Can I Drive Your Magic Bus?

David Hobby and Joe McNally brought their Flashbus tour to San Diego today. The small flash gurus (wow, that's about the most reductive phrase I can think of for these two guys, considering their talents and careers) spent the day at the NTC Promenade talking to a roomful of photographers about the philosophy and craft of lighting with small strobes. They're witty and fast-paced and they pack an incredible amount of information into the day. If you're in one of the roughly two dozen cities left on the tour they'll visit in their graphic-wrapped bus, just go.



I met McNally for the first time today, but I've known Hobby for years, back when we were both University of Florida photo types. We reminisced about school and swapped stories from when he was an intern at the Orlando Sentinel, where I was working at my first newspaper job. Apparently that lesson about how to deal with pesky TV photographers who jump in front of you at news scenes has stuck with him. It was great catching up. Plus he picked up the bill for breakfast and lunch. Gotta love a per diem. Thank you again, Dave.

All that aside, the two do a great job engaging the audience with everything from the basics to the esoteric when it comes to lighting on the fly. It's about the image, not the toys. Know the subject. Learn to look at light. And of course, they don't just tell, they show.


Here's Hobby gesturing hypnotically. Note the strip of green gaffer's tape he stuck on his sweater, because it's St. Patrick's Day.


And here's McNally demonstrating some multi-flash techniques on a model/grip on tour with them. Note that McNally doesn't need green tape. And note the model/grip looks like a bearded Justin Bieber. I can say that now because the bus is on the road to the tour's next stop - they're halfway to Phoenix as I write this. And therefore it's not very likely he'll kill me for saying it.