How to use a C-Stand and other essential studio hardware 

Ha! Thank you!

Thanks Kevin! That is so great to hear. Over the last year its been my outlet since I haven't been able to teach people in person. As you saw in this video, about a month ago I launched an online learning site for photographers where subscribers get access to now weekly zoom calls (so far they have been small and like mini group mentoring sessions), exclusive training videos on retouching and more, plus early access to my youtube videos. You might want to check it out: johngress.com/academy/

🙌🏼🙌🏼thanks Billy!

Glad to hear it! Thank you!

Glad to hear it! Thanks J!

Happy to help! I hope youre having a great weekend. =)

Awesome, thank you so much! It must be me west coast upbringing. TTYS!

@@JohnGress You're very welcome 😄😊

Oh boy, sorry to hear that. But thank you. I should have mentioned making sure the legs were locked too and if you try to nudge them with your feet, they might come loose.

Thanks! Glad it was helpful and more importantly-enjoy!

Glad it was helpful! Thank you!

Congrats! Glad it helped!

My pleasure! Thanks for watching!

My pleasure! Thank you!

Great timing!

Glad it help! Thank you! =)

Thank you so much! 💙❤️🤍

That is great to hear Gordon! Thanks!

Thank you Brandon!

Very nice! Enjoy!

Thank you!

Glad it was helpful!n Thanks!

My pleasure 😊 That is great to hear!

Great to hear! Just make sure "hex" is in the title. I probably failed to emphasize that.

@@JohnGress I double-checked and thankfully ordered the ones with the hex nut. Thanks for the heads-up.

Great to hear! Enjoy!

Thanks! Glad it was helpful!

Thank you so much!

No problem! A lot of the stuff feels reflexive to me at this point but I’m a new people help me out I get reminded of what it used to be like.

You're so welcome! Thank you!

IKR Richard. Once you have a light fall over the big leg and the arm will never be apart (unless you screw up)! I'll alsouse super clamps sometimes to put my background lights on my kicker stands.

Thank you so much!

Thank you!

Ha! It's hard enough when you're trying to do it normally and doing it to the viewers right always messes me up!

had me laughing too because I did the same thin when I got mine! I'm in good company!

The struggle is real!

Thanks for signing up!

Glad it was helpful! Thank you!

No problem!

Thanks!

Thanks Pat! Glad you enjoyed it.

@@JohnGress I was in the studio this evening adding a beauty dish on my C stand (and yes using sand bags) when I turned on my computer and saw your video. Always find your vids so informative.

Great timing! Thank you so much 🙏🏼

I always feel that booms sticking out on the opposite side get in the way, so for a BD I would 100% got for the arm. =)

Ha. I need their logo on my nascar after this video 😛

Thanks Omar! The last time few times I used a speed light the connection was just so inconsistent, I gave up.

Thank you so much! It is very normal to place a light directly on the stud without using a grip head. I did have some stands with a threaded stud on top and when I used the threads to directly mount a softbox ring with a light and softbox attached I snapped off the threads. I am not really sure what these threads are for but I know now what they aren't for!

@@JohnGress Thanks John. Interesting they build these these with industrial strength steel and then give you a weak little threaded joint! Stay well

Thanks! I suppose for two reasons. The hex head makes it possible to do it with less gear and having the handle on the opposite end can make changing the angle easier.

​@@JohnGress Make sense! My Matthews C-stand doesn't have the hex head so I'd always been wary of its strength. The changing the angle though is useful! I've long followed you on IG and loved your posts and just realized you had a YT ch. you do such great videos! Keep up the great work! And thanks for the response!

Thank you so much! I upload a new video every Monday morning. 😊

An oldy but a goodie!

Sure thing. Here is a link: amzn.to/3sg3BPb Thank you so much!

@@JohnGress Thank you! Getting the silver one. Keep up with the great channel. 👍⚡️

Thank you so much Jose! Enjoy!

Grip arms come with the head attached.

@@JohnGress oh guess thats why its not working for me, my c stand came with arm bars with unattached grips im tryin to figure out

Thank you! 7-12kg is the standard range for these bags.

Enjoy!

Hi Josh, I have this case from SKB for all of my mods amzn.to/2QkOHpr, but I am curious about these cases from Photoflex - amzn.to/3luV5Xp.

@@JohnGress do you put all your lights in this case with the stands?

I put a 2-3 lights stands and modifiers for small jobs in the case I have. For big jobs it only hold my modifiers and another case holds my lights.

