Having a detached garage or tool shed is a great asset for any Des Moines home. While many homeowners these days are accustomed to attached garages that make it easier to carry in groceries and for gathering the kids for soccer practice, detached garages provide a great deal of worth because they allow for storage of power tools, lawn chemicals, and other potentially dangerous materials that you wish to keep away from your pets and children. Additionally, a shed allows a place for messier projects to be completed as well as a spot for loud power tools to be used without disrupting the rest of your family. However, due to the complications of building and electrical codes, many homes with detached garages either do not have electricity running to the garage or have been wired in an improper way

At Electrical Gurus, we are experts in electrical installation. Whether you simply want to run enough electricity for one light or wish to have enough power to run a woodshop, a residential electrician can properly and safely get your detached garage or shed running with electricity. And in the event a previous owner took a shortcut to get power to the garage, we can properly manage your house wiring to make everything is up to code. When it comes to electrical installation, it is the best interest of you and your family’s safety to have it done the right way. Call Des Moines’ Top Rated Local ® electrician today at 515-446-7040 or contact Electrical Gurus online for service you can trust.

For the photo shown to the right, taken at night in a Texas ghost town, Danser assembled the following items: a powerful, handheld LED light; his Canon 5D Mark iii camera and Canon 16-35 mm L lens (at 16mm); Canon 580ex 2 flash; a red gel (piece of red cellophane to color the light of the flash); a tripod; and his girlfriend’s finger (to graciously hold down the shutter release button because he forgot his bulb release at home!).

Danser told Pegasus: “So, I set my camera on bulb mode and had my girlfriend hold down the shutter release button for 13 minutes, while the camera was very sturdy on the tripod. The place was pitch black except for the stars and the moon (very little ambient light pollution in the desert). As my girlfriend was keeping the shutter open, I walked to one side of the structure and methodically shined my flashlight (rated at 2000 lumens, so it’s pretty bright) all along the exterior and front facade of the building. This lasted for about five minutes before I turned the flashlight off and ran to the other side of the building and ‘painted’ for another five minutes.”

Danser said that one of the important tricks of light painting is to show off the textures of the buildings by shining his LED flashlight at an angle instead of from the camera position.

After “painting” the sides of the building for five minutes each, he ran inside and popped off about 10 red-gelled flashes to create the effect of a warm glow pouring out of the building.

When asked how he was able to run in and out of the building without showing up in the photo, Danser simply replied that “The camera could not ‘see’ me because I was moving quickly, and there wasn’t enough ambient light to expose me in the picture.” While popping off the gelled flashes in the building, he always made sure he was not visible to the camera.

After 13 minutes at an aperture of 2.8, Danser was able to get an excellent exposure of the night sky while having ample time to do all of the “light painting” that he had planned beforehand.

Soon I hope to try some light painting of my own with less expensive equipment to show you how anyone can adopt Danser’s technique. After all, light can be used in all kinds of art and photography projects.

In the meantime, check out this Danser’s website to see tons of beautiful experiments playing with—and painting with—light. Thanks, Matt!

If you're ready to take the plunge and purchase a state-of-the-art home theater system, you have more to consider than just the equipment you intend to purchase. Even if all of your components are top-of-the-line, you won't get the most bang for your buck without professional design and installation.

To make sure you get the home theater of your dreams, it's important to consult an electrician early on in the process. A quick electrical inspection of your desired theater space will help you understand what kinds of electrical upgrades you might need to set up a media center that is functional, safe and that provides the highest quality viewing experience.

Handle the Load

A big-screen TV by itself won't strain the electrical system in a modern home. But factor in a disc player, set top box, stereo receiver and multiple speakers, and you might be talking about a serious electrical load. A licensed electrician can easily test your system to ensure it's ready to power your dream theater. If upgrades are necessary, you can take confidence that new wiring or circuits will be installed by a qualified professional.

Hide the Cords

Wireless speakers and other multimedia components might seem like an attractive option because you want a streamlined look, but you'll often sacrifice a great deal of quality by cutting the cord. Instead, let an electrician make a plan for hiding all of your home theater's power cords away so that the room looks great and there's no risk of tripping in a darkened room. Without tearing up your decor, a professional installer can run cables within your walls and install new outlets to avoid that snarl of wires.

Protect Your Investment

You probably already use a surge protector to safeguard your home computer against the threat of power surges. But your home theater equipment is just as vulnerable, and a single lightning strike can turn thousands of dollars in equipment into trash. While you can protect your home entertainment technology using surge protection adapters, the best solution is to install a whole-home surge protection system. There's no need for clunky power strips, and your entire home's electronics and appliances will be safeguarded.

Unless you have extensive electrical experience, don't go it alone when setting up your home theater. Make sure your design is smart, safe and spectacular by enlisting the talents of a licensed local electrician.

If you need some work down around the house, you may be tempted to look for one of the least expensive people you can find. Calling a name you found on Craigslist or calling the friend of a friend who does things around the house is not a good idea. There are several very good reasons you should only call a certified electrician in Santa Monica like those at The Electric Connection.

Insurance

If a mistake is made on the part of the electrician and the home suffers damage, you may risk your home owner insurance payout. Many insurance companies require you to use a certified, licensed and insured professional in your home. This gives the insurance company somebody to hold accountable should something go wrong.

Training

A Santa Monica electrician who is certified will have had to have passed some tests to receive their certification. This is one way to test their knowledge about electricity before they ever step foot in your home. The certification process also guarantees the certified electrician has some hands-on knowledge and training. If you choose to hire somebody who isn’t certified, you risk getting someone who doesn’t have any real knowledge.

Guarantees

When you hire a professional, you have some sort of guarantee the work will be completed up to code and will be safe. Hiring somebody off the street could leave you with a bigger mess and no recourse. You need to be able to have somebody to hold accountable.

Your home is a huge investment. It just makes sense you would only trust it to a certified electrician. Santa Monica homeowners cannot afford to risk their investment. Your home as well as the safety of your family while in the home is far too important. Call The Electric Connection if you need any electrical repairs and you can take comfort knowing you are getting a certified, professional electrician to work in your home.