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How to GorillaTorch Flare for Photo & Video Lighting at Night

By | Artist Profile, Gorillatorch, How To, Photography | 4 Comments

Oakland-based photographer/videographer/rock climber Austin Zimmerman used our GorillaTorch Flare 125 to light an awesome video of his recent trip to Yosemite. The great part about using a GorillaTorch on a camping trip? It also doubles as a photo and video light in case you decide to film your friends climbing at night!  

High Adventure Weekend from Austin Z on Vimeo.

We caught up with Austin after his trip to hear what he thought of GorillaTorch Flare and also get some tips for how to use GorillaTorch Flare to light your nighttime photos and videos. 

Tell us about your project. 

This short film was shot with a Canon DSLR and a Joby GorillaTorch Flare 125 during a weekend trip to Yosemite. A few days before our trip, a member of the Joby crew brought a box of Joby torch lights to the climbing gym where I work. We hooked up a few lucky members at our gym with a Joby light, but a co-worker and I decided we had to take one with us to Yosemite for some “field testing”.

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Tell us about your experience using the Joby GorillaTorch Flare 125.

I was blown away by the quality of light the Joby put out. The Flare 125 provided a crisp, clean beacon of light which really illuminated every detail of the boulder. Everything from the curvature of the rock all the way down to the obsidian crystals inside the granite. I have used external lighting to capture rock climbing footage at night before, but on this trip I decided to leave the bulky L.E.D. panel at home, with no regrets.

 

Tips for using the Joby as external lighting?

Much like uplighting or downlighting in home landscaping, having a powerful concentrated beam of light allows you to pick out the natural features you would like to highlight. The Joby is perfect for filming boulders at night because of the way it accentuates the beautifully sculpted prows and ledges. Those are the types of features that really lend themselves to the camera. The trick is not to point the light straight at the rock, but to pick an angle which highlights those features.

 

Favorite attribute of the Flare 125?

This light is efficient to the max. After three long nights of climbing and gathering footage, the batteries hardly seemed fazed. Even the batteries in our headlamps, which produce less light, had to be swapped at least once each.

 

Best part about filming rock climbing?

A boulder problem is like an intricate and delicate puzzle. I really enjoy that moment of discovery when you unlock the sequence of movement that allows you to ascend a line edges in a rock face. I gain a lot of inspiration from that moment when you see someone transcend mental barriers. For me it is really motivating to watch a film that captures those moments.

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Tips for people new to filming climbers?

Shoot at every chance you get! Even when your friends burn you for it!

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Going camping this summer and need some versatile flashlights? Check out our GorillaTorch line, especially our GorillaTorch Switchback – a handy two in one flashlight that converts from lantern to headlamp! 

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