Webinar: The Beauty of Hard Light

OCTOBER 25, 2012  RON EGATZ   NO COMMENTS

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Photography is all about light. Soft, hard, specular, and diffused – the foundation of the final image is the light. Expanding your arsenal of lighting techniques is a powerful way to improve and enhance your photography. Adding reflectors to your repertoire is a good way to start.

During this Webinar, photographer and Profoto Evangelist John D. Williamson will demonstrate different styles of reflectors, including how and why to use them. Covering everything from a standard reflector to the beauty dish, John will discuss the different shapes and surfaces available, showing how to use them to their full advantage.

The webinar was originally broadcasted on October 23 but is now available as a video.

Enjoy!

Related Posts :

Free Webinar: Profoto Studio Lighting 101

Cameraland Studio Learning Day

Studio Learning Day

Doorlopende workshops - Gebruiksklare pakketten - Kortingen tot 70 % In de Grote Kerk in hartje Alkmaar (parkeergarages vlakbij) hebben wij een groot aantal workshop-opstellingen klaar staan. Zoals bij alle evenementen van Cameraland is de toegang geheel gratis en hoeft u zich niet in te schrijven. De workshops worden ook de gehele dag door gegeven. Komt u dus vooral langs op zondag 4 november tussen 11:00 en 16:00 voor dit fantastische evenement in één van de meest indrukwekkende gebouwen van Alkmaar.  Voor meer informatie; www.cameraland.nl

Dave Honl video

Astronaut and Cave Girl Desert Shoot

Main light on astronaut: Honl Photo traveller16 on a Quantum Qflash, at 1/2 power

Cave girl: 
Nikon SB900 with Honl Photo Gobo flagging light foliage, at 1/4 power

Background foliage: 
Two Nikon SB900s with Honl Photo 1/2 CTO filters, at 1/8 power

All flashes triggered by Pocketwizard Plus III 

Matías Gálvez Tries Something New

Tags: behind the scenes, how-to, Matías Gálvez, Plus III
Posted under behind the scenes by Ron Egatz on October 3rd, 2012. Leave a Comment »

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Chilean photographer and student, Matías Gálvez, is a new disciple to the off-camera flash world. The combination of attention to detail and willingness to experiment he possesses, shines through in his photography. Here, he presents a playful and colorful shoot he did at a friend’s house.

Splash ©2012 Matías Gálvez

A while ago, I decided it was time to change my photography style and try something new. I’m not saying I didn’t like what I was doing, but to do a 180-degree turn would be refreshing. I decided to focus on my strobist skills on location.

When my new PocketWizard Plus III’s arrived from the U.S., I felt it was the perfect time to start experimenting.

(more…)

Bradley Patrick: In the Mood

OCTOBER 15, 2012  FREDRIK FRANZÉN   NO COMMENTS

Anne & Jake | ©Bradley Patrick

Bradley Patrick claims that he knew that he wanted to become a photographer the minute he first stepped into a dark room. Today, he is known throughout his homeland Australia for his timeless portraits of movie stars.

“My mantra is: it doesn’t matter what you shoot, as long as you’re engaged in what you’re shooting,” says Bradley. “Regardless of whether you’re a landscape photographer or you’re shooting polar bears or a bowl of fruit, you have to be engaged in your subject. In my case, I shoot people. This means that I have to do my research, so that I have a sense of familiarity when I meet the person. If you know a thing or two about them, you can have a real conversation rather than just talking about the weather, and that will come through in your picture.”

“I also think it’s important to prepare the set so that it relates to who you’re shooting and the story they have to tell. When the actor arrives at the set, they should be able to immediately get into that mood you’re looking for. For instance, I recently completed a shoot with Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal. For obvious reasons, I had a very limited amount of time to get my shot. I had to bring my gear to their hotel, and when they eventually came down to the shoot, I’d already set the lights in a way that reflected the mood I was after. I had also prepared all the backgrounds and I was playing music that enhanced the mood I wanted to recreate.”

Uma Thurman | ©Bradley Patrick

Rose Byrne | ©Bradley Patrick

What mood were you looking for?

“As I said before, I always do my research. In this case, I had the opportunity to see the movie they were promoting: Love and other drugs. So, I knew the story and I set my lights accordingly. I also took the time to buy them both a gift. I wanted to give them something personal that they could always take with them, so I bought them a couple of CDs by some Australian artists. This was also the music I was playing on the set, and I believe this created a certain intimate feeling. As it turned out, they loved the music! In fact, Anne Hathaway made a point of coming up to me at the premiere in a room with 500 people to thank me personally. She said that she had been listening to that CD all day long in her limousine, which, of course, was a very nice thing to hear.”

