The Profoto Ad.pdf

THE PROFOTO ADVANTAGE:

for Portrait Photographers Lighting Ingredients / David Bicho Challenge: Profoto D1 vs. Speedlights Getting the Shot / Dixie Dixon Composite Like A Superhero / Andrew McGibbon Anatomy of a Portrait / Tony Corbell

02 LIGHTING INGREDIENTS

6 8 ANATOMY ANATOMY OF A PORTRAIT PORTR AIT

WITH DAVID BICHO

WITH TONY CORBELL

14 CHALLENGE:

74 LIGHT SHAPING TOOLS

PROFOTO D1 VS. SPEEDLIGHTS

30 PROFOTO D1 46 BATPAC 48 GETTING THE SHOT WITH DIXIE DIXON

SOFTLIGHT REFLECTORS

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PROFOTO UMBRELLA XL

80

PROFOTO GIANTS

84

PROFOTO UMBRELLAS

88

56 ACUTEB2 AIRS

PROFOTO RFI SOFTBOXES

60 HOW TO CREATE A SUPERHERO-ESQUE

REFLECTORS

MOVIE POSTER IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS WITH ANDREW MCGIBBON MCGIBBON

66 AIR REMOTE

90

100

SPECIAL APPLICA AP PLICATIONS TIONS LIGHT SHAPING TOOLS 108

110

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RFI SOFTBOX TIPS AND TRICKS CHOOSING THE RIGHT SIZE OF SOFTBOX FOR THE RIGHT JOB

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BUILDING YOUR SET, SOF TBOX BY SOFTBOX 114 USING SOFTBOXES TO CREATE A PERFECTLY EVEN, WHITE BACKGROUND 116 CREATING HARD LIGHT WITH A SOFTBOX 118 CREATING LONG AND EVEN HIGHLIGHTS WITH SOFTBOXES CREATING A GIANT RING LIGHT WITH SOFTBOXES 122

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s t n e t n o C

Lighting Ingredients with David Bicho Swedish photographer and lighting guru David Bicho is a man of many ideas. One of his recent ideas was to shoot a model covered in food ingredients – oil, salt, flour, cocoa and licorice, to name just a few. Why, you might ask?

“It wasn’t about the food,” says David. “The real reason was that I wanted to shoot one face but with different textures. I’ve always been fascinated with how different a face can look depending on how you light it, and I wanted to explore this phenomenon further by experimenting with different facial textures.” As with most experiments, David did not know exactly what to expect. For instance, he soon learned that oil and salt do not mix very well. Instead, what was supposed to become a beautiful, crystal texture ended up looking like a skin disease. Ingredients such as flour, cocoa and licorice, on the other hand, turned out even better than he had hoped for. Obviously applying flour, cocoa or licorice creates very different textures. Still, if we look at the portraits David shot, he evidently managed to maintain a consistent look and feel throughout the entire series.

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So how did he do that? The short answer is: with lighting...

LICORICE SHOT

W

hen you cover a face in licorice, it gets shiny. Very shiny. And very shiny surfaces are very reflective. This deceptively simple fact was the starting-point for David’s licorice lighting setup.

“I wanted a large light source for the licorice shot,” says David. “A large light source equals large and beautiful reflections that accentuate the shape of the face. For this reason, I choose to work with a D1 monolight and a Profoto Giant 240 Reflector as main light. The Giant Reflector, which is something of a favorite of mine, is standing camera left, quite close to the model. “I then had a second D1, equipped with a Softbox 1x6’ RFi, standing camera right behind the model. The softbox was equipped with a blue color gel to create blue reflections and to enhance the green glitter the make-up artist had applied. “Finally, I had a third D1, equipped with a 10° Grid and blue color gel, as background light. That’s the light that is visible on the left hand side of the background, behind the model’s face. “In addition to the monolights, I had a large foam core board lying on a table in front of the model. “LICORICE SHOT” ©DAVID BICHO

The foam core board was used to lighten up the shadows around the model’s chin, forehead and nose.

THE ACCIDENTAL LICORICE SHOT As mentioned above, some things went as planned

and some did not. Besides that, there were a couple of occasions when things happened almost by accident. c

“The second licorice shot wasn’t planned”, says

David, “It just happened. The make-up artist had just started to apply the licorice, when I realized how cool it looked and that I had to shoot it. So I just tweaked the setup and pushed the release button.

b

a

a. Profoto Giant 240 Reflector

“Because of this, the set up was quite similar to the other licorice shot. I had a D1 with a Giant Reflector as main light. You can see it reflecting in her eyes. Speaking of which, this image is also a great example of the amazing skin textures you get with the Giant Reflector. That kind of broad highlight detail that you can see all the way from her forehead down to her eyes and further down to her lips – only the Giant Reflector can do that!

b. Softbox 1x6' RFi c. 10º Grid.

“Finally, the black flags were also crucial. The shiny licorice reflected every single light source in “Again, the background was lit with a D1 with the studio, so it was just as important to flag off 10° Grid. But I didn’t use any color gel this time. light as it was to add light. I believe I had eight Neither did I use any fill light. Another important flags in total: three on each side of the shooting difference is, of course, that we added certain area, and another two right behind the model. You elements during postproduction. The gold makecan actually see one flag in the image. You see up, the hair and the pigtail, all that was added in that large black area on the right hand side of the Photoshop by my talented assistant Maria.” background? That’s a flag.”

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“THE ACCIDENTAL LICORICE SHOT” ©DAVID BICHO

COCOA SHOT When David and his crew had finished the licorice shot, it was time for the cocoa shoot. Well, before that they actually had to spend quite some time getting the licorice out of the model’s hair, but that is of less importance to this article.

“The first cocoa shot we did was the one where the

model is looking straight into the camera,” says David. “The main light is a D1 monolight, equipped with a Softbox 3x4’ RFi. What’s interesting here is the position of the softbox. It’s positioned right in front of the model’s forehead, almost horizontally but slightly tilted towards the camera. In other words, she is sticking the front of her face into the light. That’s why it’s so dark around her face and under her eyebrows and under her lip. Having the softbox so close and at this angle to the model means that you get a light that you might not associate with a softbox. It’s a common misconception that softboxes can only do soft and flat light. But as you see, having the softbox turned away makes it a vertically narrow light source. “COCOA SHOT” ©DAVID BICHO

LIGHTING INGREDIENTS WITH DAVID BICHO

Hence, the sharper vertical shadows, mixed with the short depth of light due to the close placement. I believe this brought out some strikingly beautiful textures in her face!

a

“By the way, the fact that the softbox was slightly tilted toward the camera meant that I had to put a black flag right above the camera to prevent the light from hitting the lens,” adds David. “The catch light in the model’s eyes is also worth mentioning. The upper reflection is, of course, the Softbox RFi 3x4'. The lower reflections, the white stripes, are created by the same piece of foam core board that I had in the licorice shot, but in this case I’d attached several pieces of black gaffer tape to create the white stripes. The table with the foam core board was also positioned much further away from the model than in the licorice shot. This was necessary to prevent the light from the softbox bouncing on the foam core and unintentionally lightening up the shadows in her face.

b

c

a. Zoom Reflector b. Softgrid for 1x4' Softbox c. White foam core board with black gaffer tape

“The second cocoa shot, the profile portrait, was shot in almost exactly the same way. The only difference is that I added a second D1 equipped with a 10° Grid as background light. You can see it around her neck and under her chin.” “PROFILE COCOA SHOT” ©DAVID BICHO

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LIGHTING INGREDIENTS WITH DAVID BICHO

FLOUR SHOT

As was the case for the second licorice shot, the flour shot happened almost by accident. The make-up artist had just started to apply the flour by throwing it onto the model’s face, and David, who was standing right beside with the camera in his hands, thought: rather than just standing here, why not take some pictures?

“To be honest, I’m not very happy with either of the

flour shoots,” laughs David. “But I still think that it’s nice to show them. If nothing else for the fact that they remind me of the importance of simply going with the flow from time to time.”

David Bicho is a photographer from Stockholm, Sweden. He shoots pretty much everything “The flour shot just happened,” says David. “I – editorial, fashion, lifestyle, portraits and barely changed the setup I’d used for the cocoa advertisements, you name it. You can see more shot. The only difference is that I removed the of his stunning work at www.bicho.se black flag above the camera. That is why there is light leaking into the image in the lower right corner of the image. “During the flour shoot, I also experimented with blending the flour with cocoa and water. I then used Photoshop to turn the coca red. So the portrait that looks as if the model is bathing in wine, that’s actually flour, cocoa and water.

