Hot shoe to jack cable mod

Make your own hot shoe to jack/phone cable

With only 35 minutes left of my 26th birthday I give to you the knowledge you need to save yourself a whole bunch of bucks.
If you own a camera flash without a jack/phone/pc sync socket you'll find it quite costly to hook up your Pocketwizard or Elinchrom Skyport trigger. You can spend £30 on a HOT SHOE TO MINIJACK or you can spend £7 on a HAMA HOT SHOE TO PC SYNC and 79p on a jack socket and solder them together.

Now let me make this clear, I am not an electrician, I am a photographer so you will find no schematics or fancy electricians terms here, what you will find is a couple of pictures and that is all you should need cause you just have to stick 2 wires down.

This is what you will end up with:



...and this is how to make it. (click photos to view them bigger)
Take your Hama hot shoe to pc sync and cut the pc sync end off with a scissors, strip the wire about an inch, what you will find is a central wire and a load of bits around it, score your jack socket a tad, twist up the wire bits, pop them through the hole at point (A) and solder it...



Now, take the central wire, stick it in the hole at point (B) and solder. I didn't know whether point (B) or (C) was the correct one to attach the central wire to so I soldered another piece of wire between them to make sure it would work, as I said I'm not an electrician ;-)



You could stick a jack plug to the cable instead of socket, I chose the socket cause the Hama cable is quite short and my Skyports came with a 40cm jack to jack cable which would go between the receiver and the socket.

I hope this has helped all you poor photographers out there, the best thing is you could plug your headphones into your hot shoe now in public and when other photographers see you they'll think "what the hell is he up to?".

Don't forget that STROBIST.COM is the best lighting site in all of the world. Go there now.


MP3: Big Black: Cables (Live) From Atomizer

DISCLAIMER: IF ANYTHING BREAKS IT IS YOUR FAULT AND NOT MINE. BOTH OF MINE WORK FINE, TIME AFTER TIME AFTER TIME. :-P

National Transport Festival of Wales 2007

National Transport Festival of Wales
Sunday 17th June 2007

This year "the car show", as I call it, was brilliant, for some reason it seemed better than last year, in fact it was better than ever. The Liberty Stadium was the place to be on Sunday, I may have gone down on the Saturday if I'd known it was a two day thing. I found out about it from a banner on the footbridge by Tesco in town, the left hand side of it was covered by a tree so when coming up to it in a car all I saw was 'Truck Show', I was pretty excited cause I thought the missing word was MONSTER. It turns out the word was WELSH which, very obviously, isn't as exciting as monster. After that blow I must have only seen 17th and not noticed 16th.

There was a bit of a military operation to get there, I suppose getting to the stadium from Clase isn't that much harder than getting to Singleton Park from here but it felt a bit more exciting, I got all our bus options from firstgroup.com (which turned out to be a bit wrong) and set off. It was all going smoothly until we got to Somerfield in Morriston, they only had jumbo packs of bourbon creams when I wanted a normal sized pack and when I went to get a bottle of pop they didn't have any Diet Coke. Some woman had a basket full of goodies at the only open till so I left the biscuits and went to Woolworth for the good old "2 for £1.40" on pop and some crisps. We missed a bus and had to endure a mildly bonkers guy talking him to himself for 10 minutes until the next bus came.

There were a load of cool cars at the festival as well as trucks, vans, buses and coaches, we didn't bother going over to the bike bit cause it was a bit boring last year, the best part of that was seeing a stuffed golden eagle in the museum stores. As I was saying, there were loads of cool vehicles but I don't have much of an interest in that kind of stuff, I was there for the old men and their dogs (the four legged kind), also the poster on the bus said there would be 'autojumble' which sounded pretty special (unfortunately it was just a load of old greasy engine parts). Within 5 minutes of arriving there was a great dog fight by what appeared to be a quiet little collie type of thing and one of those brownie/reddish curly-eared ones. The collie type went for its jugular and curly-ears whimpered like a baby. After his scare he was free to enjoy the rest of the day, he seemed to be following us to make sure he didn't miss out on any cool stuff.

There was also a chihuahua there that was proper 'ard, it was barking at everyone like it was three feet tall, he was great. My favourite cars were probably an old police one complete with a little police officer marionette hanging from the rear view mirror, and one with a tiger on the roof (click tiger face above) which I was informed by its biggest fan was from North Wales in the 1950's, to me it just looked like a modern stuffed toy from a corner shop. We had a bit of a sit down on a railing and what should appear from a parked car window but a baldy bodied, hairy-toed, curtain-haired snaz dog. He seemed bored to death and was happy to pose for a few pictures in between crying and dashing around the back seat. He was actually pretty good lookin' but most of the pictures were out of focus cause he was fast as lightening so he is unfairly represented by the photo below.

I just realized that I've written another post about dogs which wasn't the intention, what I really love about this kind of event is that they are chockablock with ENTHUSIASTS. In this world there are too many people that go through life with no interest in things, they finish school and go straight into a dead end job and that's their life. Get up, go to work, come home, watch TV. I'm not dissing that life because it can happen to anybody, millions of people are a victim of circumstance and that is a real sad thing. I love when people talk about something and there is passion in their voice, the transport festival is perfect for this, everyone that has brought a vehicle wants to talk about it, they want to tell you everything about it and i mean EVERYTHING, for someone with no interest in cars (me) you may think this could be boring but its the complete opposite, it's great.

