Check the humidity too, @tara_williams1.

That "next big thing" promise gets me every time. I bought into a similar line a few years back that swore it was ammonia-free but still lifted. It turned a client's dark brown hair a weird, brassy orange that no toner would touch. I had to do a full color correction for free, and the smell was so strong it made my eyes water. You're not a fool, you just trusted a sales pitch. It happens to everyone in this business at least once.

Wait, you had to stop inviting the guy? That's wild. @lindawalker, that story is nuts. I can't believe it got that bad over card points. It makes total sense now why you need the whiteboard rule, even if it feels a bit serious. Letting stuff slide just lets people get way too comfortable, and then the whole night is ruined.

I set mine around 15 seconds for auroras, but you need a rock-solid tripod or it'll blur. Longest without trails I've done is 25 seconds with a wide lens.

Seriously, I used to think a proper press was mandatory for anything halfway decent. Trying your board-and-weights method for a last-minute gift book proved me wrong. The result was perfectly flat and totally solid.