“FLOUR SHOT” ©DAVID BICHO

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Challenge: Profoto CHOOSING THE RIGH by Ma

The word photography comes from Greek and translates as “drawing with light.” This means that even the very first photographers understood the essence of photography, and the description is as true today as it was then. But some things are different nowadays. The evolution of controllable light sources has changed the game. What were once dangerous powders and expendable, single-use bulbs are now safe and sophisticated lighting solutions. From the ubiquitous speedlights to more powerful and flexible monolights such as the Profoto D1, the range of choices is greater than ever before. Savvy photographers choose the right tool for the job. Some assignments can be done with a quick fill flash from a speedlight. Others require a more flexible, consistent solution and precise light shaping. Finding the right solution – that is your job. What we do is provide you with options to help you realize your creative goals. Profoto offers the widest selection of Light Shaping

Tools on the market. Each tool is unique and designed to create a specific light. Nearly all tools

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D1 vs. Speedlights T TOOL FOR THE JOB tt Hill

use our patented clamp mechanism, which makes them very easy to mount. This also allows you to adjust the light spread by simply sliding the tool back or forth. When your job is on the line and you are looking to grow your business, are you making the right decisions about what tools to use? Let’s explore a few scenarios where we believe Profoto’s D1 monolights and Light Shaping Tools are a better choice than a speedlight.

| LIGHT SHAPING | There are times when a speedlight will do the job. However, their light spread is boxy and rectangular, and they are mainly designed to throw direct light forward, or perhaps bounce it. There are some third-party accessories to modify the flash, but these do not have a parabolic shape that maximizes the output. Also, they are not available in such large varieties as Profoto’s Light Shaping Tools. Here are some of our most essential:

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| D1 LIGHT SHAPING TOOLS SYSTEM CHART |

TeleZoom Reflector 10 07 12

Magnum Reflector 10 06 24

D1 Spillkill Reflector 10 07 94

Wide Zoom Reflector 10 07 11

S L O O T G N I P A H S T H G I L

Zoom Reflector 10 07 85

Grid Reflector 10 07 05

7” Grids 5˚ 10 06 35 10˚ 10 06 34

Standard Zoom Reflector 10 06 10

10° Grid 10 06 18

Pro Tube 10 06 70

Barn Doors 10 07 15

10˚ WideZoom Grid 10 06 36

Grid and Filter Holder 90 06 49

Disc Reflector 10 06 54

Barn Doors 10 06 71

PROFOTO BATPAC BatPac 230V / 120V 901124

Snoot 10 06 51

5°, 10°, 20° Grids 10 06 46, 10 06 05, 10 06 06

Softgrids, masks and diffusers available for softboxes.

Softbox Rectangular Softbox RFi 1x1.3' (30x40 cm) 25 47 01 Softbox RFi 1.3x2' (40x60cm) 25 47 02 Softbox RFi 2x3' (60x90 cm) 25 47 03 Softbox RFi 3x4' (90x120 cm) 25 47 04 Softbox RFi 4x6' (120x180 cm) 25 47 05

Softbox Square Softbox RFi 2x2' (60x60 cm) 25 47 06 Softbox RFi 3x3' (90x90 cm) 25 47 07

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Softbox StripLights Softbox RFi 1x3' (30x90 cm) 25 47 08 Softbox RFi 1x4' (30x120 cm) 25 47 09 Softbox RFi 1x6' (30x180 cm) 25 47 10

Softbox Octa Softbox RFi 3' Octa (90 cm) 25 47 11 Softbox RFi 5' Octa (150 cm) 25 47 12

Honeycomb Grid for D1

ProGlobe 10 06 73

ProFresnel Spot 10 07 06

Softlight Reflector White 10 06 08 Softlight Reflector Silver 10 06 07

Barn Doors for FresnelSpot 10 07 58

5˚ 10 07 95 10˚ 10 07 96 20˚ 10 07 97

Translucent Umbrella S 10 06 13 M 10 06 14 Glass Disc 10 07 04

Fresnel Small 10 07 89

Silver Umbrella S 10 06 15 M 10 06 16 L 10 07 20

White Umbrella S 10 06 11 M 10 06 12 L 10 07 19

Spot Small 10 07 90

Grid for Softlight Reflectors 10 06 09

PROFOTO AIR WIRELESS SYSTEM

Air USB 90 10 34

Air Remote 90 10 31

Air Sync 90 10 32

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Umbrella XL Umbrella XL White 10 03 26 Umbrella XL Silver 10 03 27 Umbrella XL Translucent 10 03 28

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Softlight Reflector White/Silver Photographers often refer to our Softlight Reflector as the “Beauty Dish.” The reason for this nickname is simple. The Softlight Reflector offers the perfect combination of even illumination and well-defined light direction, which creates a pristine, classic portrait look. The white version is gentle and flattering. It is often used for female portraiture, and it will save you a lot of retouching since it fills in undesired wrinkles. The silver version is punchy and crisp – great for rugged features and bold portraits. The optional 10° Grid allows for even more precise light shaping. Also, due to its smaller size, the Softlight Reflector is better than softboxes in windy conditions.

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Softbox When you want to flatter your subject or cover a larger area, the softbox is your tool of choice. The softbox creates a soft yet distinctive light that bounces off available surfaces and fills in the details nicely. It can be used for main light or fill light. All Profoto softboxes are built to last, using high-grade fabrics, industrial stitching and age-resistant diffusion materials. They are also easy to use, mount and dismount. Optional, additional diffuser, soft grids and masks let you customize the look at any time.

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Profoto Giants The Giant is our foldable studio light. Instead of having a very soft, diffused light such as a softbox (which scatters the light), the Giant turns a small light source into a very large, directional light. The results are flattering shadows and glimmering, spectacular highlights in your subject’s eyes – all in a portable package. The Giants are available in 4 sizes with either silver or white interior surfaces.

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Spot Small This is one of Profoto’s more specialized Light Shaping Tools. The Spot Small is a compact, portable spotlight for punching in a direct light with crisp, clean shadows. The results are bold, dramatic portraits – sometimes with a silver screen feel.

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Two speed lights at full power.

| POWER | When you want to balance or overpower direct sunlight, you need power. Lots of it. We took two speedlights and directed them into an umbrella, set them to full, manual power, and were thereby able to get a setting of f/6.3 at ISO 100 and 1/15 sec.

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Profoto D1 5 00 at 3 1/ 2 stops less than full power.

When we directed a single D1 monolight (powered by the Profoto BatPac) into the same umbrella, we could dial it down from maximum power by 3 1/2 stops to get the same output as two speedlights at full power. Note that with the greater intensity of light, the background exposure can be set to a complimentary, balanced exposure. As you probably know, having multiple speedlights with external batteries can become quite costly and bulky. You also miss out on the comprehensive Light Shaping Tool system, and ubiquitous availability as a rental worldwide.

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Speedlights: maximum 20 frames in one minute with external bat tery pack.

| SPEED | You can spend lots of time researching how to optimize your recycle time with speedlights at high-power settings. But no matter which external battery pack you choose, you will still have limitations. For example, some of them can overcharge your flash and shorten its life span. Also, the hotter the flash gets, the slower the recycling time. In fact, many speedlights overheat and shut down for at least five minutes when used at full power for extended periods of time. Speedlights are simply not designed for high-power, high-speed shooting.

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Profoto D1 5 00: max 60 fr ames in one minute (at equivalent light output).

If you want to produce high-quality images at this rate, you will need

a powerful and reliable monolight. The Profoto D1 500 recycles at full power in 0.95 seconds. That is nearly three times faster than a speedlight with an external battery pack. Do not take our word for it. Above left you can see 20 frames from a speedlight with a battery pack shooting at one frame every three seconds. Above right is a D1 shooting at the same power output as the speedlight at just under one frame per second. Imagine how much better your rapport with the subject will be if your flash was always ready?

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Profoto D1

F

or more than 40 years, Profoto has been the leader in lighting solutions for portrait photography. Their consistency, reliability, durability and quality of light have made them the standard worldwide.

The line of Profoto D1 monolights maintain that same philosophy with the quality and features important for today’s digital portrait and wedding photographer. Controls are easy to use, freeing your mind, eyes and hands, so you can focus on the image you’re creating.

Available in 250, 500 or 1000 watt-second versions, they offer an extensive power range from full to 1/64th in increments of 1/10th of f-stop intervals with the most consistent color temperature and light output available. Dial in high light output to overpower the sun at the beach and low power setting when you want the lens wide open.

Despite their small, lightweight design, D1 units also offer ultra-fast recycling times and short flash duration. The unique built-in reflector gives you full control and minimizes stray light while also protecting the flash tube and modeling light during travel. It’s designed for use with the entire range of Profoto Light Shaping Tools.

The fan-cooled units are offered with a white light slave for triggering, while models designated “Air” also offer a built-in radio receiver for use with the Profoto Air system. This provides full control of power, modeling light and triggering up to 300 m (1000 ft) away, making on-thefly adjustments simple from your camera or computer. The unit can be used with any worldwide voltage, from 90-130 and 200-240 volts without having to change the modeling light—so take those international gigs. You’re ready to light anywhere!

