Most people refer to it as a clothes pin; in Hollywood it’s referred to as a C-47. They were named that way because back in the day there were 47 pins in a pack. The C stands for clamp, hence C-47.
We’ll take them and reverse the way they clamp so that they have more of a pinch tip to grab stuff better:
I like using these economical tools for clamping gels to lights and softboxes. Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft stores sells them in different sizes and colors.
I like using the medium clamps to secure gels inside small to medium softboxes.
The large clamps are great for securing gels onto grids on softboxes.
This is just one of many ways standard household items can come in handy on a photoshoot.
That’s a wrap — fade to black.
For those who know German: Recently I had published an article on more or less unusual items that should be found in a photographer’s gear bag. C-47s are mentioned in the paragraph on A-Clamps. http://www.primephoto.de/zusatz-ausruestung-immobilienfotografie/ (English version is not ready, yet.)
With the cloths pin, I think it could be made just a bit better. Cloths pin exert a lot of pressure and could leave marks or actually do damage. My idea is once the pins have been converted, take a
piece of sandpaper and clamp the pin to it. Then pull the sandpaper out a few times. What this would do is enlarge the clamping area and even out the pressure spot.
Great suggestion
With the cloths pin, I think it could be made just a bit better. Cloths pin exert a lot of pressure and could leave marks or actually do damage. My idea is once the pins have been converted, take a
piece of sandpaper and clamp the pin to it. Then pull the sandpaper out a few times. What this would do is enlarge the clamping area and even out the pressure spot.
Great suggestion
For those who know German: Recently I had published an article on more or less unusual items that should be found in a photographer’s gear bag. C-47s are mentioned in the paragraph on A-Clamps. http://www.primephoto.de/zusatz-ausruestung-immobilienfotografie/ (English version is not ready, yet.)