I just purchase gel holders that fit my reflectors. They are available for most of the major brands that I've used, photogenic, speedotron, dynalite, and I believe alien bees has them as well.
Varies with brand of lights. Buff makes a reflector for Alien Bees and White Lighting it calls a "Modifer Base" which consists of a standard reflector with a square frame on the front with two slots. I can put a gel in the back slot, and a set of barn-doors in the front, and even add a grid inside the reflector. I just made my own gel holders out of mat board.
If you have a spare reflector you could DIY something similar; tape two pieces of mat board together on one side to make a hinge, cut out the circle in the middle for the reflector, them gaffer tape to the reflector. Insert the gel, then clip the two sides of the holder together.
I just use gaffer tape. No need for extra accessories unless you are in gear acquisition mode and like spending money. Make sure there is plenty of room for airflow between the lip of the reflector and the gel.
The exception to this are polarizing gels -- for those I do use a separate frame for.
Manfrotto multi clips are very handy but I also use a lot of Lowel Gel Jawz too, especially inside softboxes, etc. where small clips are needed. Both types of clips are very good to have around for other purposes as well. Almost as versatile as gaffers tape.
I made cardboard frames from scrap mat board to hold the ND gels that I use most. I hold them to the reflector with binder clips (those square paper clips).
When I put a sheet of gel on the internal diffuser of a softbox, I use the same clips, but without the cardboard.
Two points why I like the multi clips - they are zoomable for some inches, in case the gel I grabbed doesn't fit the exact reflector size and they allow a good airflow. Besides this I dislike adhesive smeared reflector bowls...
C47 clamps, aka wooden clothes pin. It looks better to charge $50 rental fee for a set of "C47 Clamps" on an invoice than $50 for a bag of clothespins.
Watch out if you use gaffer's tape, it'll get sticky when it gets hot.
PeterBerressem wrote:
Two points why I like the multi clips - they are zoomable for some inches, in case the gel I grabbed doesn't fit the exact reflector size and they allow a good airflow. Besides this I dislike adhesive smeared reflector bowls...
Gaffer's tape does not leave any residue. I use it on my L's to keep the switches from moving.
