Shot by Scott

The Light blaster is a portable adapter that allows you project 35mm slides using your system flash. A few years ago I remember seeing something similar and thought it was a fun idea (more about that latter). Recently I saw it in the catalogue from Enjoy Your Camera and had to try it out.

This was my first real shoot with the light blaster, I have tested it a bit over the last week but wait to blog any thing until I had really put it through good test.

A gobo (or GOBO) derived from “Go Between” or “Goes Before Optics” is a physical template slotted inside, or placed in front of, a lighting source, used to control the shape of emitted light. The light blast is therefore a GOBO that uses an existing readably available format (35 mm slides).

This blog is mostly about that basics of using the Light Blaster for the first time, I hope to get a second part finished by the weekend with a few tips and tricks to aid any first time users.

The first thing you notice about the Light Blaster its that is is very solid. When I first saw it advertised that was one point that was a concern for me it is designed to be taken with you and has a robust case that will protect it against knocks and bashes.

The second thing is that it comes that a Canon lens mount, I’m not a canon user so I don’t have any EOS lenses jut lying around and had to beg borrow and steal from my Canon friends. Luckily there are adapters from Canon to most other lens mounts  available on the net.

The Concept of using it is very simple, you  flash a 35mm slide (or printed transparency) through the lens. This turns you flash into a mobile slide projector and opens a world of creative possibilities. But its not a tool I would recommend to a first time flash user. The  basic ways of using it are either

• To create a background by placing the Light Blaster in a position that it projects behind that subject, then you can either use the subject as a silhouette or light the model separately.
• Project the slide onto that subject, either and a small highlighted image or a massive image that engulf the subject

There are defiantly other possibilities of using it that are only limited by your imagination. But as this was my first shoot with it I firstly wanted to get to grips with the basics before pushing the envelop. Special thanks to Tanja for putting up with my hectic chaotic ways that evening. And Jan O’ who joined me as co photographer and provided some quality Canon glass 🙂