Does anyone use a Pan Disc Reflector, Grids, Scrims, Gels, Snoots, or Book Ends? If so, do you like the results? I'm looking to kick it up a notch. Thanks!

-Gary

I have a beauty dish, grids and gels.  I don't know what book ends are.  Here's a shot taken with the dish.

Depending on what I'm going for, I'll use anything from a 6x6 diffusion panel to a Mola Euro to a focusing spotlight. Grids are used in probably half or more of my studio shots, perhaps 30% or so of the time as a main or kicker, and the rest for background accents. I don't use my smaller beauty dish (20") as much as the Euro (33"), but it's good for closer shots.

Gels are always available, and used for all sorts of things, from 1/4 CTO or CTB accents to full-color weirdnesses.

Hmmmm, okay, this is just me and the stuff that works for me personally, Alien bees poppers, Arri 650 tungstens (2), SV 600 tungstens (2) for portability, Photoflex softboxes and a flourescent bank. I kinda HATE studio work, but it is a necessary evil. Although yesterday I did have the most boring location shoot. I had to shoot roofs for a roofing company's brochure. The only cool to be found was the basket truck for me to get the right angles, that, and I was playing with the Rollei as my 2nd body. I love the look on a client's face when I take out a camera older than they are.

"Bookends" is great in the studio.  So is "Bridge Over Troubled Water".



All that other stuff is fun to use, too.

I use most of things in studio... but 90% of my shooting is out of studio or on location.  Then I bring as little as possible.  I'm too lazy to carry around all that stuff.