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PROFOTO D1

SUPER PERFORMANCE IN A SMALL PACKAGE You’re in control with the D1 Air. Convenience and digital precision in a handy format. • Compact and lightweight. • Built-in reflector gives you full control, minimizes stray light and maximizes the light output. It is designed for use with softboxes, umbrellas and for use with or without additional reflectors. Optional grids and clear glass plates give you further control. The frosted glass plate and built-in reflector protects the flash tube and modelling lamp which makes the D1 easy to transport. • Choose from the vast variety of Light Shaping Tools available. Uncomplicated handling of all accessories. For example, softboxes can be rotated 360 degree in both directions. • The 7 f-stop power range gives all the power the demanding photographer needs for creative freedom, including the ability to shoot with high speed and wide open lenses. Power is controlled in 1/10 f-stop precise and repeatable increments. • The unique Zoom function allows you to freely move the Light Shaping Tools back and forth on the D1. This increases the versatility of each tool even further. • Built-in microprocessors ensure the output consistency ± 0.05 f-stop and ± 30 ºK flash to flash.

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• Short recycling times to keep up with the active objects, so you never have to wait for the flash. • Short flash duration to stop action. • Multivoltage. Plug in anywhere in the world and no need to change modeling lamp. • Profoto Air system built-in, for remote control and triggering from up to 300 m (1000 ft). • Trigger the flash via Profoto Air system, sync cable, or IR slave. • Connect to your PC or Mac with Profoto Studio software. • Optional BatPac for on-location use. • Can be used with petrol electric generators rated 800 W continuous load. • Adaptive thermal control ensures overheating preventions and allows you to get maximum output from the flash. 1500 flashes per hour at full energy. • Built-in 300W modelling light. • Built-in fan for longer shooting sessions and maximum performance.

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11 12 1

3 4

10 2

5

9

14

6 8

13

7

20 15

19

17 18 16

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1. Easy-to-use, accessible controls and displays on the back. Direct digital control for precise images, it’s far more than just a digital display.

12. Built-in reflector.

2. Setting knob.

14. The unique mounting of the Light Shaping Tools gives the versatile zoom function.

13. The optional glass cover will give you more light spread.

3. Display for energy and other functions. 4. Slave mode selector, set to Radio or IR. 5. Ready signals; Off or Beep and/or Dim. 6. Modelling light selector. Off, Proportionally or Free. 7. Modelling light Free setting. 8. Channel and group settings for Profoto Air system.

15. Locking knob, well balanced and strong to hold large and heavy accessories. 16. Quick and easy to mount, with Profoto Stand adapter. 17. Mains Socket. 18. Ergonomic handle lets you redirect the light in an instant. 19. Synchro interfaces. Sync socket, antenna and IR lens.

9. Test button. 20. Built-in radio for remote control or triggering.

10. On button. 11. Umbrella tube/mount.

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D1 Air

D1 Air 250 901022

D1 Air 1000 901025

D1 Air 500 901024

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SEE VIDEO AT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAuLWb26yKs

Bambi Cantrell: Overpowering the Sun with Profoto D1

I think there’s an advantage in using the same strobes in the studio, like the D1, that I would out on location. To me, it’s all about the quality of light that I'm going to get, the dependability of the equipment that I'm going to use, and the predictability. That's one of the things I like about the D1 system is that I know exactly what I’m going to get whether I am working in the studio or out on location.” — BAMBI CANTRELL

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D1

D1 250 901021

D1 500 901023

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SEE VIDEO AT:

SEE VIDEO AT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDbRaBXsXco

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUnVY4jUwS8

1-Light Portraiture: Tony Corbell & Profoto D1


SEE VIDEO AT:

SEE VIDEO AT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAtzrKOpHhc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjgrHoYyHr8



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D1 Studio Kits

T

he D1 monolights are available in kits to save time and money, especially beneficial to photographers just starting out. Choose from 250, 500 or 1000 watt-second kits – with or without Air Remote technology for remote radio sync and control. Kits include 2 D1 units, 2 small umbrellas, 2 light stands, case and either Air Remote or sync cord.

Air Remote

Sync Cable

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D1 AIR WITH AIR REMOTE

D1 WITH SYNC CABLE

D1 Studio Kit 250/250 Air

D1 Studio Kit 250/500

901051

901058

D1 Studio Kit 250/500 Air incl. Air Remote


901059

901050



901053

901052

D1 Studio Kit 500/1000 Air incl. Air Remote 901074

D1 BASIC KITS


Kit Contains: 2 D1 Monolights, 1 Basic Kit Bag,

901054

Power cables

D1 AIR WITH SYNC CABLE

D1 Basic Kit 250/250 901060

D1 Studio Kit 250/250 Air w/o Air Remote

D1 Basic Kit 250/250 Air

901055

901061


D1 Basic Kit 500/500

901075

901062



901056

901063



901076

901064

D1 Studio Kit 1000/1000 Air w/o Air Remote 901057

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3-Head D1 Studio Kits

The 3 head version of our D1 Studio Kits comes with two RFi softboxes and a 10º grid so you can bring professional lighting on location, anywhere you need to be. Choose from 250, 500 or 1000 watt-second kits – with or without Air Remote technology for remote radio sync and control. Kits include 3 D1 units, Air Remote, one Softbox RFi 3x2', one Softbox RFi 2x3', two Speedring Adapters, one D1 Grid 10°, three Kit Stands, and three Power Cables. All equipment comes in a high quality trolley bag.

D1 Studios Kit 3 Heads 250/500/500 Air 901086



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D1 Accessories Out of the box, the Profoto D1 is ready to shoot, but by adding accessories you can increase your versatility and broaden your light shaping abilities for more creative lighting effects and more efficient setups.

D1 Umbrella White Small

SpillKill Reflector

Bag S

100787

100794

330211

Limits stray light from “spilling” over edges of your umbrella. Integrated clips for heat resistant filters and gels make this accessory even more valuable.

Fits 2 Profoto D1 units, ballistic nylon exterior, thickly padded interior, two carry straps, removable shoulder strap.

Trolley Bag L

Bag M

330220

330212

Trolley Bag L is a large, soft, padded kit bag with wheels and shoulder strap, suitable for D1 Studio Kit 3 Heads.

Fits Profoto D1 Studio Kit, replacement item, ballistic nylon exterior, thickly padded interior, slip pocket with ID window, two carry straps, and removable shoulder strap.

Need to travel light, but still want soft, beautiful light? The white umbrella collapses to be smaller than a light stand, yet opens to be a large, soft light source. It’s specifically designed around the internal reflector on the Profoto D1 system, optimizing the center of light for perfectly even illumination reflecting from the white interior, while the black outer material prevents any stray light from passing through. This increases the control you have, putting light only where you need it.

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D1 Honeycomb Grid 5º



100795

100796

100797

GLASS DOMES

GLASS PLATES

MISCELLANEOUS

Glass Dome D1

Glass Plate D1 Standard

D1 Plastic Transport Cap

101561

331524

100799

Glass Dome D1 -600K

Glass Plate D1 Clear

D1 Stand

101562

331525

101085

Glass Dome D1 -300K

Glass Plate D1 -300K

101563

331526

FLASHTUBES

Glass Plate D1 -600K 331527

Flashtube D1 250 331522

Flashtube D1 500/1000 331523

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BatPac

BatPac 901124

Power your Profoto anywhere! The BatPac is a portable “power-in-a-bag” unit, and comes complete in a comfortable backpack for easy transportation. Featuring a dedicated inverter and a high capacity battery, the BatPac is safe and very easy to use. With its compact size, this power source is ideal for location shoots on the beach, park, or in any location where you do not have electricity. Shoot with it across town or around the world. Its innovative design delivers power with exceptional stability.

The BatPac has safety features offering protection from overvoltage and overtemperature, low power, low battery voltage, etc. This prevents damage to

the BatPac and connected flash units. The Profoto BatPac complies with CE regulations and fulfills all international safety requirements. It gives up to 600W constant power from two integrated separate mains outlets. The BatPac will power your D1, Acute lighting systems as well as many older Profoto systems. In addition, your computer, cell phone and other AC-operated devices can also be powered by the BatPac.

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SEE VIDEO AT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbOVj1TpJ1U

Profoto Presents: BatPac—the portable power source.

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Getting the Shot with Dixie Dixon Interview by Ron Egatz

When Houston native Dixie Dixon was a student at Klein High School she was paid to photograph Little League games. Wielding her trusty Nikon FG, she made ten dollars per hour, and shot every weekend, including soccer competitions. “Not bad for a kid,” she says, grinning.

DIXIEDIXON.COM FACEBOOK.COM/DIXIEDIXONPHOTOGRAPHY @IAMDIXIEDIXON DIXIEDIXON.TUMBLR.COM

GETTING THE SHOT WI TH DIXIE DIXON

D

ixon’s father was a hobbyist photographer, and provided her first camera. Her grandfather was a landscape photographer.

Not many professional shooters can match Dixon’s claim of only working as a photographer, but it’s true. She shot for the high school yearbook, and one of her shots made the cover senior year. At that point she decided she wanted to pursue photography for a living.

Since her first camera at age ten, at the ripe old

age of twenty-seven, Dixon already has a long list of clients and the television show Get Out under her belt. With talent and credits beyond her years, she’s a photographer to watch. Dixon has quickly become known for her fashion photography and portrait work. Shooting with a Nikon D3X as her main body, Dixon broke down two portraits she recently completed.

