Intro by Skip Cohen

It's Profoto Friday! What a kick to be able to share stunning images with you every week!

What I love most about Profoto's archives is the diversity of the artists. Over and over again I'm dazzled by some of the most creative artists in the world. This article/interview with David Bicho is a great example.

A big thanks to Profoto for allowing me to share these posts with SCU's readers. You'll find so much great information in the blog archives as well as new material being shared almost every day! 

Written by Fredrik Franzén

Those of you who have read our flipbook for portrait photographers are already familiar with David Bicho’s stunning images of a model covered in food ingredients – oil, salt, flour, cocoa and licorice, to name just a few. Still, we think the images are too good to not share with the rest of you. Enjoy, and big ups to David for sharing his work and expertise with us!

“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.

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

When 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 1×6’ 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. The foam core board was used to lighten up the shadows around the model’s chin, forehead and nose.

“Finally, the black flags were also crucial. The shiny licorice reflected every single light source in the studio, so it was just as important to flag off light as it was to add light. I believe I had eight flags in total: three on each side of the shooting area, and another two right behind the model. You can actually see one flag in the image. You see that large black area on the right hand side of the background? That’s a flag.”

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.

“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.

“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!

“Again, the background was lit with a D1 with 10° Grid. But I didn’t use any color gel this time. Neither did I use any fill light. Another important difference is, of course, that we added certain elements during post production. The gold make-up, the hair and the pigtail, all that was added in Photoshop by my talented assistant Maria.”

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 3×4’ 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. 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!

“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 3×4’ RFi. 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.

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?

“The flour shot just happened,” says David. “I barely changed the setup I’d used for the cocoa shot. The only difference is that I removed the 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.

“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 – editorial, fashion, lifestyle, portraits and advertisements, you name it. You can see more of his stunning work at his website.

Click here to read the of the flipbook (for which this article was originally written).

Written by Fredrik Franzén

Every photographer has his or hers favorite subject, and so does Martin Wonnacott. He shoots liquids. Bottled, pouring and splashing liquids.

Another one of Martin’s characteristics is his remarkably positive attitude. He is constantly joking and laughing, and it takes only a couple of minutes before it feels as if we have known each other for a long time.

Your webpage states that you’ve shot every liquid on earth. Is that true?

“Within the drinks industry, yeah. Almost. But I haven’t shot liquid gold or anything like that.”

Have you shot magma?

“No. Ha ha. No magma. I shoot drinks. Liquids. It’s not necessarily always alcoholic, though there is a fair amount of that, obviously. I shoot beverages, you might say. I’ve shot all the whiskeys, gins, vodkas, pepsis and cokes. One time at Times Square, I had two campaigns running at the same time – one for Pepsi and one for Coke. It was quite funny.”

It’s a pretty narrow field. Why liquids?

“I just adore the whole area. When I was 17 and working as an assistant, the studio I was working in shot a lot of bottles for the local distillery, and it fascinated me! In fact, already when I was in school, I was obsessed about trying to shoot liquids pouring in my parents’ garage. Which was kind of weird, I guess?”

Yeah, kind of.

“Yes! Ha ha. But as I went self-employed, I couldn’t really start of as a specialist. You’ve got to earn your stripes. But slowly, slowly I honed myself back to where I started…”

“Martin is suddenly interrupted by a loud siren noise.”

What’s that? Tough neighborhood?

“No no, that’s the email.”

Now where was I? asks Martin. “Right. The bottles – you know, they’re difficult to shoot!”

How come?

“Well, technically because they’re very shiny. And then you’ve got to bring life to them. It’s not enough to put a nice reflection on them. You’ve got to bring out some personality. You’ve got to feel the image when you see it.”

Is that where the lighting comes in?

“Lighting is everything. And for me, it’s about keeping it simple. It’s about stripping it back and not use too much light. It might sound crazy, but it’s necessary to find a balance and not over-complicate things.”

Why did you choose Profoto to do that?

“Quality. It’s all about quality. I use the Pro-8 and the D4. The Pro-8 for speed and the D4 for all the other stuff.”

