff. I guess I am too lazy to walk that block in the winter or just like the idea of a small place right-close.

I have some nice southern light, but that does not help me at night or in the very early mornings when I tend to get up. So I have a few of the Lowel Blender LED lamps that have both daylight and tungsten light on two dials, and you can use both and mix the light to any proportion you happen to like. Or I can have early morning light coming in the window and supplement it with one or more of the Lowel Blenders.

But sometimes I also need point lights, some little bit of extra light. For this I use fiber optics and their little goose-necked arms that allow me to direct a small amount of light just where I need it, like in shadowy places.

The problem with the Fiber Optics is that they are Halogen, and I want daylight or perhaps some other soft tone. I can mount colored glass filters in my fiber optics illuminators, but it is a PITA. So I came up with a very inexpensive way to have all kinds of filters for under $10, which I can change in a second. Here is how.

I bought a Rosco Strobist 55-piece Filter Kit at B&H for $7.46. They are also on Amazon.com, etc. Here is a link so you can see what they are:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/634658-REG/Rosco_1100STROBKIT_Strobist_55_Piece_Filter_Kit.html

Then I bought about $2 worth of adhesive Velco hook&eye strips.

I wrapped a wide strip (1 ¾”) of Velcro around the tip of the light guide, and then place a small strip of the opposite-Vecro on each end of a Strobist gel strip. It only took a few minutes.

Now I just attach the gels to the light guide (with the Velcro) and fire away. It is instantaneous. Here are some shots of what the setup looks like so that you can see it clearly.

kds315* · Expire: 2021-03-09

That's a very clever idea Michael, thanks for sharing!

Jamesjoi · Joined: 11 Sep 2013 Posts: 10 Location: Texas

Thanks for sharing such wonderful tips. It's helps me to grow in my field.

RSalles · Posted: Wed Sep 11, 2013 12:29 pm Post subject:

I have exactly the same filter pack, but didn't tried out the fiber optic stuff yet, as soon as I put my hands in one, I will try this mod too,

Thanks for sharing,

Renato