I Love G+

I was one of the lucky people who was fortunate enough to get an invite (thank you +Cody Bratt) to Google+ within the first week of Beta testing. Immediately after joining, I was discovering and conversing with a number of new photographers I found to be fun and inspiring. 

A few months later in November, +Thomas Hawk organized a Death Valley trip on Google+. I drove my tired little Honda 1,200 miles round trip with +sly vegas (whom I had never met) to meet a bunch of new photographers in a place I had never been, while shooting something somewhat unfamiliar and it was one of the best trips I've ever taken.

Following the Death Valley trip, I used G+ to keep in touch with those I met on the trip, to meet even more photographers online and participate in a handful of hangouts until the early hours of the morning.

Then last weekend, a bunch of the photographers from Death Valley reunited in Big Sur because +Tony Payne sent out a post on Google+ mentioning that he would be up in the area and wanted to see if anyone would be interested in camping in Big Sur. About 10 of us jumped on the opportunity to shoot together and hang out again and of course, it was another great trip. 

Next weekend, I will be going to Yosemite with some of the same people for a 3-night full moon photo walk. 

For those of you who still don't believe there's a reason to join or be active on Google+, I can say without hesitation that joining Google+ has made such positive impact on my life and I am so thankful for and inspired by the people I have met there.

Photo: "Reel"

Reels left behind inside Noble Hall, an early 1900's state psychiatric hospital theatre. 

Photo: "Impeccable Timing"

Big M Automotive. Williams, California. 
Night. Full moon. 210 seconds. Lit by moonlight and incandescent flashlight.  

COAST Flashlight: HP7 Review

I recently received the COAST HP7, a high output LED flashlight. It shipped in a custom box containing the flashlight, a pouch and strap.


Features

- High (251 lumen flood) & Low (58 lumen spot) Beam Output settings- Beam Focus and lock- Uses (4) AAA batteries
- Impact and water resistant
- Battery Life: 5-10 hours
- Dimensions: 5.54" x 1.24"
- Lightweight (7.2oz) 

Construction

The HP7 is lightweight and durable, made of aluminum, and has a slight texture around the barrel of the light making it grip well in your hand. It's bigger than most handhelds I own, but still small enough to fit comfortably in your hand, a deep pant or jacket pocket, though it's slightly too long to fit in a pocket of the women's jeans I own. It also is small enough for a camera bag, glovebox, backpack or toolbag. 

The push/pull feature of the beam focus is smooth. It works best when using your thumb (not forefinger as shown in the diagram), but it's still a bit stiff and not easy to do with one hand. I found the beam focus lock to be helpful, but it didn't always lock well and often it would slip when pulling the light out of a tight pocket. 

This light runs on just (4) AAA batteries and ran strong for about 4 hours at high power before beginning to dim.

(Left below) Front element; (Right below) Rear on/off button

Output/Beam

I found the two output settings to be very useful. The high output setting at 251 lumens was too bright for navigating the dark since it killed my night vision, but worked well for light painting subjects from 20ft or more. The low 58 lumen setting was better suited for navigating or light painting detail shots. 

The HP7 beam is impressive. When the beam is at the narrowest setting, it contains a hot spot, but at a distance of more than 10 feet, that hot spot has smooth edges. When the beam is set on the widest setting, there is almost no perceivable hot spot. It's smooth all the way through with a nice smooth, feathered edge. 

The HP7 has a fairly consistent cool color temperature, with a slight green-ish hue that's most noticeable around the edges when set to the wide beam setting (see below.)

(Left below) Showing high output beam, wide; (Right below) Showing high output beam, narrow

(Below) HP7 on high output setting against white wall showing green tones around the outer edges of the beam. 
 

Recommended Uses

- Photography: Bright light, good for light painting. Small enough to fit in a camera bag. 
- Night Navigation: Dual brightness modes are good for navigation. Dim mode isn't so bright it destroys night vision, but high output mode is good for seeing long distances. 
- Vehicle: This light's long run time and bright beam make it a good light for car emergencies. 
- Tactical: Lightweight and small for how bright it is.   

Sample Photos

Full moon night. 120 second exposure. f/9. ISO 200. Right face of structure lit with HP7 flashlight on high setting for approximately 15 seconds from 50+ feet away. 

Full moon night. 9 seconds. f/5. ISO800. Lit by HP7 on high setting, in left hand.


Night. 40 seconds. f/9. ISO 100. Lit from camera perspective using wide beam for foreground and narrow beam farther down tunnel.
 

Full moon night. 9 seconds. f/5.6. ISO 800. Lit via HP7 on high setting, held in right hand. 
 

Full moon night. 9 seconds. f/5.6 ISO 800. Lit with HP7 on high setting, off camera right. 

Before (left) and after (right) using the HP7 at high power setting. 

Photo: "Aqua"

Big M Automotive in Williams, CA. 
(Night. Full moon. 50 seconds. Lit by incandescent and LED flashlights.)

Photo: "Orb"

Light painting on the Racetrack in Death Valley. 

Photo: "Window to the World"

The town of Rhyolite in Death Valley was created due to the discovery of Quartz in the hills by Shorty Harris and E.L. Cross in 1904. 

Photo: "Golden Canyon"

Golden Canyon (Trail to Natural Bridge), Death Valley. 
Night. No moon. 4 minutes. Lit by incandescent flashlight.  

Photo: "Shower Room"

Employee shower room in the New Milford Plant of the Hackensack Waterworks in New Jersey. 
(Dark interior, 90 seconds. Lit by incandescent and LED flashlight.)  

Photo: "Laundered"

Inside the New Industries building at Alcatraz.

Built in the 1940's, prisoners washed laundry for the government. At one time, it was the largest laundry facility on the West Coast.