GIRL PORTRAIT Studying entrepreneurship in college, she learned how to run a business, which has helped her The basic concept of this photo session was to create photo practice. She launched her business while natural looking beauty images. I wanted to highlight still attending school. “The business background the beautiful features of the model, make her skin definitely helps in accounting,” she says. look glowy, and make her eyes really pop against the background. I looked through a ton of fashion During her junior year, she studied abroad with magazines for inspiration and came up with this a fashion photographer. During that time she fell simple concept. I find a lot of beauty in simplicity. in love with fashion photography, which is the genre she is known for. Before graduation, she was In the studio, I have a basic idea of how I’m going shooting weddings, but got tired of it. “I started to light something but once you get in there, it’s shooting fashionable portraits of friends and then always different, so you never really know until started charging for them. My whole senior year, I you get in there and shoot it. I used a Softlight started my business and got my web site up and it Reflector White with the D1 500 as my main light. was really just shooting fashion portraits.” The light is pretty low - I’m probably five-foot three and it’s just above my head. With the Softlight MODEL: KAYLIN ROGERS WITH KIM DAWSON AGENCY MAKEUP/HAIR: ROCIO VIELMA

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GETTING THE SHOT WITH DIXIE DIXON

Reflector at that height, you get this pretty glow in your light. I also had two Softbox 1x3’s in the back that were facing slightly towards her and me so I could get a rim light on the edge that I overexposed by about half a stop. I used a small umbrella on the background to light up that pretty, blue, turquoise paper. I was going for super simple natural beauty, and that sort of lighting highlights the skin and makes it look beautiful.

I used a Nikon D3X and a 105 mm lens for this portrait. I like cropping in like that and focusing on the macro elements of the shot. It’s interesting shooting really close-up portraits, because you really have to get the right angle on the person. I tend to shoot and crop in-camera as opposed to cropping in post later on. It can get you in trouble, especially when you work with art directors and they want room for text, but this was a personal shoot so I got to choose the way I wanted it. I took some shots with her whole face and, for some reason, they weren’t impactful, so I ended up going to one side for a half-face shot. I love shooting strobes in the studio because you’re

able to make sure that everything is really crisp and focused and you can see every eyelash. I’m

b

a

c a. Softbox RFi 1x3' b. Umbrella c. Softlight Reflector White

so not technical. I just get in there and I know how to use the lights. Luckily, Profoto lights are really user-friendly. I don’t do a lot of measuring. I basically set it up, shoot it, and if I like what I’m getting, I’ll stick with it. If I think I need to tweak things, I move them around or try changing to an Octa. Profoto is super reliable and I’ve been really blown away by them every time.

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GUY PORTRAIT

For this shot, I wanted to create a masculine I used a D700 on this shot and a micro 16 mm beauty image in black and white. With color Nikon lens. The exposure was at f/14, 1/126, and images, your eyes can be more distracted by the ISO 100. clothes and everything else that’s going on, but with black and white, I feel that you’re able to get I look at a lot of pictures for inspiration and it’s more to the soul of the image and make a deeper all about getting the right team together. When connection. If color isn’t adding to the shot, try you’re shooting beauty, you have to focus on finding a really great makeup artist. It doesn’t look making it black and white. like it, but the guy has makeup on. I chose the best

It's just endless what you can do with lighting...” I used one Softbox 5’ Octa. I used the Softbox 1x3’s closer to the subject than on the woman’s portrait. I like shooting guys this way because it really highlights their great jaw line. Bringing the strip softboxes in closer gives you that spillover of the light onto his nose and the side of his face.

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makeup artist I knew to get that look and to make

his skin look flawless. The fashion industry is such a huge illusion and it takes a huge army of people to make it happen.

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54

GETTING THE SHOT WITH DIXIE DIXON

Lighting is interesting to me because you can control so much of it in the studio. However, I love those happy accidents when you end up getting something totally different than you went out to shoot. It’s kind of like adding to your lighting repertoire because it’s in the little detours that you sometimes end up with the best shot. It’s nice to do the shots you’re going for and then leave some room for experimentation at the end. It’s just endless what you can do with lighting, especially with all the light-shaping tools Profoto has. I picked up the D1 monolight and it was so userfriendly; it’s super consistent and has a fast recycle time. I’ve used other lighting gear and it’s not nearly as reliable so I’ve definitely been happy with the results. That’s why anytime I rent I say, “Give me the Profoto. I don’t want to have to get on set and my lights don’t work.” I’ve never had an issue with Profoto lights over five years of using them.

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b

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a. Umbrella b. Softbox RFi 1x3' c. Softbox 5' Octa

I love the Profoto’s Light Shaping Tools. They are really what I feel sets Profoto apart—all the great softboxes and beauty dishes. There’s just so much you can do with them. In photography, lighting is everything. It creates the mood, and the mood of an image is what sets it apart from the rest.

MODEL: BRANDON THORNTON WITH CAMPBELL AGENCY

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AcuteB2 AirS LiFe Battery

AcuteB2 AirS LiFe Battery 901101

The AcuteB flash pack brings together the famous quality and reliability of Profoto in a small battery generator. Offering significantly improved performance and higher flash capacity all in a lightweight package, the AcuteB2 is just over 3.6 kg (8.9 lbs)!

The incorporated Profoto Air system allows for remote triggering from up to 300 m (1000 ft) from the camera.

The small size and light weight of the AcuteB2 offers up to 200 full power or thousands of lower power flashes on a single charge, allowing you to take your studio light on location for a full day of shooting!

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SEE VIDEO AT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWsrges5Hco

MASTER SERIES: Jeremy Cowart's Mobile Setup

I have one kit that I take with me everywhere I go, every shoot, every humanitarian project, it just always travels with me. It's a bag with my camera and lenses and it's the Profoto Acute battery with one small softbox. To this day I'm amazed that I can get on a plane with the whole Profoto kit right there with my lenses.” — JEREMY COWART

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AcuteB2 AirS/R

AcuteB2 AirS/R US/CE 901102, 901103

The AcuteB2 600 AirS/R is almost identical to the AcuteB2 AirS. It offers the same light weight design and unique Profoto Air remote triggering system, but adds a built-in PocketWizard receiver to the mix.

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AcuteB Head

Acute Battery Including Cassette LiFe

900938

901105

With our smallest battery pack, the AcuteB2, there is also a special lamp head: the AcuteB Head. At a mere 1.5 kg (3.4 lbs), gives you 600 Ws flashes and an innovative modeling light, using a high-performance halogen lamp that, at 65 W, gives you the brightness of 90 W. Combined with its fan-free cooling, it translates to longer lasting batteries. The AcuteB Head includes: disc reflector, flash tube, 65 W halogen lamp, removable frosted glass cover, protective transportation cap and a 10-foot lamp cable.

The most advanced and reliable rechargeable batteries available! These Lithium Ion Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4), in short – LiFe batteries. They have a lifetime four times longer than lead acid batteries and can be used in a wider temperature range. With 20% more flashes per charge than older battery types and integrated electronics protecting them against deep-discharge and overheating, the Profoto LiFe batteries offer long life and trouble-free operation.

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How to create a superhero-esque movie poster in less than two hours With Andrew McGibbon

It goes without saying that blockbuster movie posters are the result of countless hours of postproduction and spending ridiculous amounts of money. But if you are willing to take it down a notch, you can do your very own poster in just two hours!

South African photographer Andrew McGibbon was recently asked to shoot a promotional image for a man who was about to start his own private security company. The two agreed that a superhero-esque, movie poster-like image would be suitable (everybody needs a hero, right?). But time was short and the budget was limited, so Andrew had to come up with a quick and easy solution. Here is how he did it, explained in six simple steps...

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HOW TO CREATE A SUPERHERO-ESQUE MOVIE POSTER IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS

Picture The Final Result “First of all, get a clear image of what you want to achieve,” says Andrew. “What I did was that I downloaded a bunch of movie posters from IMDb.com and brought them with me to the shoot. If you don’t want to do that, you can

1

Andrew. “It’s way easier and takes a lot less time. In this case, the guy hadn’t received his company uniform yet, so we decided to go for a simple, black shirt. I then sprayed some water on him to make him look a bit sweaty.”

draw a simple sketch. Regardless of what you do, I think it’s important to have some sort of reference

Set The Lights “The setup I used was very basic,” says Andrew. “It’s sometimes referred to as a key and clip light setup.

material. It really helps me as a photographer to keep track of what I want to do, and it makes it a lot easier to give the person in front of the camera proper directions, especially if they’re not an experienced model.”

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a

2

Find A Suitable Location “You need very little space to do this,” says Andrew. “You could easily shoot it in your garage. Just make sure the room is dark enough and that you find a background that won’t become completely white or black when you shoot it. If the background is too bright or too dark, it will be much more difficult to insert the background image.”

