The Many Uses of the New LiteDisc^® Holder: compact

Improving on a Good Thing
At Photoflex, we constantly strive to develop products that help photographers with their lighting endeavors. Any new product, or refinements to existing products, that can improve the result or make the process go smoother is primarily what we're interested in.

With this goal in mind, we decided to create a new version of our already popular LiteDisc Holder to appeal to those whose travel and space constraints are limited. Introducing the LiteDisc Holder: compact. [figure 1]

The new LiteDisc Holder: compact is made from the same sturdy materials as its bigger brother, the (standard) LiteDisc Holder, only it’s 7.5 inches shorter when fully collapsed. This allows for transport in smaller cases and it’s also somewhat lighter in weight. [figure 2]

While the standard LiteDisc Holder can accommodate a 52” LiteDisc and smaller, the new LiteDisc Holder: compact accommodates LiteDiscs and MultiDiscs 32” in diameter and smaller.

As the name implies, the main purpose of the LiteDisc Holder: compact is to securely hold a LiteDisc or MultiDisc in place. It's also capable of other lighting feats, but for now, let's take a look at this primary setup.

Attaching to a MultiDisc Reflector
First, grab your LiteDisc Holder: compact and clip one edge of your reflector to the Holder. Don’t worry if the other clip doesn't appear to line up with the other edge of the reflector perfectly – you’ll be able to adjust that next. [figures 4 & 5]

Next, loosen the knob in the center of the Holder and extend the tubing out until the other clip is close to the opposite edge of the Disc. Make sure that the tubing runs down the center of the Disc for optimal stability and then attach the other clip to the opposite edge of the Disc.

If your Disc is bowed at all, you can easily adjust it with the knob in the center of the Holder. Loosen this knob and extend the tubing until the Disc is as flat as possible. Then tighten down the center knob. [figure 6]  

Handholding the Disc and Holder

While the LiteDisc Holder: compact is designed to incorporate a LiteStand^®, remember that you do not always have to use one. In fact, there may be occasions where an assistant will do better acting as the stand, such as in very windy conditions or where the reflector needs to be held way up high. 

Not only does the LiteDisc Holder provide an assistant with more reach, it also keeps the MultiDisc flat so that your light reflections are smooth and even.

And with a reflector like this MultiDisc mounted to the Holder, you can flip the Disc for a different reflective option quickly and easily. [figure 7]

Locking Down Any Position

When you don’t need your assistant to hold the LiteDisc Holder: compact or if you’re not using an assistant, you can mount the LiteDisc Holder: compact to a LiteStand and concentrate on other elements of the shot. After tightening down the knob on the swivel, you can spin your reflector to any angle. Here, you can see that just by loosening the knob that tightens onto the tubing, you can rotate the Disc 180˚ within a matter of seconds.

Not only can you rotate the disc on the stand, but you can also adjust the swivel angle the Disc even further. The beauty of the LiteDisc Holder: compact is that it allows you to secure virtually any position of your reflector, all within seconds. [figures 8 & 9]

Supporting a Chromakey Backdrop
In addition to securing light reflectors, the LiteDisc Holder: compact can also support muslin backdrops and chromakey backgrounds. Keep in mind that in addition to being adjustable, the spring clips and LiteStand swivel can be fully removed or repositioned.

To set up for a chromakey background, you'll need to switch the positions of the swivel and the larger spring clamp. First, loosen the collar knob on the swivel and slide the swivel off of the tubing. [figure 10]

Next, loosen the collar knob on the larger spring clip and slide it off of the tubing. [figures 11 & 12]

Then reattach the swivel and secure it approximately midway down the tubing. Afterward, reattach the larger spring clip so that it is secured near the end of the tubing. [figures 13 & 14]

At this point, you should have the swivel secured in the middle of the Holder and the two spring clips positioned on either end of the Holder. [figure 15]

