Spindrift Photo

M-Plate Pro - a delightful piece of flexibility
I’ve got a few mini-reviews to share over the next few posts but the first one is an elegant blend of simplicity and functionality.  CustomSLR has designed a universal tripod plate system that fills a number of needs. First, it supports both the Manfrotto RC2 and Arca-Swiss mounts, and second, it provides several additional attachment points making it easy to add a strap like the BlackRapid RS series or CustomSLR’s own Glide Strap.  The plate is made from aluminum and is hard anodized for a superior black finish.
 
Tony Chor showed me his BlackRapid strap a year or so ago and it is a great way to carry a camera around for long walks but my Arca plate was already using the spot that the strap needed to connect to the camera so I haven’t made the switch to using it.  When I saw the M-Plate Pro, though, I knew that the wait was over.  Now I can have my plate and carry it comfortably too!
 
The only downside so far, is when I try to attach a lens with its own lens ring, the ring runs into the extra attachment point but I just need to rotate the lens ring around and it’s not a problem for long.
 
The M-Plate is available from CustomSLR’s online web store and they ship quickly. If you use either of the supported plate connections, this is definitely worth a look.

Orchids

“I hate flowers - I paint them because they’re cheaper than models and they don’t move.”
-Georgia O’Keeffe

I found a delightful group of orchids (Phalaenopsis) at the store on Saturday that seemed like a great set of models for this weekend’s shoot and they don’t disappoint.  The tricky part is trying to figure out how to get something that isn’t just the usual straight on shot so I tried a few different angles and came up with a couple few that add a bit of drama or tension to a beautiful set of flowers.