I guess it takes a lot of speed to freeze splashes of liquid.

“Exactly. Speed – you don’t always need it, but when you do, the Pro-8 is fantastic. I also love the software. I mean, it can be irritating at times. It doesn’t resize your window the way I want to, but that’s just a minor detail. I run all of my Pro-8’s and D4 packs from the screen, and it’s just fantastic. It brings along so much freedom to focus on the actual exploration.”

Suddenly there’s another loud noise, which sounds like a robotic elephant running amuck.

Now what was that? An sms?

“No. There’s a fire truck outside. I’m innocent. Ha Ha.”

Intro by Skip Cohen

Whenever I'm teaching a marketing class, especially with wedding photographers, I always like to ask for a show of hands of how many people shoot tabletop. I love the fact that virtually nobody ever raises their hands. Yet, as wedding photographers, they're constantly photographing wedding details without any of the tools a normal commercial tabletop shooter might have. Even tougher is the importance of the images, because they reveal such important details of the wedding.

In this new episode of Walk Through a Wedding, Justin and Mary Marantz take you through some of the ingredients for capturing great cake shots and the importance of highlights and shadows. It's a significant image in every wedding album, so you need to know how to capture the best possible cake shot.

Watch this new installment and then get yourself on Profoto's FREE newsletter list of subscribers so you never miss a beat...or a video! Plus, this is the link to watch any of the past episodes, just in case you missed any.

Intro by Skip Cohen

Profoto has a lot of outstanding content on their blog.  While this post has some great entertainment value, it's also got some interesting applications under the "how to" umbrella. Plus, it's August and it's hot just about everywhere. What better way to feel what an artist like Michael Mueller is trying to portray than to look at images taken during the dead of winter on a snow covered mountain?  You really can feel the climate in these images!

I love stories about extreme photography, because they help give us all such an appreciation for the challenges we face during what's considered our normal business. The next time you're dealing with a little rain during a summer wedding, think about Michael Mueller and the environment he's working in here! Better yet, think about your own skill set and how you'd take on an assignment like this one.

A big thanks to Profoto for their never-ending support of professional photography, education and allowing me to share this post with you.

Written by Fredrik Franzén

First of all, to avoid any confusion: the Michael Mueller who shot these images is not the same photographer who shoots sharks and invents waterproof Profoto heads. No, this is the Michael Mueller who shoots action sports and brings Profoto strobes with him to a snowy mountaintop.

“I like being outside,” says Michael. “I also like photographing people who are outside, and I find it rewarding to try to capture all the positive things I associate with this: the adrenaline, the forces of nature, the changing weather, the feelings you get when you’re riding your bike or skiing down a slope.”

It all started when Michael was in his early twenties and his snowboarding friends asked him to take some action shots of them. Michael soon realized that not only did he enjoy the assignment; he actually had a knack for taking photographs that inspires people to get out of their seductively comfortable sofas and head out into nature.

Needless to say, the encouraging, positive feel of Michael’s images has made him sought-after amongst brands that want their customers to feel just that – encouraged and inspired. The images in this article were shot during one such assignment, and the client in question was ski mountaineering brand Dynafit.

“The current trend in that particular market is quite realistic photographs, shot with available light only,” says Michael. “But Dynafit wanted something different. They wanted something that felt natural yet extraordinary. So, after discussing it with my agency Pascher & Heinz, I decided to bring strobes with me to the shoot.”

Said and done. Michael and his crew packed an Pro-B3 battery generator, spare batteries, a ProHead and a spare Pro-B Head too, just in case. Then they headed for the slope.

“It wasn’t easy,” says Michael. “The weather conditions were quite rough, and because of the avalanche risk, we had to walk for half an hour in the snow in -20°. As you know, batteries don’t work very well under those conditions, but we solved that problem by putting ski boot heaters next to the generator in the backpack. This actually worked so well that we ended up using only two batteries for the entire shoot.”

Looking at the behind-the-scenes images of frost covered laptops and flash heads, you almost get the feeling that Michael’s shooting day ended in frozen tears. But as the final images are a clear evidence of, Michael got the shots he needed. Even more importantly, the client loved them.

