carve some out of black paper (or black foil) and use them to throw out-of focus, specular highlights into interesting shapes! (ie heart shaped xmas lights behind a Glamour portrait).

I set my k10 up with a 500ftz set to spotbeam....
I ran the short ttl cable right out of the flashunit...and into a shoe adapter fg.
I plugged my radio slave transmitter (I have elinchrom, but any shoe triggered radio slave should work) into the shoe adapter fg.
I now can plug my radio reciever into any studio/portable flash unit.

Why bother?

Af assisted by the near ir pattern from the flash, and it still fires the radio reciver equipped flash.

also fires when I set the 500ftz to manual mode for fill/catchlight purposes.

re: trap focus...
my experience is this: the camera uses it's af confirmantion (with mf lens) to fire the shutter. any shots where contrast or light levels would cause an af lens to hunt, will miss the shot, in trap focus mode.

get as close to the action as your "oficial status" will allow (without getting in the way, of course) and use the widest lens possible (to get decent sized subjects in the frame). (less camera shake with wider lenses).

Lions Clubs tend to do alot of good for the comunities they serve.
If you think the others' pricing too high, you might consider donating the difference between what others charge and what you think is fair. (to the lions, or one of thier charities they support... Good will all the way around without cutting throats....

send a press release out to local media to make sure the photos are acessable to all interested.

Wow.
Lengthy, busy thread.
I wish I had time to read this thread.
Been busy and happy taking pictures, this week........
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having a week or so to test these units I can highly recommend them for my studio lights, but also for firing my vivitar 283's, and pentax protable flashes and remote firing my d-slrs. I found these units cost less for the pair (transmitter and universal reciever) than a single pocket wizzard transciever. range is less than the pocketwizzard, but still very good.
highly resistant to interference, and very versitile.
very small, with a fragile looking antanea (hope it's tougher than it looks).

alot of tripods have centercolums you can position for copy work.
also possible to do some copywork by placing a peice of board on blocks to a 45deg angle on a table and using a regular tripod.

most enlargers can be converted to copystands, with accessories or a quick trip to the hardware store for a drillbit and some bolts.

I once used my kitchen table...and some clamps. the table had a center panel to expand it, and by simply opening the table up, I was able to use a Manfrotto superclamp with a tripod ball and socket head to clamp my camera to the edge of the table, and two clampstyle lamps for lighting. (flouresenct lamps may be better with digital).

Mac....it is ok to call it yours...."I'll try it on Mac's Super Program"
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slot in lenshood for rotating a polarizer?