What about the image? Were they happy with the result?

“They were very happy. Their publicist was too, which is just as important. There are more jobs down the road, so you always need to do your best and bring your best game to the set. Anyway, they ended up using the image all over the world, which I guess is as good a compliment as you can get.”

How did you light it to enhance the mood you were after?

“Well, I wanted to portray a relaxed sense of fun and I wanted clean lighting, because even though Love and other drugs is a quite moody romantic comedy, there is a bright tone and feel to it. So, I used two Profoto Compact 600 monolights equipped with Softbox 5’ Octas to create that sort of soft, bright, clean light.”

You’re using the old Profoto ComPacts?

“Yes. In fact, I tried the new D1 monolights just the other day, and I’ll definitely get a pair of those pretty soon. The only problem is that even though my ComPacts are more than ten years old, they refuse to break down!”

See more of Bradley’s work at his website.

Lighting the lighting gear

OCTOBER 12, 2012  FREDRIK FRANZÉN   2 COMMENTS

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©DosSantos/Lemone

It is Friday, the weekend is just around the corner, and today we just want to share a single product photograph with you. The image was sent to us by Eric DosSantos, who together with his partner Antonin Lemone runs the DosSantos/Lemone photography galleries. Eric and Antonin equipped a single ProTwin headwith a Beauty Dish and connected it the Pro-8 you see, and they used a Hasselblad H1 with a Phase One P25+ back and a Hasselblad 35mm HC lens to shoot it. On a final note, Eric adds that the image has not been photoshopped in any way. Hope you like it.

Mola user: Polina Osherov

Polina Osherov is a commercial fashion & portrait photographer working out of Indianapolis, IN. She loves being a visual storyteller, creating tales of romance and heartbreak with her team using strong directional lighting that lends a cinematic quality to her work. In this shoot titled ‘Indiscretion’, Polina uses a white 22″ Mola Demi. We love the old film noir look she re-created to tell this story.

polinaosherov.viewbook.com
blog.polinaosherov.com

Posted in Blog, Featured Mola Users | No Comments »

Profoto Continuous Light Brings light shaping to video

What is Profoto Continuous Lights?It is a new range of continuous light sources, designed specifically to work with Profoto’s wide assortment of Light Shaping Tools. The core of the range comprises ProDaylight (HMI) and ProTungsten. These units are powerful enough to be used for both video and still photography.

Why light shaping for video?
Modern DSLR cameras can be used to shoot high-resolution videos as well as still photographs. Since more and more photographers are required to do both, it is a natural step for us to introduce our concept of light shaping into the world of video.

If you are already familiar with Profoto, you will feel right at home. If you are new to Profoto, you will love the creative possibilities that our Light Shaping Tools offer. Experience the gentle push of the Softlight Reflector, explore the soft shadows and the distinct highlights of the Profoto Giants, or play with the smooth yet powerful light of the Magnum Reflector. You are only limited by your imagination.

Are all Profoto Light Shaping Tools compatible with Profoto Continuous lights?
Yes, most of them are. This means that you can now use your favourite tools in a brand new way. However, some of them are not compatible due to heat restraints. For guidance, download the Light Shaping Tools for Continuous Light chart here.

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VIDEOS

Gordon Andersson’s dancer in the dark

OCTOBER 04, 2012  FREDRIK FRANZÉN   NO COMMENTS

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Earlier this year, Stockholm-based photographer Gordon Andersson created a series of moving (literally moving) portraits with the help of our continuous light source ProDaylight 400 Air. In case you missed them, the videos are still available here.

Now, Gordon is back with another video and a new series of portraits, shot with three ProTungsten units, an HR Lantern and two HR Softbox 3×4′ RF.

Gordon describes how he lit his dancer:

“The main light is a Profoto HR Lantern, a really interesting light modifier which spreads the light in a way so the top of her was lit throughout her movement but the light didn’t spill to the background. She began slightly behind it for maximal light in her face for the portrait part of the image. I also had a softbox to the left and maybe one from the right (I tried it but don’t know if was used in the final image) to light her up a little more when she danced to the sides. Those lights were pointed in a way so they wouldn’t hit the background and the right one even had had a grid for the same reason.”

You can read the rest of Gordon’s story here.

If you want to see the entire series of portraits, just click the “read more” button.

Extreme Sport Photography with Matt Thomas

Tags: Action, Flash Duration, Sports
Posted under Action Photography, Professional Photography Lighting by Matt Thomas on April 30th, 2012

When I Google “Qflash” I am not surprised to see pages of product photos, followed by gorgeous wedding images and stunning location portraits. It was the fantastic shots of skateboarders flying through urban landscapes that I always wondered about. Today Matt Thomas of Matt-Thomas-Photography.co.uk in Gloucester, Gloucestershire joins us to explain the Qflash / extreme action sport photography connection.

