Professional Photographer Reviews Profoto StripLights

NOVEMBER 27, 2012  FREDRIK FRANZÉN   NO COMMENTS

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Are you a product photographer looking to create long and perfectly even highlights with soft edges? In that case a StripLight might be the tool for you!

British photographer Matt Seed recently tried shooting a beautiful guitar with aProfoto StripLight M, as part of an in-depth review for Professional Photographer UK.

“You couldn’t get these results with any other light,” writes Matt. “Manufacturers tend to make a ‘striplight’ version of a softbox, which has a similar shape, but you’ll never get that absolutely pristine, straight light. Plus the precise barn door control down to a centimetre, you can’t get that on a softbox.”

Read the rest of Matt’s review here.

Webinar: Shoot High Shutter Speeds with Studio Flashes!

Posted under Webinar by Ron Egatz on November 27th, 2012

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©Chris Garrison

Joe Brady hosts Chris Garrison, Red Bull sports photographer, who uses PocketWizard radio triggers’ unique HyperSync® technology with portable studio flashes for amazing, “must-see” action shots of some of today’s hottest wakeboard talent. Go on location with Chris to see how he does it and join Chris live with Joe to learn more about his shooting style and adventures with Red Bull. Also, be sure to join the PocketWizard Tech Team in the Webinar chatroom for answers to your in-depth questions about HyperSync and new developments at PocketWizard.

See it live on November 29, 2012 at 1:00pm EST. Mark your calendars. Be there.

There is NO pre-registration. Visit this page on November 29, 2012 at 1:00pm EST and enter your E-Mail address, Postal Code and Country below and the live streaming video will begin!

Start times in the United States:

• 1:00 PM Eastern
• 12:00 PM Central
• 11:00 AM Mountain
• 10:00 AM Pacific

International start times:

• 5:00 PM UTC/GMT

DIGIFOTO-PRO fotowedstrijd Beauty- en fashionfotografie

ARRIËN VAN VLIET (43) Fotografie is voor Arriën van Vliet niet alleen een hobby naast zijn drukke fulltimebaan, ook fotografeert hij bruidsreportages en doet hij fotoshoots in de studio en op locatie. Arriën fotografeert met een Nikon D3, recent heeft hij een Nikon D600 toegevoegd aan zijn cameratas, vanwege de hogere resolutie en het grotere dynamisch bereik op iso 100. WEBSITE www.avfoto.nl

Met deze zomerse fashionplaat sleepte Arriën van Vliet
de hoofdprijs van onze fotowedstrijd Beauty- en fashionfotografie in de wacht. De prijs bestaat uit een Profoto D1 flitsset ter waarde van 2000 euro. Hier zie je zijn winnende foto en vertelt de fotograaf over de totstandkoming ervan.

TEKST: JULIAN HUIJBREGTS FOTOGRAFIE: ARRIËN VAN VLIET

'Deze foto heb ik gemaakt in de zomer in de Soesterduinen vlakbij Utrecht. Het was een zomerse dag met weinig wind. Meestal werk
ik met een klein team, in dit geval heb ik een stylist, iemand voor het haar en iemand voor de kleding geregeld. Mijn vrouw verzorgde de visagie. Het ballonnenthema had ik al heel lang in mijn hoofd. Voor de shoot heb ik een heliumtankje aangeschaft en honderd zwarte ballonnen. Nadat die opgeblazen waren - dat duurt wel eventjes - zijn we aan de slag gegaan. Dat heeft een flinke serie opgeleverd met veel goede foto's. Dit vonden we het sterkste beeld. Achteraf heb ik lichteffecten toegevoegd aan de foto, om deze een fashiontintje te geven. De bewerking bestaat verder uit het toevoegen van een kleurtoon en het wegwerken van storende elementen in de achtergrond.' 

Copyright Digifoto-pro/Arriën van Vliet

INTRODUCTION TO TRIGGERSMART BY SABRESWITCH

Triggersmart is used to capture motion which can be easily connected to most digital SLR cameras. Triggersmart is the first of its kind to be an affordable motion photography solution for both amateur and professional photographers. The motion capture system enables the user to capture nearly impossible images easily without compromise. The images can be triggered by the infrared beam, light or sound sensor. The MCT-1 is extremely flexible in its operation ensuring the images are captured at the correct time. Triggersmart also features sensitivity control, trigger delay, trigger time, trigger mode, manual trigger, auto re-load (arm) camera focus and delay range. Triggersmart offers an impressive and affordable range of accessories to further enhance its capabilities. 

