The Nano-State

Not the nanny state - that's a different ketle of fish. We're talking about minor equipmant and accessories that we can use for major photography.

Light stands, like porridge,  come in three sizes; too big, too small, and Goldilocks. Errr...I mean just right.

The too big ones look great in the catalogs and in cavernous studios but you are in real trouble when you try to shift them...and as for trying to get them from one job to another in the hatchback - forget it.

The too little ones look cute and portable but the only thing they ever light up is your knee.Plus they fall over at the touch of a feather.

The just right ones are somewhere in between and, like this Manfrotto Nano Tripod, they get used in all sorts of situations. While the term nano suggests smallness and lightness, this stand can take standard-sized studio heads with ease. It has positive screw locks for the sections and can easily rise up far enough to do standing portraits.

It also has two special features; it has a sliding rider on one of the tripod legs to allow you to adjust it for uneven floors, and it hs a detachable centre column.The legs can be induced to fold back against  the column to reduce the packed length for transport.

I should think that three of them could fit into a medium-sized suitcase for air transport.They would be the ideal support structure for speedlights and strobist lighting setups. And as they are Manfrotto, they carry a good warranty and a great deal of red and black Italian style.

The detached centre column also suggests using it as a hand-held light pole.

Stand Up For Your Lights! With Kupo And Promaster!

Studio light stands come in many sizes but only two types; too flimsy or too massive.

The former are usually cheaper than the latter but you tend to spend more money on them - they fail early and drop your expensive lights or backdrops onto the studio floor. Sometimes they drop your expensive lights or backdrops onto your even-more-expensive studio models and clients.

It is wise to remember the old studio maxim: Be prepared to either light carefully or to light out...for Queensland.

The too massive ones will not collapse on the customers nearly as often, but will take their toll when you try to move them up and down stairs. Chiropractors and physios love massive equipment, particularly if it has no handles or wheels to move it around. It is good business...

All the above said, consider the middle road for studio light stands - the "C"stand. It is a large and heavy device that has a standard 1'2" spigot on top, about 2.5 metres of height, and a set of three metal legs that can be splayed out at 120º each to secure it. The legs are different lengths, but finish up able to hold the central shaft upright - whilst tucking into the corner of the studio.

The central shaft unplugs from the legs for storage and handling.

You can get the stands in black or polished silver. The former is a help when you want to avoid unwanted reflections in a dark studio, but the latter is easier to avoid running into in that same studio. Walk into a lamp post at full-stride on the street and see what I mean.

Some stands are available with an adjustable boom arm that can hold a pretty substantial head and light shaper on the end. This can be the way to do product down-lighting when you want the effect to come from directly over the subject but do not have overhead suspension for the lights. Just suspend it over the set like a building crane.

Kupo and Promaster both make "C" stands that are well worth considering for your studio - you may not want to replace all your folders with them but there should be a space for at least one in the lighting setup.