The photographer's magic wand?

It was our pleasure, earlier today, to meet a couple of photographers at the Nikon Solutions Expo at London Olympia, Keith Thompson (pictured) and Stuart Bebb. Besides showing a remarkable portfolio of imaginative and brilliantly produced images printed using HP DesignJet printers, we were introduced to an invention of Thompson's, called the Light Stick.

Yes, it's a light on the end of a stick and, according to Thompson, it's an invaluable tool for selectively lighting the subject. Thompson is a creative wedding photographer and often gets his clients into the studio either after the happy day or prior. He developed the light stick himself from bits and pieces, including a modified IKEA spot light.

What makes the light stick special is that its colour temperature and brightness are easily adjusted by the photographer. It uses LED lamps and is battery powered for convenience. Besides selectively illuminating the subject in a precise manner, it can also be used to provide a catch light for the subject's eyes.

If you are thinking that this could be a useful tool, the good news is that photographic products distributor Intro 2020 has taken an interest and there are plans to design and manufacture a commercial version for sale next year. Apparently Sunpak, the flash gun manufacturer that has started to produce a range of LED lighting units for photographers, is evaluating the potential of the product, which will have a telescoping handle for improved portability..

See more of Keith Thompson's work at his site www.studiorouge.co.uk.

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Hit me with your light stick!

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