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Margarita Party

“Don’t shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like.”

David Alan Harvey

Ingredients for a tasty margarita:
– tequila
– cointreau
– lime
– simple syrup
– salt

Ingredients for a ~wild margarita party~ :
– tequila
– cointreau
– lime
– simple syrup
– salt
– SPARKLERS!

Excuse me, but HOW FUN IS LIGHT PAINTING?!

By this stage we’re all aware that I’ve been enjoying a cocktail or two during the pandemic. While the lockdown laws have eased a bit in Sydney, we’ve still been taking social distancing pretty seriously. It’s a necessary evil – but it hasn’t exactly been doing wonders for my photography! I’ve had to get a bit creative in order to keep getting interesting shots within our limited radius. The brief I set for myself this time was to capture the feeling of something, rather than just a snapshot of how it looks to the naked eye.

I’ve been meaning to play around with light painting for a long time now, and the thought struck me while I was preparing my beloved evening marg. I literally had so much fun shooting this that I almost forgot to drink it…if you don’t know me personally, you should know THAT IS A BIG DEAL. Don’t worry, I came to my senses eventually.

Name a better visual representation of the world’s tastiest cocktail…I’ll wait.

I also played around with some alternative light sources using long exposure. I just love the way that lighting can completely change the mood of a shot, and can be used in so many creative ways. Prepare your eyes for LOTS more light painting parties – I’m officially obsessed.

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Godox AK-R1 Accessory Kit

I’ve had a Godox V1-S Speedlight for some time now, and while it’s extremely versatile for a hot shoe speedlight, I’ve been itching to experiment with it further. Luckily, this year I received a very well-timed isolation-birthday present! The Godox XPro-S Flash Trigger, along with Godox AK-R1 Accessory Kit. Together, they have been the perfect pair for lighting experiments, particularly in the absence of any other creative inspiration during isolation!

The trigger obviously allows me to position the flash off the camera body, so I can achieve the light and shadows that I want in the shot. As for the accessories, they are literally SO easy to use – they just click straight onto the flash head magnetically and you can layer as many accessories as your little heart desires. It is so simple to make little adjustments as you go, just by snapping another accessory on. The gels also clip in and out of their frame, which can accommodate up to three gels at a time, allowing you to layer colours.

I’ve been experimenting a lot (photos to come), but I thought it would be useful to first do a series of shots directly comparing each of these fun accessories!

Control shot – flash with no accessories attached.

Side note: this Poor Tom’s Strawberry Gin is a bloody delightful drop, and drop-dead gorgeous repurposed as a vase!