Learning About Mounting Hardware
Grip workers provide support for the electrical department during lighting setup, and give rigging and operations support for camera departments. Knowing how to use mounting hardware such as brackets, hooks, and hangers is a necessity for grips and photographers. Use mounting hardware to hold softboxes, umbrellas, panels, and more to get professional-quality results in your photos and videos. For example, you can also use wall plates to permanently or temporarily mount additional equipment such as umbrellas and poles. Hardware such as spigots allows you to attach lights and different equipment to tables and other surfaces.
Using Spigots and Clamps
Using grip arms and other lighting accessories can enhance existing equipment. Grip heads with spigots attached to mounting accessories such as ball heads allow you to use cameras and lights in various positions. Clamps and clips are excellent for holding up backgrounds and sound blankets. There are four main types of clamps used for lighting: Pony (A-clamps), Mafer (super clamps), C-clamps, and Cardellini. You can use Pony clamps for everything from mounting lights and reflectors to holding fabric and screens. Mafer and C-clamps are useful for mounting lights and umbrellas on extension arms for taking photos at awkward angles. Cardellini clamps can clip easily to any round or flat surface, and they have rubber pads on jaws to protect light equipment from scratches.
Choosing Lighting Adapters and Filters
Select from lighting kits that contain lamp heads, power supplies, floodlights, mounts, receivers, and more to enhance your camera or video equipment. Choose a variety of conversion adapters for lighting like daylight, spectro, and bicolor LED lights with several mounts to provide the best lighting possible. Adapters such as color controls and dimmer switches work with several brands, so check your video or camera specifications to see what options are available for you. With remotes and dimmer switches, you can control light levels during production without manual adjustments. Get more use from your lighting system with colored and diffused conversion filters. Orange and yellow filters provide a warming lighting effect, while blue filters create a cooling effect. Diffused filters soften photos and add a vintage feeling to photographs and videos. Adapters can give you the ability to use heads and lights from brands that differ from your equipment. Adapters such as swivel brackets and other rotating tools give you more flexibility with less manual adjusting. Flash brackets can attach to light stands, tripods, and additional lighting poles to steady and keep lighting effects consistent throughout your shoot.
B&H Photo and Video carries lighting equipment and mounting hardware to create perfectly lit photos and videos. Find everything you need to complete your photo and video system, including hard carrying cases and camera cleaning kits to protect your gear.