There was music, it sounded terrible, there was no way we could leave without inspecting. We got to the marquee and the first thing we saw was two townies in all their tracksuit glory dancing, waving their arms in the air and singing along to Sweet Caroline, singing it was the one, the only 'Real Diamond', I'm no Neil Diamond fan but this tribute act was absolutely brilliant and the highlight of my day, he was like the dude in Only Fools & Horses that sings "cwyyy-yyyy-yyyying over you". Seriously, he was brilliant. He had the hair of a star, the shirt of a cowboy, the backing of a pub band and the trousers of a tramp. You know when you take everything out of the washing machine and there is a sock missing? Well I think I know where you can find them, if they aren't in there then he was packing some serious heat (click on the picture for a closer inspection)

We had allowed ourselves time to pop to Morrisons before the bus came cause I had to stock up on Potato Crunchies (four packs) and Diced Carrot & Turnip (ten tins). It was much further away than I thought and my bad back was killing by the time we got to the bus stop. In Morriston we were lucky enough to wait at the bus stop with another guy who enjoyed talking to himself as well as stinking of booze and having a big weeping wound on his forearm. Man alive them Crunchies tasted good.


(Click on photos to view them bigger)

MP3: Red House Painters: All Mixed Up From Songs For a Blue Guitar
(First person to post a comment with the relevance of the song to this post wins a cool prize)

We are all going to die

Tyron Francis
26.06.81 - Present

I will never forget the first time I realized I was going to die. I was 17, laying on my bed watching a programme on tv about the universe, they were talking about how, in 2 billion years, Earth will crash into the sun and be destroyed. My heart sank and I was overcome with terror, a single tear ran down my cheek, this was the beginning of what was to become a serious depression that lasted for years, and to some degree continues still.


For 7 years I was plagued by a very unhealthy obsession with death and not in the "I listen to Marilyn Manson" sense of the word. Every single day I thought of death, specifically my own and when and how I would go, it was unbearable, but being the stubborn little bugger than I am I did bear it. These thoughts chipped away until there was nothing left of me, during my 22nd year I was completely useless, nothing could stop the thoughts, my life completely fell apart. At the time it was horrible, in fact horrible doesn't do it justice, I don't believe there is even a word that can describe the living hell that is the bottom of a pit of depression. Resisting the urge to put an end to the misery is the most difficult thing I have ever done. There was only one thing that stopped me from 'doing it' - fear.


In no way, shape or form do I believe in God or Satan or Heaven or Hell but these were the things that prevented me from jumping in front of a car, or slitting my wrists or overdosing (I kept my options open). It was the not knowing, the fear of what awaited me, would I just become worm food as I truly believed or would I go straight to Hell for putting a big dent in someone's brand new BMW? The stakes were too high and luckily I found the right medication just in time. These drugs continue to suppress the evil, nasty little thoughts of dying. These days I can look at an old person struggling to get on the bus without too much mental anguish, I can enjoy a walk in the cemetery and I can listen to The Magnetic Fields without bursting into tears.

For a few years I've wanted to shoot photos at a funeral directors to face up to my fears man to man but I was never man enough so to speak, I feel like I could look a corpse in the eye now, I feel like a gamble. This is a call to funeral directors, funeral directors' sons and the friends of funeral directors, I would like to spend some time photographing the time between death and burial, spread the word and if you think you can help me out contact me through my site at tfrancis photography

(Click on photos to view them bigger)

MP3: Scout Niblett: Your Beat Kicks Back Like Death From I Am

Cool for cats DOGS

The Swansea Show
Monday 28th May 2007

John Peel said of The Fall "always the same, always different", I'd like to say the same about the Swansea Show but it's "always the same, always the same". Every year someone at the council gets out his big 'ol dusty file and starts ringing... "hello, is that the climbing wall?", "hello, can I speak to the person in charge of providing an over priced beer trailer?", "hello, are you the dancing Native American troupe?". Every year I go to the show and every year it's the same layout, same stalls, same 'attractions'. I know what you're thinking, you're thinking "if it's so bad, stop going!", I would if only they didn't put on the dog show, "no dogs - no show", that's what I say.

So, every year I get on the bus to town, then I get on the bus to the park and when I get there I start moaning about everything being the same as last year, I walk past the same stalls selling the same old tat that they were selling 12 months ago. The last two years I've enjoyed watching the horse displays with my girlfriend, I've learned that horses are measured in hands and cause I'm so clever I'm always going "oooh, that one's big, must be about 16 hands", it was funny the first few times, but I think she's tired of it now. The best horse thing they have is called the 'scurry' where, basically, a fat old man in a bowler hat and his mate tie a big pram to two horses and belt around a course trying not to knock tennis balls of traffic cones, it's brilliant.

