Q: I want to get into commercial (stock) photography. need a good reliable studio/portable lighting. What is your recommendation? I’m leaning to Bowens gemini 500 pro. Profoto D1 better and worth the cost? — Shervin
A: There are a lot of great choices on the market. I’ve used Profoto for years mostly because of their vast array of light modifiers (reflectors, grids and umbrellas) allow you to really shape the light. Profoto D1 are a good choice as are Profoto Acutes. I love the Acute B battery packs when there’s no place to plug in. That said, Bowens offers quite a bang for the buck. You might also check out Paul Bluff’s Einstein 640 strobes that made American Photo’s list of ’12 Tools that Changed the Rules.’ Remember, the most important thing is not what light you use, but how you use it. So to get the most out of them, learn what your lights can do.
Tagged as:
flash photography,
Lighting,
Profoto,
Profoto Acute B
Does this look fun?
Fame is a funny thing. A lot of notions about fame and celebrity are based on which side of the velvet rope you find yourself.
There’s a great scene in Barry Levinson’s “PoliWood” where two actors shoot down any notion that Hollywood celebrities are motivated by the desire for photo ops.
Sure, it’s a necessary part of the business. Red carpet photo ops are one of the ways motion picture studios promote their latest releases. Just those 4-color flyers for your local hardware store.
But fun? I don’t think so…
Imagine running a gauntlet of this on your way into the movies.
Actually, to quite honest, the photographer who blasted me with his flash was extremely nice and quite personable. We ended up having a drink together. We were at a party, after all. If he seems more dapper than you’d imagine for a paparazzi, there’s a good reason for that. It’s actually actor Tim Daly giving me my 1/15 second of fame…
Tagged as:
15 Minutes of Fame,
Actor,
Barry Levinson,
Camera,
Celebrity,
Fame,
flash photography,
Hollywood,
Paparazzi,
Photo Op,
PoliWood,
Privacy,
Red Carpet,
Tim Daly