3

Do The Styling “You can, of course, add as many details as you like during postproduction, but my advice is to get as much as possible right in camera,” says

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a. White Backdrop b. Softlight Reflector White c. Softbox RFi 5' Octa

©ANDREW MACGIBBON

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HOW TO CREATE A SUPERHERO-ESQUE MOVIE POSTER IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS

“The key light is the main light in the image. In needs to be right. You can’t fake that. So, I’d this case, it’s the light that looks like sunlight. For recommend a technique I learned from the writer this I used a Profoto D1 monolight, equipped with Constantin Stanislavski: ‘the magic if technique.’ a Softbox RFi 5’ Octa, standing camera left. The softbox is very close to the subject, and I am so “It works like this: ask the person you’re shooting close to the softbox that I’m pressing against it.” that if they were in this or that situation, what would they think and feel? Their emotional “We then have the clip light. Some photographers response will then be conveyed through their eyes. call it rim light or hair light, but I prefer the name In this case, I asked the guy to imagine what it clip light. The clip light is the light that hits the would be like to a superhero that the whole city side of his face that is turned away from the looked up to. Once he started thinking about that, sun. The clip light helps define the shape of his everything else just followed.” face and makes it pop out of the image. For this Insert Background I used the Softlight Reflector White, also known as the Beauty Dish. Many photographers use “Whenever I do a job outside and there’s a hard reflectors or strip softboxes for this purpose, nice enough sky, I shoot it,” says Andrew. “By but for me the Beauty Dish works really well. now I have a pretty good library of sky images, It gives me quite a hard light, but not too hard. which I find often comes in handy, such as in this Neither does it burn out the hair or the small yet case. important details.” “So, I cut out the portrait with the help of the Shoot! Magic Wand tool and the Refine Edge tool, and “There are basically three things you need to inserted the background image. I then used a get right in camera: the lighting, the styling and simple bi-color filter to make the image a bit more the energy,” says Andrew. “We’ve already talked yellow on the left hand side and a bit bluer on the about the first two. Now, when I say energy, I’m right hand side. I then burned out the image at the talking about the eyes. The energy in the eyes

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Original shot

Final image

Andrew McGibbon is currently busy wrapping a few blemishes, pulled out a few highlights, etc. up his Influence Project – an ambitious project in which he explores the concept of influence “That’s pretty much it! All in all, I think I spent through a series of portraits of influential South about ten minutes in Photoshop, and the entire Africans. The Influence Project will soon be process from picturing the final result to having available as a coffee table book. If you cannot wait it on my hard drive took less than two hours. I until then, you can see more of his work at www. started at 4 pm and was done before dinner time.” andrewmcgibbon.co.za bottom. Finally, I did some minor tweaks, removed

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Air Remote

Air Remote 901031

Our specially-designed digital radio system allows

complete flash control at your camera or in your hand, including trigger, flash energy control and modeling light control. Set up your lights at the venue and dial in the exposure power as you need it. The Air Remote mounts on your camera’s hot shoe or syncs to your flash terminal and has eight channels which it uses to control an unlimited number of power packs. Whether shooting at a VFW hall or a cathedral, Profoto Air Remote gives you the power and flexibility to create perfect exposures.

These small, handheld devices weigh only 70g (2.5 oz), including batteries, making them easy to handle or keep at the ready when shooting formal

events. They pack a lot of function and reliability into an easy-to-use control panel. Operating at 2.4 GHz, they are approved for worldwide use. Profoto Air is a transceiver, so it can serve as either a transmitter to fire your lights, camera or operate as a receiver when used with non-Air flash units. Operating from two AAA batteries, at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, the Air Sync has a range of 300 m

(1000 ft). With range like that, you’ll never need another system for a wedding venue or reception hall. It can sync up to 1/250 second with a focal plane shutter camera, and 1/500 second with a leaf shutter camera. Its triggering speed is over 100 fps.

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Air Sync

Air USB

901032

901034

Air Sync technology syncs flash generators or groups of Profoto D1 Air units with the same high performance as Profoto Air Remote. The Profoto Air Sync provides a simple solution when you only need to trigger your flash. It’s a faster, simpler alternative for the more fast-paced portrait environments.

Profoto Air USB offers all the advantages of the Air Remote, and then some. You can still control all your lights from up to 300 m (1000 ft) away, but now, you can control all of them from your computer keyboard.

Operating from two AAA batteries, at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, the Air Sync has a range of 300 m

(1000 ft). It can sync up to 1/250 second with a focal plane shutter camera, and 1/500 second with a leaf shutter camera. Its triggering speed is over 100 fps.

Just load the included software and plug in the USB Transceiver. That’s all it takes to get you up and running. Visually see the connected heads on screen and take control over every aspect of your lighting. Turn units on and off, power the flash or modeling light up or down, change recycling time—anything your flashes can do, you can now do from your computer! You can also save an unlimited number of frequently used lighting set-ups for fast, easy recall later. Operating at 2.4 GHz, they are approved for worldwide use.

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Anatomy of a Portrait with Tony Corbell Interview by Ron Egatz

Tony Corbell has long been a fan of Profoto lighting gear. He did some of our earliest instructional videos, demonstrating a wide variety of lighting effects in portrait photography, including the very popular one-light, two-light, three-light, and four-light shorts. Tony recently completed a workshop in Santa Fe, and chose to analyze two portraits taken during that workshop. In his own words, here’s his breakdown of thought, technique, and execution.

CORBELLPRODUCTIONS.COM @TONYDUDE1

ANATOMY OF A PORTRAIT WITH TONY CORBELL

AARON

you just go to the checkout area, and grab another light, or you go down to check out three more In this case, I wanted to create a low-key, gritty, lights or whatever you might need. In the real, black and white image. His face just screams for true working world, we don’t all have that luxury. that kind of a look, I think. There’re a lot of people that don’t have more than one or two or three lights. Also, not everyone lives This is a simple studio picture, when you think in a big city where they can go rent gear easily. about it, but it’s important to understand what’s going on in order to pull it. It’s basically just one soft light. There’s a Softbox RFi 3x4' to the left of a the camera and I have one of them turned a little bit farther away from him to the left. This means that about half the light that would be on his face is going past him, traveling about twelve feet, and hitting the background. It’s just giving me a little bit of ambient light on the background. This is a technique I do a lot when I teach to get everybody to learn to get the most they can get from just one light. Often, that means making one light appear as if it’s one, two, three, or maybe even four lights.

If I had wanted to have light in his hair, I would have taken that same one light, and I would have had somebody hold up a Plexiglas mirror over his head and redirect a little bit of that light from that strobe right back down onto his hair. I wouldn’t have turned on another light. I try to be as efficient as I can with the number of heads I use. It’s a technique I try to teach students, because it makes them better photographers. In other words, if you’re a photo student at a school, let’s say, and you’re doing a shoot and you need another light,

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a. Gray Seamless Backdrop b. Softbox RFi 3x4'

For this shot, I used my Nikon D3, although I’ve recently become a convert to the world of Canon. I used a 70-200mm 2.8 lens. The focal length was probably set to 200, and the exposure was shot at f/16 and ISO 200.

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“AARON” ©TONY CORBELL

ANATOMY OF A PORTRAIT WITH TONY CORBELL

OL’ DONALD This is Donald Blake. He’s been an actor, a working

cowboy, and a stuntman who’s been in 200 or 300 movies and likes to claim he’s been shot and killed in about 150. We shot this at the old saloon on Eaves Ranch, which has been in countless television shows and movies.

a

Here, I was doing a demo with my students, trying

to teach them how to mix strobe lights inside and how you can vary your shutter speed to adjust their brightness to the light outside. In this case, I used a Softbox 4x6 with a D1 500 Monolight.

c

b I had the softbox pretty far away from me, so there was a little room around him. I maintained that darkness on the left of the space, and the reason it’s so rich and deep and black is because of a black gobo that I put up, just a black panel on his right side, camera left, to make sure I didn’t get any influence from the ambient light in the room. I really wanted the drama of the light falling off on the left side of this face.

a. Window b. Profoto D1 with Softb ox RFi 4x6' c. Black panel Gobo used to eliminate the influence of any ambient light from right side of face

After you determine the exposure for the strobe, which in this case was about f/16, it’s just a matter of running the shutter speed up and down until you get the brightness of the background just where you want it. In order to do this, I meter using a Sekonic L-758DR.

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“OL’DONALD” ©TONY CORBELL

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Light Shaping Tools SOFTLIGHT REFLECTORS

T

he Softlight Reflector also known as “The Beauty Dish” gives a soft, yet easily-focused light. Meant to provide character lighting in portrait photography, it is superb for a wide variety of uses.

The gentle slant of the Softlight Reflector makes it ideal for close-up, beauty photography. From portrait to fashion photography, the

Softlight Reflector is an excellent light source whenever a soft, yet directional light is preferred. It’s is a distinctive alternative to an ordinary softbox.

By using the optional glass deflector, front diffuser and grid (separate or in combination), the characteristics and light spread can be further adjusted to the photographer's needs and wishes. When used with a honeycomb grid you get a soft, toned-down edge-lighting effect, with 10° coverage with the silver, and 25° with the white reflector for more directed light.

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SEE VIDEO AT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djoi6hFK35o

MASTER SERIES: Matthew Jordan Smith's Favorite Light Shaping Tools

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Softlight Reflector Silver 100607

The silver-colored Softlight Reflector creates a narrow light spread for crisp beauty and fashion pictures, while at the same time providing soft shadow definition, thanks to its large reflecting area. It is especially suitable for lighting subjects where contours should be emphasized.