VIDEO: Octa RFi

NOVEMBER 22, 2012  FREDRIK FRANZÉN   NO COMMENTS

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Octagonal softboxes are commonly used for such purposes as fashion, beauty and portrait photography. One of the most important reasons for this is that their unique shape creates a beautiful, natural looking catch light in the subject’s eye.

The brand new Profoto Octa RFi is available in two versions:

• Softbox RFi 3′ Octa (90cm)
• Softbox RFi 5′ Octa (150cm)

Fashion and portrait photographers requiring a soft, even yet controllable key light favor the smaller versions. The larger version creates a beautiful fill light and has a relatively flat shape, making it surprisingly easy to handle.

Also note that you can transform the Octa RFi into a parabolic reflector by simply removing both diffusers!

If you want to learn more about Strip RFi or RFi softboxes in general,
please visit our dedicated RFi website.

WEBINAR: Creating a Romantic Portrait on Location with Bobbi Lane

Tags: bobbi lane, conceptual, FlexTT5, MiniTT1, off-camera flash, portraiture, romantic, Webinar
Posted under Webinar by M. Gertz on November 21st, 2012

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© 2012 Bobbi Lane

Join us on November 27, 2012 at 1pm EST for this free live video seminar sponsored by PocketWizard.

We’ll be spending an hour with guest photographer Bobbi Lane as she demonstrates the techniques used to create a conceptual image on location, a “romantic portrait”, perhaps as a gift from the bride to the groom. We’ll have Bobbi live in the studio where she can explain in detail the concept, the process, the tools and the final results to creating a beautiful image.

Learn how Bobbi uses fill flash to open shadows and create a more pleasing light and skin tone. While on-camera flash can provide fill, the light sources are still small and often don’t provide a soft and effective illumination. Bobbi will take the flash off camera, using the PocketWizard MiniTT1® and FlexTT5® to create a more pleasing light. Take advantage of the live chat room to ask Bobbi questions as she takes us through the creative process.

Click here on November 27th to view the webinar live.

Start times:
1:00 PM Eastern
12:00 PM Central
11:00 AM Mountain
10:00 AM Pacific
5:00 PM UTC/GMT

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Ari Magg: Nordic Light

OCTOBER 08, 2012   FREDRIK FRANZÉN  3 COMMENTS

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Olafur Ragnar Grimsson (President of Iceland)

Ari Magg’s great grandfather was a photographer. So was his great grandmother and his father. So it comes as little surprise that the passion was passed on to young Ari, who started assisting his father as soon as he was old enough to carry his bags. At the age of twelve, Ari started playing with his own camera. Today, he has his own studio in Reykjavik, Iceland.

“It’s a really small world up here,” says Ari. “I think there are less than ten people in Reykjavik working full-time as commercial photographers. There are probably a few more who’d like to get into the business, but it’s such a small market that there just aren’t enough jobs.”

Do you fight over the same jobs, or does each of you have your own style and set of clients?

“I can’t say that I’ve had to fight very much. I’ve had many of my clients for years now. There’s always a certain competition, I guess, but I think it’s healthy. It keeps you on your toes, you know?”

Read More

NEW! Rogue Flash Gels - Color Correction Kit

• 18 Color Correction Flash Gels (3 each of 6 different gels)
• Individually Labeled
• Includes 3 Rogue Gel-Bands to color correct multiple speedlights
• Includes Storage Pouch with Quick Reference Guide
  

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Rogue Plus Green Gel on speedlight. Shot under fluorescent light with a speedlight.   Camera set to fluorescent preset to balance the ambient light. Copyright © 2012, David Guy Maynard Comparision Shots Below

How are color correction gels typically used?
Color correction gels are used to improve overall color balance in an image by adjusting the color temperature of the flash to better match other ambient light sources.

To balance your flash to the dominant ambient light source in your scene:

* Use CTO gels to color balance flash to tungsten or halogen ambient light
* Use CTB gels to color balance flash to shade or blue sky ambient light
* Use Plus Green gels to color balance flash to fluorescent ambient light

Once the ambient light source is identified, and the appropriate color correction gel is selected, simply attach the gel to your flash.  Set the camera to the same white balance setting as shown on the attached color correction gel or set a custom white balance.

Flash pictures taken using an appropriate color correction gel and corresponding camera white balance setting will show improved color consistency and color balance.


How are Rogue Gels labeled?

We print directly onto the gels to ensure you always know what gel you are using.  Rogue Gels are individually labeled with the LEE Filter name of each gel and the gel’s measured f/stop loss value.  The Color Correction filters are also labeled with the Kelvin color temperature correction and camera white balance icon.  

