Talkin' Trash: Free Light Mods

(Updates at bottom)

News photographers always keep a trash bag or two in the trunk of their car. They have lots of uses -- waterproofing in the rain, keeping your cold gear from fogging up when you walk outside on a hot day, cleaning out the trash in your trunk (nah)...

Enter my friend Aaron, who works at Google. FYI, he's the guy who manually types in the phrase, "Did you mean, 'vacuum?'" when you misspell the word in a search. Aaron just added a new use for white trash bags: Light diffuser.

He just wadded the bag up, stuck it (and a CTO gel) on his main light, shot on tungsten WB and left his rim light ungelled for this cool self portrait. Typical Googler, he is ahead of the curve on Lighting 102, where we'll be doing this same gel technique very shortly.

(You can see his photo bigger here.)

Pretty neat, IMO. So, to the list of free stuff offered to employees at Google (gourmet food, bikes, massages, etc.,) you can now add, "light diffuser." Just find the nearest trash can and have at it.

As for the look, Aaron was inspired by photos of the SF Jazz Collective. As jazz is all about improvisation, you have to think they'd approve of his idea.
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UPDATE: Just got a text msg from Aaron, who is on a work trip to NYC, has just stepped into the B&H retail store for the very first time. Be afraid, Jayita. Be very, very afraid...

UPDATE #2: Good news: Google sends you to NYC to lecture on the company dime. Bad news: Your trip coincides with a visit by Joe McNally (and free lecture) at the Mountain View HQ. (D'Oh!!!)

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