How I travel with my photography & lighting gear. Elinchom, monolights, modifiers & grip case case ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Cbsc2-lVRUY.html

@@JohnGress Since your one of the few that reply on youtube and I appreciate that. I have a question about the RF 70-200 2.8 . I also own the R5. On canons website when I bought the RF 70-200 it says the 70-200 has "Lens Information Display As part of the EOS R system, the RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM lens works with an EOS R series camera to display the lens information right in the viewfinder - making it easy to confirm the lens's focal length without looking away from the subject at hand." I was wondering how I get that to work with the R5 or is that not in the camera system with the R5? Maybe you can make a video about how to enable that?

Thanks you! I had them made by Gravity Backdrops.

@@JohnGress thanks

There was a time when I too was anti C-stand. But then I realized that you couldn't boom anything more than a few feet on an Aluminium stand. Some of my stands (Kupo Baby Kit Stand with Square Legs www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LP3GAF0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00LP3GAF0&linkCode=as2&tag=john0d1-20&linkId=663b120481d790db3146a18aa9f65080 ) are bent at the top because of this. As for the legs, I have noticed that some Matthews c-stands allow the position of the legs relative to each other to be something other than 120-degrees and that is why I prefer the other brands, which lock you in at 120-degrees. I do love my rolling junior double risers and my Studio Titan Geared Crank stand ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-s1MU-3D94FI.html, but I am reluctant to take them on location because of their weight, /i mostly bring my c-stands for my booms and sometimes my Matthews Hollywood Beefy Baby Triple Riser. Were you talking about one of these? Matthews Maxi Kit Steel Stand (9.5')? I am sure they are fine and everything I talked about in the video would still work well with these.

@@JohnGress ​Oh, i see, its gear talk time! :) It´s a difference, if you have to bring your lighting stands to a location, or you already have them in your studio/homestudio. So i don´t have a problem with a heavy steel wind-up lighting stand from Manfrotto...even if it is the smallest ones from the wind-up´s with 3 sections. www.manfrotto.com/us-en/steel-short-wind-up-stand-087nwshb/ ...i have a black version. This is the tallest lighting stand i have, and it is there, to lift heavy weights till to the ceiling...like a Deep Parabolic Softbox with focus system as an example. Yes, i could handle that weight on a lighting stand, which only has simple tubes, but after work, i want comfort, not additional physical work. My wind-up (discontinued, not from Manfrotto) for my Manfrotto boom is looking similar like that one in the following link, but with less diameters on its tubes, and it is black: www.manfrotto.com/us-en/low-base-2-section-wind-up-std-w-braked-wheels-s-o-083nwlb/ I don´t use a simple tube as my "main" boom, like a C-Stand extension arm. I have a sophisticated boom, where i can rotate and turn the spigot for the flashhead with turning handles on the other side. www.manfrotto.com/us-en/super-boom-w-column-stand-025tm/ Its the short version from the Manfrotto Super Boom. And i did replace the pivoting clamp with the geared tilt head for the broncolor paras: broncolor.swiss/products/tilt-head-with-crank-handle-for-para-177-222?variant=4964 (Yes, i am silly!) So i have the same comfort like i would have with a Manfrotto Mega Boom www.manfrotto.com/us-en/mega-boom-black-stand-not-included-practical-and-strong-425b/ This boom and it´s load capacity would be a nightmare on a C-Stand with it´s small asymetric footprint. You really really want a wind-up lighting stand, to do the job. Gears, gears everywhere! On my lighting stands and on my photography tripods and heads. I am a non native english speaker, so i did probably translate the words "photography gear" wrong, lol! But seriously: it`s all about comfort, and if i can justify that investment. My 51 years old bones love it! The other lighting stands i have are air cushioned...that feature isn´t available for C-Stands. With that, your skin from your "stopping" hand will not slip easily between the tubes, if the inner tube is only gliding slowly down.

Thanks for all of this, yes geared stands and those geared booms are great, no doubt.

At first I thought you might be right, then I remembered that each section is 40" and there are three of them.

@@JohnGress so I had to do a little digging instead of relying on memory. Popular theory in regards to the origin of the name is that: 1. Century Lighting company first made these stand (I think that company became Mole Richardson). 2. Original stand were wooden sliding easel type that came in 3 sizes and the most popular size is-100 inches. 3. They were originally designed to hold sun reflectors and the standard size of those reflector were 100 inches. 4. As you've stated, they are versatile! Pretty cool that no one seems to have a definitive answer for such a popular item.

I was reading on wiki that it was named after the producer Century Lighting, which later became Strand Lighting, which was purchased by Philips.