The dog show is located right next to the horse track so after a while, bursting with excitement, I leave the toffs to their prams and hit the main attraction. It really doesn't matter which point you arrive at because as far as I can tell any dog can be entered into about 20 different categories so the same dogs are there all day, and lets not forget that, to the naked eye, all dogs look the same unless you are a 'fancier'; so if you miss one cool Bichon Frise there will be one of equal cuteness along in a bit. As a vegan I shouldn't really say this but the only thing that could make a dog show better is if there was a category for the best dog in fancy dress, there are few things funnier than a chihuahua in a cowboy hat and neckerchief, or a pug dressed as a pig for that matter.

Now, let's get down to business, here are the results of the show...um, I don't know the results, nor do I care cause it's not fair to say that one dog has straighter legs than another cause all dogs are created equal, just like humans; "there's an Irishman, a Welshman, and an Englishman, which one has the longest legs?", see, it's mental. I judge the dog shows for myself, the pug always wins the 'most squashed face' award, the spaniel wins 'most disobedient' and a great dane always takes home the 'tallest dog here' trophy for his kennel.

This year was particularly good because one of the pugs had a poo in the ring, that was my favourite bit. There was also this 'rasta dog', I don't know what breed it is but I bet it likes Reggae Reggae Sauce on its Pedigree Chum. There are always millions of dogs at the show, people from far and wide bring their mutts along in the hope that one of the judges will spot them from across the arena and say "you, over there, get in the ring, your dog is flipping brilliant!" Of course that never happens cause their legs won't be good enough to make the grade, it takes years of tail tugging practice to get a fox terrier to stand to attention. So, next year make sure you get to the Swansea Show, it's "always the same, always the same".

(Click on photos to view them bigger)

MP3: The Fall: Bingo Masters Break-Out From Live at the Witch Trials

Meeting Daniel Johnston

The Comedy Store, Manchester
Monday 21st May 2007

Before the gig I was taken Daniel's dressing room, pretty quickly I noticed that he was really quiet compared to the supports who were also in the room, they were all having a good time and Daniel was just sat, hunched, chain smoking and drinking coke, he didn't even lift his head.

After the supports left to go on stage I said hello to him and said that his brother said I could take some photos and he just went "uh-huh", didn't look up, I asked him how ATP went and he said "uh-huh", I asked if he minded me taking some photos and he said "uh-huh", not once lifting his head. I gave him a set of comic badges I'd bought for him with "pow" and "zapp" and stuff on them, he said he really liked them and right away just zoned out again. I snapped one pic of his reflection in the mirror and left him to his thoughts.

I spoke to his brother upstairs who said he was ok during soundcheck but had just gone out of it. He said that he ended up playing both days at ATP and an outdoor show as well and that he'd had a really good time. He said he'd probably be in better spirits after the gig so I decided to leave him to it until then.

During the gig he was on top form, he was joking, smiling and seemed really happy. I went backstage right after the gig and he was sat back in his chair same as earlier smoking and drinking coke again, he was pretty untalkative to the supports (who played with him on most of the set), then he went outside for a smoke and was out there a good 10mins, he came back in, hunched into his chair and continued smoking.

Badly Drawn Boy (Daniel had no idea who he was) came in to the dressing room, I can't remember why but daniel said he wanted to get on a major label again and record in the big studios, and that he wanted to be famous, within the next 10 mins BDB bragged about being "the most famous musician from Manchester", being "a millionaire", recording a big budget video in london the next day and (laughably) said "I'm the best songwriter I know". He was 'joking' about all this stuff of course but he very obviously believed what he was saying! A very insensitive choice of things to talk about if you ask me. Daniel seemed to sit silently for AGES before answering people at times, there was this great example where BDB asked him if he wanted to release an EP on his label, there must have been a 30sec pause before Daniel looked up, really animated, and went into this big thing about how in movies and comics you can do things that would be dangerous in real life and thats why he likes them so much, then he just slumped down again. BDB was all "I play shows and I say my fave musicians are Bobby Conn, Wesley Willis and Daniel Johnston and nobody knows who they are" obviously pulling out the most obscure dudes he knew to appear cool, so I said to him "but you're a big Springsteen fan, people have heard of him". Daniel said he was a big fan too and that he'd seen him 3 times, BDB of course was better than that, he'd seen him 30 times and actually played with him 5 weeks ago. He was such a twit! His girlfriend made him leave and on the way out the door he went "ahhhhh" like he'd just met a disabled child in a hospital. That really annoyed me cause Daniel very probably heard.

By this point I thought Daniel had had enough hassle for one night so i asked him to do me a drawing and right away he came alive, he asked me what I'd been up to, I said that I'd just been working to which he replied "working is a real drag, I havent worked since 1986, I used to work in Mcdonalds" he gave me my drawing and right away zoned out again. I packed up my gear and said that I liked his full band, studio recorded albums and the direction he was moving in but all I got was "uh-huh" so I said my goodbyes and went on my merry way...

It was not the great meeting with a musical genius that I was hoping for BUT it was certainly a really intimate peak into his life and something I will never forget.

MP3: Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Your Griviences from Yip/Jump Music