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Hack 15 Gaffer's Tape When All Else Fails

Sometimes, there just isn't an
adapter to hook things together elegantly. Does that mean you
don't get the shot? Hardly! That's
when you reach for the gaffer's tape.

Gaffer's tape, shown in
Figure 1-16, has been used on Hollywood movie sets
for decades. It's known by brand as
Permacel P-665. This versatile cloth-backed
black tape allows you secure just about anything, from an abused
camera bag to a misbehaving reflector that just
won't stay in place. What's
remarkable about gaffer's tape, and what makes it
superior to other alternatives, is that the adhesive
doesn't leave a residue on your equipment. So you
can strap your camera to a street sign's pole, take
a series of pictures, and then peel the tape off without a trace of
evidence.

Figure 1-16. Gaffer's tape

Gaffer's tape comes in one-, two-, three-, and
four-inch-wide rolls. Because it's cloth-backed,
however, you can peel it off in straight strips, creating any width
you need for the job. Often, I'll peel off a number
of strips and hang them off an edge of a table before I start
working, just to keep them handy.

The black backing also makes this tape useful for blocking out stray
light and eliminating reflections off metal surfaces. You can use it
to hold power cords in place, tape them to the floor so that people
won't trip over them, and even hold down the edge of
curled-up carpet.

One full roll costs about US$15. But unless you're
running a full-time studio, it will probably last you for years. And
you'll sing its praises every time it bails you out
of a jam.