I love c-stands.They send lights safely soaring into the air with a reassuring heft. But until recently, I’ve basically been using them like big light stands: put light on c-stand; put light modifier (flag, silk, etc) on second c-stand; adjust; repeat. But all of this changed when a helpful Glazers rep suggested I take a look at a Matthews Baby Triple Header.

Here’s how it works. You mount the triple header on the top of the c-stand, and it gives you wings in the form of five 5/8″ jr. spuds: three on top, two underneath. And from these you hang lights and accessories.

At first glance, it might not seem that earthshaking. But it’s so much more than the ability to fly more than one light at a time. What I find most powerful is that I can attach and offset a gobo arm. This simple trick allows me to light and soften with a silk, using the same stand. In practice this means I can use one light with a medium silk, or two lights with a medium silk for extra punch.

With so many spuds, it’s a simple thing to attach more than one arm, too. So using my Road Rags, I can hang two small silks, one in front of each light, to imitate the light cast by two small windows next to each other in a wall.

I’ve got a feeling I’ve only just begun to explore the configurations possible with this accessory. What combinations have you thought of?