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Rogue Color Correction Flash Gels:  Universal Lighting Filter Kit .

Rogue Color Correction Universal Flash Gels come in a kit that includes 3 Rogue Gel-Bands, 18 color correction gels (3 each of 6 different gels), and a durable padded storage pouch with quick reference insert to help you keep your gels safe and organized.  The complete list of gels included in the kit can be found below.

Rogue Gels are made from the world’s highest quality materials from LEE Filters UK, the world’s leading manufacturer
of lighting filter products.

What flash brands will the Rogue Universal Gels fit?

With a coverage area of 3” x 2.5” (76mm x 63mm) Rogue Color Correction Universal Gels are large enough to cover even the largest flash heads, and they can be creased or trimmed for smaller flash heads as desired.  These flash gels' innovative tabbed design allows them to be quickly attached to a wide range of shoe mount flash brands, including:  Canon, Konica, Metz, Minolta, Nikon, Nissin, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Quantum, Sigma, Sony and Vivitar.

How do Universal Gels attach?

You do not need to buy expensive or bulky holders, or use annoyingly sticky hook-and-loop to attach Rogue Gels to your flash.  Included with each Rogue Gel Universal Kit is the Rogue Gel-Band.  To attach, simply slip the tabbed ends of the Universal Gel under the Gel-Band to secure it to the flash.  The Color Correction Kit includes 3 Rogue Gel-Bands allowing photographers to color balance multiple speedlights.

1.  Attach Gel-Band to Flash Pull the gel-band around your flash head.	2.  Insert First Tab Pull one tab of the Rogue Gel through the band on the side of the flash head.	3.  Insert Second Tab Pull the other tab through the band on the opposite side of the flash head.

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Rogue Color Correction Gel Kits contain the following selection of LEE Filter colors:

Correction Filters:

3x - 1/2 CTB (3200K to 4300K)

3x - Full CTO (6500K to 3200K)

3x - 1/2 CTO (6500K to 3800K)

3x - 1/4 CTO (6500K to 4600K)

3x - Plus Green (cc30 Green)

3x - Full White Diffusion (1 Stop)

 

Rogue Plus Green Gel on speedlight. Shot under fluorescent light with a speedlight.   Camera set to fluorescent preset to balance the ambient light. Copyright © 2012, David Guy Maynard	No Gel on Flash. Shot under fluorescent light with a speedlight. Camera set to AWB setting. Copyright © 2012 David Guy Maynard	No Gel on Flash. Shot under fluorescent light with a speedlight. Camera set to fluorescent preset. Copyright © 2012 David Guy Maynard

VIDEO: Strip RFi

NOVEMBER 15, 2012  FREDRIK FRANZÉN   NO COMMENTS

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Strip softboxes are often used to create a rim light that effectively separates the subject from the background. They are also favored by product photographers requiring a long and narrow reflection with soft edges. Take a closer look at a car ad or a photo of a wine bottle. It might very well be the Strip RFi you see reflecting in that shiny surface. In addition, strip softboxes are a great asset when you are shooting in a confined area. They occupy very little space, and their narrow shape allows you to put them right next to a wall to create a soft and even back light.

Regardless of what you plan on using your strip softbox for, it is important to find a size that fits your specific needs. Hence, Profoto’s RFi strip softboxes are available in three sizes:

• Softbox RFi 1×3′ (30x90cm)
• Softbox RFi 1×4′ (30x120cm)
• Softbox RFi 1×6′ (30x180cm)

The speedring adaptors make each model compatible with more than 20 different flash brands. All strip softboxes are also available with the optional Softgrids and Stripmasks.

If you want to learn more about Strip RFi or RFi softboxes in general,
please visit our dedicated RFi website.

The Complete Master Series

NOVEMBER 16, 2012  FREDRIK FRANZÉN   NO COMMENTS

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Every few months, Profoto has the pleasure of interviewing an accomplished and highly regarded photographer to bring you their passion and knowledge of light shaping. This collection of interviews makes up the Master Series.

The Master Series has been around for a couple of years, so by now there is a plethora of videos to choose from. Since a couple of months back, all Master Series videos are collected on our website.

Featured photographers include Kareem Black, Greg Heisler, Georg Holz, Gary Land, Matthew Jordan Smith and Jeremy Cowart. Each video includes revealing behind-the-scenes stories and detailed lighting diagrams.

Which photographer inspires you the most?