Review of Strobist Lighting Cards...

At any given time there are 8-12 products waiting to be reviewed and posted on this blog (tough job, I know), and on rare occasion something comes in that is so neat that it leap frogs ahead of everything else in line and moves right to the top of the list.

The "Trade Secret Cards" is one of those "leap frogging" products. Though there official name is "Trade Secret Cards Strobist Favorites Gallery Vol. 1", a big name for a small product.

How to put this... hhmmmm.... These cards are cool!

They are about the size of a deck of playing cards, on the front is a well done, well lit image, on the back is both a diagram of the setup and a paragraph containing the details of what was used and how.

(click on any image to view larger & in a new window)

You get 24 different cards showing 24 different setups, portraiture, product shoots, cars (including a big 'ol caterpillar dump truck), indoor and outdoor sessions, and each setup is well documented and easy to replicate.

These cards are also a heck of a lot easier to bring on a shoot than a book.

The cards are printed on UV protected thick stock so they are durable and should stand up well to being carried in your pocket or your camera bag from one shoot to another.

It did not escape me that "Volume 1" is in their title, which already has me looking forward to what may follow in "Volume 2".

If you aren't already online ordering your Trade Secret Cards, maybe this will help push you over the edge:

1. They are on sale (only $19.95)

2. The shipping is free (and fast)

3. And the return policy is generous (though I promise you, once you have them in your hands they ain't never going back!)