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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> Self-defense with a speedlight
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Showing posts 1 - 13 of 13, (reverse)
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02/04/2011 11:25:24 AM · #1
As seen on Strobist: //strobist.blogspot.com/2011/02/stealing-your-flash.html

Originally posted by :


Another thing that we were always aware of was the odd person who might scout you out and follow the 4- or 5-digit purse-on-legs back towards your car. One thing I always used to do for those iffy late night walks back to the car was to sling everything over my shoulder except for two items, in the small chance I would get jumped.

In my left hand, a fully-charged SB, set to 1/1 power and zoomed out. Thumb on the test button too. In my right hand, a heavy Gitzo monopod, strapped onto my wrist and hand on the grip.

Basic strategy:

1. ***POP***

2. Whoppity, whoppity, whoppity, whoppity...

3. Rinse and repeat as needed.


I would prefer not having to use it, but it ca be useful to know.
02/04/2011 11:57:41 AM · #2
What, No pictures??? What kind of folk are these strobist renegades anyway??
02/04/2011 12:09:36 PM · #3
Yea, I've seen Rear Window. Easier now than swapping flashbulbs;-).
02/04/2011 12:31:36 PM · #4
I used the modeling strobe function to "Taser" people.
02/04/2011 02:22:54 PM · #5
At night, a speed light will definitely blind you for a while. I know when I pop them at night on the beach, I'm blinded for about five seconds between each shot, and I rarely pop them at full strength, nor am I close to them. So yeah, it would be effective, if you planned on following with the whoppity whop with the monopod.
02/04/2011 03:08:03 PM · #6
Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

At night, a speed light will definitely blind you for a while. I know when I pop them at night on the beach, I'm blinded for about five seconds between each shot, and I rarely pop them at full strength, nor am I close to them. So yeah, it would be effective, if you planned on following with the whoppity whop with the monopod.


Take it from me, it's ACUTELY painful when one goes off right in your face at close range. I know because I was troubleshooting one of my Normans that failed to fire, back in the day, and it popped when I was looking right at the bulb from maybe 18 inches away. I thought I was gonna die, it hurt so bad... And I was literally blinded for several minutes.

R.

Message edited by author 2011-02-04 15:08:21.
02/04/2011 03:10:54 PM · #7
Yeah I do it to my friends all the time, just not on full power. Its fun.
02/04/2011 04:48:29 PM · #8
Sunpak Super Pro 622... Will light up your life. Makes a nice club too...

With a guide number of 200, at asa 100, it is plenty shiny when you need to shed so light on a subject.

Makes a nice tanning lamp too.
02/05/2011 11:09:38 AM · #9
Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

At night, a speed light will definitely blind you for a while. I know when I pop them at night on the beach, I'm blinded for about five seconds between each shot, and I rarely pop them at full strength, nor am I close to them. So yeah, it would be effective, if you planned on following with the whoppity whop with the monopod.


Take it from me, it's ACUTELY painful when one goes off right in your face at close range. I know because I was troubleshooting one of my Normans that failed to fire, back in the day, and it popped when I was looking right at the bulb from maybe 18 inches away. I thought I was gonna die, it hurt so bad... And I was literally blinded for several minutes.

R.


I gave my friend a temporary eye problem after flashing her too much (with a flash :) ). It cleared up after a few days but she was warned not to have any flashes in her face for several days.
02/05/2011 01:14:00 PM · #10
I was shooting a Styx concert, with 38 Special opening. It was an outdoor festival show, so after 38 was done playing, I went to get a beer for refreshment. I am next in line, a gal about 21, walks up and cuts in front of me like I wasn't there. The staff gave me looks like "Did she really just do that?" As she got her drinks and turned around...BAM...I lit her up. One of her beers dropped, she used a few choice words, then...she went to the back of the line!
02/06/2011 02:12:28 AM · #11
Had just set up lights and said I was going to do a test fire to make sure things were set up correctly.
Unfortunately, my friend looked towards one of the lights, which was firing with the last intensity I had set it for in the commander menu (either 1/2 or 1/1).
Lots of hilarity, but it caused a delay while I waited for his vision to return ;)
02/06/2011 08:27:25 AM · #12
Way, way, way back in time (22 years) my friends and I used to go into a little bathroom by the university radio station, turn off the lights, and fire flashes in our own faces whilst gurning, to burn the horrific image into the others' retinas. Young photo geeks at play. My god, we were stupid.

I love the idea of Pop, Whoppity-whoppity-whop.
02/06/2011 01:33:49 PM · #13
About 30 years ago I had a flash that could be used 1/2 and full power - just out of curiosity I looked at it while pushing the test button. Impressive. Now for some stupid reason I thought that full power can't make such a difference. Well, I was wrong. I think it took an hour to be able to see something straight ahead, because there was this picture of the flash remaining. I never redid that experiment.

However, at that time I was jobbing as a taxi driver and after my experiment I always kept the flash in the door, in case someone decided to get nasty at night. Luckily, I never had to use it, but I'm sure that it would have worked, even without the Whoppity, whoppity, whoppity, whoppity... extension. That certainly would have added to the effectiveness ;-)
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