I was introduced to the Quantum line of flashes about 3 years ago by a friend who was using the Quantum QFlash model T2. He kept going on about the quality of light, and how good the spread of light was compared to every other flash he owned. I did a bit of research into the Qflash system, to see how it would benefit me, and I liked what I saw. It was time to try and get one, but I didn’t need any of the fancy features the newer QFlashes offered. So the hunt for an older model began. Luckily, I was able to pick up a second hand QFlash T2 from another skateboard photographer.

The main thing extreme action sport photographers look for in lighting is the flashes ability to freeze action, therefore the shorter the flash duration the better. Often I am trying to overpower the ambient light enough to get a crisp shot of the movement taking place. To do this you need to a very quick burst of light, enough to stop that motion in place for a split second. The QFlash at around 1/4 power is just the right duration to kick out a fast, powerful burst and freeze the action.

In bare bulb the Qflash puts out a wide spread of light. This allows me to bring the flash in quite close, drop the power down, and get that short flash duration I need. Some of my fisheye shots were done with the Qflash only a couple of feet away from the subject, giving me enough power to use apertures of f/8 or f/11, up to two stops more than the natural available light.

All of the Quantum Qflashes are powered by a separate Turbo Battery. Having Quantum Turbo packs in my bag always comes in handy, especially when shooting sequences in poorly lit environments. When I partner a Turbo pack with my Nikon SB-800 I get quick enough recycle time to keep up with the 8fps of my Nikon D700. When firing an action sequence using a Quantum Turbo and High Voltage cable the skater is always lit up and the flash never misses a beat, extremely useful when a lot of the sequence shots seem to happen during dusk or inside skate parks.



Overall I’ve been super happy with using a Quantum QFlash in all of my action photography, not only for its great way the flash can stop action but also for the light spread that fills a location with high quality light. None of which I could get with other flashes I’ve shot with.

Matt Thomas
www.matt-thomas-photography.co.uk
www.mattthomasphotography.wordpress.com

NIEUW: Profoto RFi softboxen:

NIEUW: Profoto RFi softboxen:

Profoto, presenteert een nieuwe lijn softboxen: de RFi-serie.

De softbox is nog steeds de meest populaire lichtvormer. Door de overbekende vorm lijken de meesten softboxen sterk op elkaar. Maar de meeste fotografen weten dat het verschil tussen de softboxen onderling groot is. Met de introductie van de nieuwe RFi lijn maakt Profoto het onderlinge verschil nog groter.

De RFi Softboxen zijn beschikbaar in 12 maten en vier modellen: rechthoekig, vierkant, de octa en de strip. Speedring adapters zijn leverbaar voor 26 verschillende merken. Bij de RFi serie is alle ervaring van de vorige generaties gebruikt, RFi Softboxen zijn dieper uitgevoerd waardoor het licht meer voorwaarts gericht is met minder strooilicht naar de randen. De “RF” in RFi betekent “recessed front” :verdiept voorvlak. De randen van het recessed front zorgen ervoor dat het strooilicht strak onder controle blijft. Ook is de opstaande rand te gebruiken om de softgrids te monteren.De Softgrid is een nuttige accessoire dat ervoor zorgt dat de lichtcontrole zeer nauwkeurig te beheersen is. Andere optionele accessoires zijn de Flat Front Diffuser en het StripMasker.

Bij het RFi ontwerp staat gebruiksvriendelijkheid centraal. De kleurgecodeerde speedringen en de klittenband aansluitingen maken de softboxen op een eenvoudige manier zowel in- als uit-elkaar te halen. Elke RFi softbox bestaat uit een minimale hoeveelheid onderdelen en is zonder gereedschap te monteren.

En dan de lichtkwaliteit. Dat is uiteindelijk de reden dat Profoto al tientallen jaren de keuze is van veel professionals wereldwijd en de RFi Softboxen continueren deze traditie. Alle RFi Softboxen hebben een zilverkleurig interieur waardoor ze een hogere lichtopbrengst geven en een pittig contrast. Het licht gaat dan door twee difussiedoeken om het een egaal karakter mee te geven.

Tot slot, de RFi Softboxes zijn zeer duurzaam uitgevoerd. Elke softbox is met hittebestendige doek van de beste kwaliteit uitgevoerd. Alle naden, hoeken zijn versterkt om een lange probleemloze levensduur te garanderen.


En de “i” in RFi komt van “improved”.