My favorite Profoto Light Shaping Tool has got to be the Softlight Reflector Silver. We always have it... the light that comes out of it is amazing. There's nothing else like it.” — TOM MUNOZ

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25º Grid for Softlight Reflectors 100609

Diffuser for Softlight Reflector 100714

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Whether I’m doing portraits or a beauty assignment, or a hair assignment, my Beauty Dish is there... I use the white most of the time. It’s an incredible light... a great tool.” — MATTHEW JORDAN SMITH

Softlight Reflector White 100608

The Softlight Reflector White gives a softer, wider light spread for beauty and fashion images with a softer tone without sacrificing the directional quality of the light. It is especially suitable for lighting subjects where diffused, yet distinctive light is needed.

Softlight Kit 901183

The Softlight Kit includes 1 Softlight Reflector White along with a 25º grid, to narrow the light when precise control is needed, and a diffuser, to create even softer light.

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SEE VIDEO AT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn05BEj3dMQ

MASTER SERIES: Jeremy Cowart, Favorite Light Shapers

I find myself using the Beauty Dish all the time because it creates a nice catch light in the eyes of your subjects. It's just a beautiful light.” — JEREMY COWART

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PROFOTO UMBRELLA XL

E

xtra large umbrellas are useful Light Shaping Tools for portrait-, people- and fashion photography. They create a smooth yet distinctive light, which allows the user to illuminate an entire person or even small groups with just a single light source. Great specular highlights and sharp, snappy detail are also possible. Profoto's Umbrella XL has a diameter of 165 cm (65"), and fits onto all Profoto flash heads and monolights. An optional stand adapter is also available, which allows the photographer to mount the umbrella onto a light stand, or use it with former Profoto heads—or even with products from other brands! All umbrellas come in a rugged transport bag.

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Profoto Front Diffuser for Umbrella XL 254651

Profoto Umbrella XL Silver 100327

Profoto’s Umbrella XL Silver creates a hard light, perfect for lighting

a large area with a crisp directional light. Whether in studio or on location, when shooting full-length portraiture of a group, the Profoto Umbrella XL is perfectly suited for the challenge. The parabolic shape, allowing the light distribution to be changed by simply sliding the shaft inside the flash head.

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Profoto Umbrella XL Translucent 100328

The Umbrella XL Translucent creates a smooth, yet distinctive light. This is a shoot-through umbrella, and can give a softbox-effect, creating a soft light perfect for brides. The parabolic shape allows the light distribution to be changed by simply sliding the shaft inside the flash head.

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Profoto Stand Adapter for Umbrella XL 101099

Profoto Umbrella XL White 100326

The Profoto Umbrella XL White is an ideal large beauty light for full-length portraiture and photographing groups. The white interior provides a smooth soft light complimentary to all skin tones, to nes, making it the perfect perfec t light shaper for every photographer’s lighting tool box.

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PROFOTO GIANTS

In conjunction conjunction with the Beauty Dish, I always use the 7ft Profoto Pr ofoto Giant just to fill everything; light a whole room...” — KAREEM BLACK

P

rofoto's 150 and 210 reflectors, often used with the photographer standing in front of the reflector, give you the unique combination of a soft light and still brilliant highlights. highlights. Very popular in fashion fas hion photography because of the quality of their light, light, they're also popular because bec ause they are easy to set up and dismantle. Both Profoto models offer four focusing positions of the head, from a kind of spot to flood fill. A special "spill kill" head adapter reduces stray s tray light. Using Using optional diffusers the light can be softened further fur ther..

Delivered with: Rigid Rigid stand attachment Two different extension poles Lamp holder Transport bag

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Profoto Giant White 150 100314

Excellent light source for portrait and fashion photography. Large reflector with 5-foot diameter for a soft, natural light in studio – large enough to illuminate a person, yet compact and handy for easy transportation and set-up. set-up.

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Profoto Giant White 210 100315

Large white w hite umbrella/reflector umbrella/reflec tor with a 7-foot diameter, diameter, resulting in a strong, but very soft light output. The low weight and easy handling makes the Giant White perfect for location work as well. A flexible and affordable Light Shaping Tool Tool for portrait por trait and beauty photography. There are four zooming positions, using two extra rods. A lightweight and convenient transport bag is included.

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Profoto Giant Silver 150 100316

Versatile reflector with 5-foot diameter to create brilliant light on location. This model is large enough to illuminate a whole person, but compact and handy for easy transportation and set-up. A must-have accessory.

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PROFOTO UMBRELLAS

W

ith their robust, solid construction and versatility, Profoto offers a number of different umbrella sizes and finishes, all designed in a robust and solid fashion. They are a must for every wedding and portrait photographer. These umbrellas are available in Small, Medium, and Large diameters 33.4", 41.3", and 51.1". The White Umbrella gives an even, diffused lighting effect with soft shadow definition. The closer to the subject the umbrella is placed, the softer the shadow will be. The Translucent Umbrella provides diffused lighting around a bright

core. The lighting can be varied by changing its distance to the lamp head. The Silver Umbrella provides focused lighting, along with soft shadow

definition. It is especially suitable for bringing out structural details in materials, or if a higher light output is needed.

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White Umbrella Small

Silver Umbrella Small

Translucent Umbrella Small

100611

100615

100613

White Umbrella Medium

Silver Umbrella Medium

Translucent Umbrella Medium

100616

100616

100614

White Umbrella Large

Silver Umbrella Large

100719

100720

Disc Reflector 100654

Designed for use with an umbrella. It keeps light from spilling off the edges of the umbrella. Very compact design for easy carrying.

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T

he softbox is one of the most popular Light Shaping Tools.

At first glance, its uncomplicated nature might trick you into thinking that all softboxes are the same. But as any experienced photographer will tell you, there can be a big difference between one softbox and another. RFi softboxes come in all sizes and shapes. To ensure full control for the photographer, they have a deeper shape, a recessed front, double-layered diffusers and a highly reflective silver interior. Optional accessories such as Softgrids and Stripmasks are available for even more precise light shaping. The RFi speedring adaptors make the RFi softboxes compatible with well over 20 different flash brands, ranging all the way from speedlights to high-end studio strobes. In short, an RFi softbox is not just a softbox. It’s a Light Shaping Tool.

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SEE VIDEO AT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6qsGKEl2Fc

Profoto RFi Softboxes

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THIS IS WHAT MAKES AN RFI SOFTBOX SPECIAL:

1. Choose the tool you need. Create the light you want. RFi softboxes come in twelve models and four shapes: rectangular, square, octagonal and strip. 2. Use your old flash brand in a brand new way. The speedring adaptors make the RFi softboxes compatible with well over 20 different flash brands. 3. Shape the light with precision. Optional accessories, such as the Softgrid, the Flat Front Diffuser and the StripMask, allow for even more precise light shaping. 4. Focus your energy where it is needed. Color-coded speedrings and Velcro attachments result in hassle-free assembly and disassembly. No tools or pre-assembly needed. 5. Experience the quality of light that Profoto is famous for. All RFi softboxes have double-layered diffusers. This creates a softer, more even light spread. The silver interior provides a higher output and a crispier character. 6. Stop worrying about your equipment. Each unit is hand-sewn with heat resistant, high-quality fabrics. Seam lines, edges and corner pockets are reinforced.

7. Explore the Light Shaping Tool system. All RFi softboxes are part of Profoto’s renowned Light Shaping Tool system with more than 120 unique tools to choose from.

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Softbox RFi 1x1,3' (30x40 cm)

Softbox RFi 1,3x2' (40x60 cm)

Softbox RFi 2x3' (60x90 cm)

254701

254702

254703

Extra-small softbox ideal for hand-held use on location or for lighting small objects or areas within a larger scene.

Small, compact size makes it ideal to use on location for portrait, wedding, editorial, and product photography.



254704

254705

Great for full-body portraits and lighting large groups.

Great for full-body portraits and lighting large groups.

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The medium sized RFi 2x3' (60x90 cm) is suitable for portrait, wedding, editorial and product photography.

Softbox RFi 2x2' (60x60 cm) 254706

60x60x47 cm. Can be used as a hairlight, fill light and for bringing out small details in portraits. (23.6x23.6x18.5 in)

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254707

254708

254709

Suited to portrait and people photography, but also ideal over-head to draw out extra detail in shadows with a small, diffuse source.

Due to its small profile, this soft box is optimal for portrait, beauty and product photography.

This striplight is ideal for many situations, especially 3/4 and headshot portraiture. The exchangeable internal diffuser ensures extremely low light fall off.

Softbox RFi 3' Octa (90 cm) 254711

Softbox RFi 1x6' (30x180 cm) 254710

Ideal to light a full length portrait without spilling light everywhere, hair lighting, and as a kicker light.

Ideal for people and portrait photography, optimal size for jobs on location. The octagon shaped softbox can be used as a key light for portraits since it is the most efficient use of light and has a natural fall off. 18.5" depth..