Next, set up a LiteStand and mount the swivel of the Holder to the top of the stand. Make sure that the stand is set high enough to accommodate the height of the background. In this case, we needed to have the Holder be approximately 7 feet high to accommodate the 5x7-foot FlexDrop2^® we were using. Once the Holder was attached, we used the spring clips to attach the top edge of the FlexDrop. [figures 16 & 17]

Once your backdrop is attached, you can make height adjustments via the stand if necessary. Here, we see either side of the FlexDrop supported by the LiteStand and LiteDisc Holder: compact. [figures 18 & 19]

Tips on Shooting with a Chromakey Backdrop
When you have your chromakey backdrop in place, you’ll need to make sure it’s evenly lit before photographing your subjects. Many photographers will dedicate soft lights to just the background to ensure that the light is smooth and even.

Here, we were able to light both the background and the subject with just two large LiteDome^® Kits. [figures 20 & 21]

Afterward, we were able to use digital imaging software to quickly drop out the green background and replace it with this New York City skyline image. [figure 22]

Attaching Foam Core
Not only can you use the LiteDisc Holder: compact to secure LiteDiscs, MultiDiscs, and FlexDrops, you can also support other lighting modifiers such as flags, scrims and foam core.

Here, we kept the same configuration we had with the FlexDrop and simply swapped it out with a 30x40-inch sheet of foam core. The idea was to use this as a bounce fill light. Once it was set up, we momentarily moved it off the set. [figures 23 & 24]

To illustrate how effective such a fill light can be, we decided to take some portrait shots with and without the foam core fill. This first shot is with a single Large StarFlash^® Kit and no fill light. [figures 25 & 26]

Next, we brought the foam core setup back in and positioned it to the shadow side of our subject. Without making any adjustments to the camera, we took another shot. [figures 27 & 28]

Below, you can see the difference the foam core makes in the shadows. [figure 29]

Note that you will get various fill light results depending upon what type of reflector you use. For example, with the MultiDisc, you have four different fill light options:

• White (similar to this foam core fill)
• Silver (provides a brighter, neutral fill)
• Soft Gold (warms up the skin tones moderately)
• Gold (fully warms up the skin tones)

Converting into a Small Boom
Finally, the LiteDisc Holder: compact can also transform into a small, yet sturdy boom for lights. Counterbalanced with a Photoflex water-filled WeightBag, the Holder can help to create the perfect hair light.

As you won’t need the spring clips for this setup, you have the option of either leaving them on or taking them off as we did here. [figures 30 & 31]

Before you mount your light to the Holder, make sure you have your light configured the way you want it and that you have your WeightBag filled with water and within reach.

Then, position the tubing so that the swivel is about 2/3 down and then tighten the swivel moderately well. Next, attach your light head to the stud end of the Holder. Here, our light consisted of a shoe mount flash attached to a Photoflex Extra Small LiteDome soft box by way of Photoflex’s Shoe Mount Hardware and a Shoe Mount MultiClamp. [figures 32 & 33]

Here are closer views of the setup being mounted to the Holder [figures 34 & 35]

Once your light is securely fastened to the Holder, grab the WeightBag and hook it into the hole on the other end of the Holder. Before letting go of the Holder, loosen the swivel handle to see if either end is heavier than the other. Ideally, you’ll have the swivel locked down on the tubing where both sides are equally weighted.

Once the weight is balanced, make sure that one of the legs of the LiteStand is in line with the direction of the light. This will help prevent the light from toppling over. [figures 36 & 37]

As you can see, this setup is ideal for creating a hair light or background light on location or in the studio. [figure 38]

Note that this boom setup is not limited to a shoe mount light and extra small soft box. It can also support slightly larger light heads and soft boxes. Just make sure to counterbalance the light properly, as well as weight the LiteStand if necessary. Never load up a boom heavier than you’re comfortable with.

These are just a few of the uses of this exceptionally versatile lighting tool. No photographer who works with lighting should be without one!