Attaching Gels

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jonnybloo

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Ok this is a bit of basic one i suspect....

I am looking at playing around with some gels to experiment with colour, i know very little about them and wondered how people normally attach them to studio flash heads ?

Most of the links i have seen are for flashguns and seem straightforward

I have the Elinchrom D-Lite 4's, 2 softboxes, 1 reflector.

I have seen various gels and would probably grab some of these initially: http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/level5/module.jsp?moduleId=cpc/473522.xml

The main issue i have is how to attach them to my lights ? Am i best clipping or velcro'ing to the reflector? If so what d people normally use?

Or do i buy barn doors instead and use them, if so can anyone recommend any (low budget!)?


Thanks
 
The standard pro way is to use masking tape (which comes off cleanly, unlike sellotape), although a lot of people use spring clothes pegs. You can use some complicated frames that clip onto the front of the reflector but IMO they're totally unnecessary and of course they also involve cutting the gel, which is best avoided.

If fitting them to softboxes, just clip them either directly to the inner diffuser or just in front of the flash head (but far enough in front to not get burned by the modelling lamp or flash tube)
 
Thanks for the quick response Garry. Masking tape sounds easy enough, i wrongly it seems assumed it would leave some kind of residue.

I presume it doesnt have to be a neat and even fit then? If i hold a sheet of gel to the front of a standard reflector then presumably i then need to fold it over in order to tape it. So the gel would be kind of folded rather than flat to the front.

does that still work ok ?

im not sure what i just wrote makes any sense !!
 
I just stick a bit of masking tape to one of the short edges, stick it to the top of the reflector and let it dangle - saves cutting it. Every few months I go mad and stick a new bit of tape on:)

If the reflector is pointing downwards at an acute angle it may be necessary to tape the free end to something else, like the stand - otherwise, don't bother.

It doesn't look pretty but it works perfectly
 
Excellent, i can picture what you are saying now! Thats a lot less complicated and cheaper than i thought. I think i will grab some fo the gels from CPC and have a play. Thanks again Garry
 
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