NEW - Ken Gilbert

LOCATION-READY:
California Sunbounce’s
Windkiller (A) will
tame unruly breezes.
Dynalite’s RoadMax
packs (B) and heads
are sized to go. For
light weight and power,
though, few strobes
can compete with the
Calumet Travelites (C).
TY ALLISON, WWW.TYALLISON.COM (VOLLEYBALL PLAYER)
Location kits always
entail trade-offs. You want
gear rugged enough to
weather the rigors of the road, but
that won’t weigh you down. Your
lights must be bright, but without
blowing fuses. The six Profoto
Pro-7 A packs Ty Allison used for
this photo of pro volleyball player
Denise Johns did the job, and
never got in the way. Our favorite
location gear includes:
nLIGHTS: CALUMET
Travelite 375 ($500,
direct; www.calumetphoto.com)
Well constructed, with an ample 375
watt-second output, this conveniently
configured monolight is bright enough
and, at 6.4 pounds, light enough, too.
Its continuously adjustable power
output spans 5 stops, and it offers a
full catalog of useful add-ons such
as the inexpensive BOWENS
Ringlight Converter
($400, street) and CALUMET
Travel-Pak Battery
Starter Kit ($530, direct)
Delivering 200 full-power pops per
charge, the Travel-Pak can support
up to two Travelite 375 heads for
a bright 750 watt-second output.
Best part? At just 9 pounds, the
battery is one of the lightest.
nSTANDS: LOWEL
Uni-TO lightstand
($55, street) The
lowest leg sections of this
featherweight fold upward
instead of down (like most
lightstands), giving the Uni-TOs a
desirable ratio of extended height
(about 8 feet) to contracted
height (21 inches). They’re
unusually flexible—the legs
can be positioned from flat
on the ground to a minimal 7inch
footprint for use in tight
confines. As a location stand,
it’s not made for heavy loads, but
will easily handle a centered 5- or
6-pound head with umbrella.
nMETER: KENKO KFM-
1100 Auto Digi Meter
($260, street) A remarkably
easy-to-use flash-and-ambient
meter, thanks to its few buttons
and large LCD display. (Go
ahead, leave the manual at
home.) Thin (1-inch deep) and
light (under 5 ounces), it takes
universally available AA batteries.
POP PHOTO MAY 2009 63
FOR LOCATION SHOOTERS