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Softbox RFi 5' Octa (150 cm) 254712

Ideal main light source for portrait and people photography.

PROFOTO RFI SOF TBOXES

SOFTGRIDS RFi Softgrid 50° 1x1,3'

RFi Softgrid 50° 3x3'

254620

254626

RFi Softgrid 50° 1,3x2'


254621

254627



254622

254628



254623

254629

RFi Softgrid 50° 4x6' 254624

RFi Softgrid 50° 3 Octa 254630

RFi Softgrid 50° 2x2' 254625

RFi Softgrid 50° 5' Octa 254631

RFi Softbox Kit 901182

The RFi Softbox Kit includes 1 Softbox RFi 2x3', 1 Profoto Speedring for RFi, and 1 Softgrid 50º. Creates a very soft light that is perfect for portraits and allows for precise light shaping.

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STRIPMASKS RFi Stripmask 7 cm 1x3' 254632

RFi Stripmask 7 cm 1x4' 254633

RFi Stripmask 7 cm 1x6' 254634

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DIFFUSERS RFi Flat Front Diffuser 1x1.3' 254635

RFi Flat Front Diffuser 1.3x2' 254636

RFi Flat Front Diffuser 2x3' 254637





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RFi speedring adapter Profoto

RFi speedring adapter Speedotron

100501

100510

RFi speedring adapter Nikon/Canon

RFi speedring adapter Comet

100502

100511

RFi speedring adapter Elinchrom

RFi speedring adapter Lumedyne/Quantum/Sunpak/Norman

100503

100512

RFi speedring adapter Bowens/Calumet 100504

RFi speedring adapter Dynalite 2 100513

RFi speedring adapter AlienBees/White Lightning X

RFi speedring adapter Sunstar

100505

100514

RFi speedring adapter Hensel Expert

RFi speedring adapter Broncolor Visatec

100506

100515

RFi speedring adapter Broncolor Pulso

RFi speedring adapter Novatron 2

100507

100516

RFi speedring adapter Multiblitz Profilux

RFi speedring adapter Multiblitz Varilux

100508

100517

RFi speedring adapter Photogenic

RFi speedring adapter Photona

100509

100518

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Ready to Take Your Lighting to the Next Level? Check out our RFi softbox tips and tricks!

Choosing the Right Size of Softbox for the Right Job � pg. 112

Building Your Set, Softbox by Softbox � pg. 114

Using Softboxes to Create a Perfectly Even, White Background � pg. 116

Creating Hard Light with a Softbox � pg. 118

Creating Long and Even Highlights with Softboxes � pg. 120

Creating a Giant Ring Light with Softboxes � pg. 122

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REFLECTORS

Zoom Reflector 100785

T

he versatile and compact cornerstone of most Profoto owner's Light Shaping Tool collection is the newly redesigned Zoom Reflector. Why? In a word: versatility.

This standard reflector adds functionality to your lighting system without adding significant size, weight or cost. The unique Profoto head zooming feature incorporated into all Profoto heads allows you to slide the reflector forward and backward on the head. The result is nearly infinite control the spread of light and intensity over a wide range, which also can eliminate the need for additional reflectors or grids.

It is perfect for simulating direct sunlight in a small studio or for pumping a tremendous amount of light on a background. They also work well controlling any stray light when using a large umbrella or when bouncing light from a wall or ceiling. For even more control, add Profoto grids or barndoors to further shape the light. Find out for yourself why the Profoto Zoom Reflector is the most popular reflector we offer!

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Grid & Filterholder Kit for Zoom Reflector

Snoot

900649

100651

Attachment for new Zoom and former Standard Zoom reflector to mount grids, filters and the Snoot (100651).

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Compatible with Grid & Filterholder

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REFLECTORS

Magnum Reflector 100624

The Magnum Reflector has long been regarded as the “sunlight” of the Profoto light shaping family. It provides strong, smooth light featuring maximum output with a normal beam spread. Employ this reflector to get direct light with high output and defined shadows. To achieve precise control over direction of the t he light,

the Magnum can be supplemented by the ProTube, 10° Grid or Barn Doors. The crisp character and high output make this reflector very popular as fill-in light source against direct sunlight.

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10° Honeycomb Grid for Magnum and Narrow Beam Reflectors 100618

SEE VIDEO AT: AT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEhzWOzEVwk

MASTER SERIES: Kareem Black on his Favorite Light Shaping Tools

The one I am in love with right now is the Profoto Magnum Reflector. Reflector. The reason I love it is because it is so versatile. It can be narrow, it can be wide. Right now I'm really into a cold, sharp, light. I like that about it." — KAREEM BLACK

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REFLECTORS

WideZoom Reflector 100711

This reflector is very versatile with an angle of light from 40 to 70 degrees. It provides even illumination when used at short distances. The WideZoom reflector produces p roduces f/64 @ ISO 100 100 at 2 meters with a 2400 Ws generator. generator. A more modern, moder n, zoomable version of the classic Magnum reflector. Excellent as a crisp, brilliant main light source to simulate simulate or overpower the sun on location, or as a main light on a reception hall dance floor. This reflector features every even illumination illumination with a fast fall-off. With the light characteristics of a wide angle and normal reflector—and everything every thing in between. The WideZoom Reflector Reflector can be used in combination with umbrellas to reduce stray light as well.

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10º WideZoom Grid for WideZoom Reflector 100636

TeleZoom Reflector 100712

Direct light with maximum output even at large distances, this modifier can illuminate the entrance to a church on a cloudy day. It’s a perfect accessory to get an even, but very effective light output over wide distances. Sharing its lighting characteristics with the Standard Zoom Reflector, this reflector is unique because the angle of light varies from 10 to 20 degrees. Even illumination and high light output add to its versatility. The TeleZoom accepts the same accessories like the Magnum and Narrow Beam Reflector.

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REFLECTORS

Disc Reflector

NarrowBeam Travel Reflector

100654

100713

The Profoto Disc Reflector is designed for use with an umbrella. It keeps light from spilling off the edges of the umbrella. Without an umbrella, it gives a low-lighting effect. Very compact design for easy carrying. Standard accessory to go along with AcuteB flash heads.

The NarrowBeam Travel Reflector gives one of the highest light outputs of all Profoto reflectors. Used on Profoto flash heads it great for the location photographer since it is compact, lightweight and produces a narrow spread of light.

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SEE VIDEO AT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igoU0JpdyZE

Gregory Heisler on Profoto Light Shaping Tools

The other piece I love that I think is the unsung hero of the light shaping universe are the Narrow Beam Reflectors, and the travel one is smaller now. Those are unbelievably useful! They concentrate the light like a gridspot does, but they intensify the light." — GREG HEISLER

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SPECIAL APPLICATIONS LIGHT SHAPING TOOLS

Fresnel Small 100789

The Fresnel Spot projects a clean, crisp beam of light, similar to that of natural sunlight. Filters can be attached to the front of the Fresnel for additional lighting effects. A flash head can mount directly to it, without requiring an adapter, and is easily adjustable with its built-in iris control which adjusts the diameter of its projected beam and can also be used with all Profoto heads. This light shaper is excellent for location interiors.

The Fresnel Spot has built-in flashtube, which increases efficiency and gives 100% conformity of model and flash light for total light control. Active fan cooling allows continuous use, optional barn doors assist with controlling stray light, and rigid and stable construction allows heavy duty use.

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Spot Small

ProGlobe w/Ring

100790

100673

Ideal for creating theatrical lighting effects, the Spot Small projects a controllable, hard edged spotlight. This high-quality optical focusing spot can be used to project patterns or masked shapes onto your set. It attaches to any Profoto flash head and accepts “M” size (7 cm) gobos.

The ProGlobe gives a surrounding light, similar to a

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bare bulb effect or, if mounted high up, like a street

lamp source. It can also be used as background lighting or placed underneath a photography table. Cinematographers call this a “Chinese lantern.” Its soft, bare bulb effect is perfect for quick location lighting. When used in combination with a softbox mounted around it, the ProGlobe creates very even light with soft shadows.

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Choosing the Right Size of Softbox for the Right Job

Building Your Set, Softbox by Softbox

Creating Long and Even Highlights with Softboxes

Creating a Giant Ring Light with Softboxes

Using Softboxes to Create a Perfectly Even, White Background

Creating Hard Light with a Softbox

RFi Softbox Tips and Tricks

RFI SOFTBOX TIPS AND TRICKS

Choosing the Right Size of Softbox for the Right Job If you are planning to use a softbox for your next set-up, you should think about more than simply what shape to choose or where to put it. The size is just as important - perhaps even more so!

The larger the light source is in relation to your subject, the softer the light will be. This simple fact is one of the most important lessons to learn about light, and for this reason, choosing what size of softbox to use will be one of the most important decisions that you will make prior to a shoot. For instance, if you choose a larger softbox, you will get a much more open, softer light that more closely resembles daylight. If, on the other hand, you go for a smaller softbox, you will get a harder light with richer contrasts, reminiscent of interior light.

Take a closer look at the two smaller images in this article. The first image (1) was shot with the larger Profoto RFi 4x6’ while the second image (2) was shot with the smaller Profoto RFi 1.3x2. While the first image looks almost as if a window was in the room, the second image looks more as if a lamp is turned on. The lighting also affects the overall mood of the image. The second image is undoubtedly moodier and more dramatic. Note that we used only one rectangular softbox for both images. Also note that the light was standing in the same spot

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with exactly the same distance between our model and the softbox diffuser (when using a softbox, this is the distance that actually matters – not the distance between the model and the flash head). In conclusion, by choosing between a large and a small softbox, we can drastically change the light and the overall mood. Needless to say, there is no right and wrong. It all boils down to deciding on what you want to achieve, and then choosing the right softbox to do the job.

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Building Your Set, Softbox by Softbox If you are used to shooting with just one or two lights then using several lights might seem confusing. But it is actually quite easy. It is just a matter of building your set, step by step, softbox by softbox…

The main image (1) in this article was shot using four lights: one Profoto Softbox RFi 3x3’, one Profoto Softbox RFi 5’ Octa and two Softbox RFi 1x6’. Again, some might be intimidated by the amount of lights but the fact is that as long as you build your set one light at a time, it is almost as easy as using just a single light source! Let us take a closer look at the second image (2). This was shot using just the RFi 3x3’. The image is dark, moody and admittedly not very inspiring. But that is not the point. The point is that we begin with our main light, and when we are happy with the result, we move on… …to the third image (3). Here, we add the RFi 5’ Octa as our fill light. Now, the important thing to remember

is that the fill light should not separate our model from the add to the character, and background. instead just blend harmoniously For instance, take a closer with the main light. That is look at the model’s arms and the reason that we chose to notice how they pop out of the work with the RFi 5’ Octa – a image. Also, notice the rim large light source that creates light around her waist and how a soft and even light. The effectively it separates her fourth image (4) shows just from the background. the fill light, but what is really The sixth image (6) is interesting is, of course, to see just to illustrate what the rim how the main light and the light looks like on its own. fill light work together in the Note that both strip softboxes third image (3). Notice how the were equipped with Softgrids, shadows lighten up, how the which keeps the light off the eyes are revealed and how the background and out of the dress starts to pop out when camera, and reduces flare. we add our fill light. This is Finally, let us return to our actually a pretty good portrait main image (1). Look at it once set-up. But there is more! more, notice how main, fill and In the fifth image (5), we rim light work together to give add the RFi 1x6’ strip softboxes life and color to the image, as our rim lights. The main and remember how easy this purpose of the rim light is to seemingly complex set-up was give increased dimensions and when we built it step by step, softbox by softbox.

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Using Softboxes to Create a Perfectly Even, White Background Many photographers use umbrellas when they need an even, white background. Now, there is nothing wrong with umbrellas but there are other, perhaps even more convenient solutions.

Let us start by looking at the main image (1) in this article. Or more precisely, let us take a closer look at the even, white background. This was not created with umbrellas but with two Profoto RFi 1x6’ strip softboxes. If we had used umbrellas, we might have needed three or even four of them. In addition, the light from the softboxes is easier to control, which means that we do not need any flags on our set. Some would also argue that the light from a softbox is more even than the light from an umbrella. In addition to our strip softboxes, we used one Profoto RFi 3x4’ as our main light. The second image (2) shows the effect of just the RFi 3x4’. The image looks good in its own

right, and this setup could very well be used for a traditional portrait. But if we are going for a more high-key fashion look, we are going to have to add more lights! The third image (3) shows the effect of just the two strip softboxes hitting the background. The important thing to remember here is not to use too much power. If the background gets too bright, you will lose details in the hair, the fringe details will burn out and you will get a glowing effect around your model. That can, of course, be used in a creative way, but that is not what we are trying to do here. Here we set the background lights to about ¾ f-stop over our main light and kept the edge detail intact.

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The fourth image (4) shows the effect of both the main light and the background lights. This is exactly the same setup that we used for our main image (1). As you can see, the background is as white and even as they come. Now, remember that we needed only three softboxes and about 16 ft wide space to do it all in. You could set up a shoot like this in an office, in a hotel lobby or even in your basement or garage! In conclusion, with the right set of tools, you can create a high-key fashion look with just a few softboxes.

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Creating Hard Light with a Softbox The softbox is one of the most popular tools for light shaping. Most of us use it to create a soft, even and flattering light, but what we often forget is that the softbox is a versatile tool that can also be used to create a harder light with sharper shadows. This article will take a closer look at its properties. All images in this article were lit with just one softbox: the Profoto 3’ Octa RFi. The Octa RFi was standing in exactly the same place at exactly the same angle. But as you can see, the images are quite different. So how did we do that? For the first image (1), we mounted a Softgrid onto our Octa RFi. The Softgrid reduces the light spread to 50° and creates a more directed light. As you can see, the light is just as soft and even as you would expect, but the amount of spill light that hits the wall behind our model is drastically reduced. For the second image (2), we removed the Softgrid. This did not affect the quality of the light, it is just as soft and even, but the light spread is much

wider. Compare our model in the first and the second image. She is lit almost exactly the same. The background, however, is now a lot brighter. For the third image (3), we removed both internal diffusers – and this is where things get really interesting. Removing the diffusers essentially converts our octagonal softbox into a parabolic reflector. Now, the light is no longer wrapped around our model. Instead, it is focused and quite hard. Take a closer look at the sharper shadows under our model’s chin or around her necklace. Also, notice how the highlights are defined and how her features and skin texture are richer in contrast. This is not a light we typically associate with a softbox.

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Finally, let us take a closer look at the hero image (4). This was shot exactly the same way as the third image: no grid and no diffusers. Again, this is not your typical softbox light. This light is almost like sunlight or something you would use on a fashion shoot – focused, distinct and quite hard. In conclusion, we have created three different lights with just one softbox. Or, in other words, do not underestimate the softbox.

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Creating Long and Even Highlights with Softboxes Product photography is precision work and certain skills are required to create the perfect highlight. This article will shed some light on this subject.

When lighting reflective objects, often times the light sources themselves will show up in the shot. Therefore, the size and shape of the light sources become very important. What we want are highlights that accentuate the shape of the subject. For instance, if we are shooting bottles of wine, we want long and even highlights that follow the shape of the bottle. And for that we use softboxes. To create the main image (1) in this article, we used four softboxes: one Profoto RFi 2x3’, one Profoto RFi 1x3’, one Profoto RFi 1x4’ and one Profoto RFi 1x1.3’. The casual observer will not notice all these lights and the reason for this is, of course, that the highlights

follow the shape of the bottle. So how did we do that? Well, the first thing we did was to place the larger RFi 2x3’ so that it creates a large, window-like highlight on the right-hand side of the bottles and the glass. The second image (2) shows the effect of this. The exact position of and distance to the softbox is very, very important. Move the softbox just a few inches and the highlight will change size! We then added the RFi 1x4’, which is a strip softbox that creates a long and narrow reflection. As you can see in the third image (3), adding thicker highlights to one side and thinner to the other really helps add dimension to the bottles and the glass.

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For the same reason, we added yet another, even thinner, light source to the left side: the RFi 1x3’ equipped with a Profoto Stripmask. As you can see in the fourth image (4), we now have a very thin, almost white highlight running along the bottles and the glass. That is the Stripmask in action! Finally, we added a backlight. For this we used the RFi 1x1.3’ equipped with a green gel to pick up the colors from the bottles. On a final note, it is also worth mentioning how even the light from the softboxes actually is. Just look at the highlights in our main image. If the light was even the slightest uneven, the highlights, which are simply reflections, would be uneven too. But they are not.

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Creating a Giant Ring Light with Softboxes The fact that a softbox is easy to use does not mean that you cannot experiment with it. On the contrary, a softbox can be used in a number of creative ways. This article will show one such example.

In this case, we used three strip softboxes to create a giant ring light. We used one Profoto Softbox RFi 1x3’ and two Profoto Softbox RFi 1x4’s. All three heads were set to the same power throughout the entire shoot, and we did not use any optional accessories. In the first image (1), only one of the three lights was used. If you take a closer look at the catch light in our model’s eyes, you can actually see the upper-left softbox reflected in her iris. What we have here is basically a classic Rembrandt

lighting set-up. The shadows are intense, our model’s features are well defined and the atmosphere is quite moody and dramatic. In the second image (2), both angled softboxes were used. Again, take a closer look at the catch light and see for yourself. Also, notice how the second softbox lightens up the shadows, especially around our model’s eyes and cheekbones. The result is obviously cleaner and less moody. In the third image (3), all three lights were used. The triangular catch light is clear proof of this. Now the shadows are almost completely eliminated and our model’s features have

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been flattened out. The light is flattering and suitable for everything from beauty and fashion photography to jewelry and makeup shots. Finally, let us take a closer look at the main image (4). This was also shot with all three softboxes. Compare it with our first (1) and second images (2), notice the dramatic changes in contrast and mood, and remember that we used the same set-up for all three shots. In conclusion, we created three very different images, ranging from dramatic portraiture to high key fashion, with a single softbox set up. And it was as easy as it looks!

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