“Yes, the client was super happy and the response from the community has been overwhelming,” says Michael. “Like I said, they usually prefer more natural looking images. My guess is that it worked because we didn’t fake anything. The weather is real. The snow and the wind are real. These are not models and they’re not acting. These are real athletes and they’re really struggling to climb that mountain. And even though we did use artificial lighting, we didn’t create light out of nowhere. We just enhanced what was already there.”

See more of Michael’s stunning images on his website or on his blog.

Since the introduction of the B1, the positive comments have been non-stop. However, the very best one yet came from the "Queen of Lighting" herself, Bobbi Lane:

                                  "The B1 is a game changer!"

Next month Profoto will start shipping the new Profoto Air Remote TTL-N for Nikon gear. The dealers are ordering now, so check with your Profoto dealer and get in your order. This is one of those "you snooze you lose" scenarios and game changers don't come along very often!

And if you want to accuse me of doing an infomercial for Profoto, I couldn't be more proud! Since the introduction of the B1 less than a year ago, there have been some pretty amazing images captured by some of the most respected photographers in the world. Wireless, off-camera lighting opens up a whole new door to demonstrating your skill set.

If you've never seen the original video, The Carrara Project, that launched the B1, check it out. Keep in mind the entire salt mine is lit up thanks to a couple of B1's!

Intro by Skip Cohen

There's so much great content by so many different companies in "how to" blogs across our industry. One of my favorites is Profoto's blog and from now on, I'm designating Fridays as Profoto Friday. I want to dig through their archives and get you exposed, pun intended, to some of the most talents artists in our industry.

This piece about Aaron Conway, not only shows you some terrific results from his work with the Cincinnati Ballet company, but he's also including some terrific instructional information showing the lighting diagram. I also loved the quality of the images and the way they set the mood for the story!

Welcome to Profoto Friday!

by Fredrik Franzén

Cincinnati-based fine art and commercial photographer Aaron Conway was challenged to introduce the city’s ballet to a new and younger audience. His solution? Shoot the ensemble dancing in a location where the kids actually hang out.

Different photographers have different needs and different preferences. There are quite a few who value being able to shoot fast and on the fly. But there are also photographers such as Aaron Conway who prefers taking it slow and getting deep into the details.

“Patience is essential,” says Aaron. “Taking the time to build the right set and working on the lighting is critical. I’m always my worst critic and have realized that if you rush a shot you’ll always see it in the image.”

It is a surprising stance, considering some of the stuff that Aaron shoots. For instance, getting deep into the details seems to be a difficult thing to do when shooting the bustling activity of the Cincinnati Ballet.

“I like working with images that have more focused lighting,” replies Aaron when asked about the thinking behind his lighting setup. “There may be fill lights or accent lights, but I try to always have a strong main light in my images. I’ve always been drawn to images in which you can see the direction of the light. I think it creates an identity in the image, as if you were looking through the photographer’s eyes, seeing what they see.”

The purpose of the shoot was to show the Cincinnati Ballet in a new light. The ballet wanted to reach out to a younger audience and show people in their twenties-thirties that ballet dancers are, in fact, just like them. For instance, they go to the same places to eat and socialize.

“There is a popular cocktail bar in Cincinnati called Japp’s that has a dance hall in the back called the Annex. That is where we shot the images. Since we wanted to reach out to a certain age group, we focused on making sure the location was recognizable. For instance, one of the distinguishable features of Japp’s is the projection on the back wall that plays a montage of old dancing movies. Including this in the images was very important.

“My overall goal was to achieve a realistic weekend night at Japp’s – an evening where everyone is having a good time! I didn’t want to focus too much on the ballet dancers. I’d rather just include them as any other person in the crowd.”

Aaron used five Profoto lights to light his set: three D1 500 Air monolights and two of the good old ComPact 600s. The lights were equipped with a Magnum Reflector, two Zoom Reflectors, a Seven Inch Grid Reflector and a Softbox RFi 5’ Octa.

“I knew right from that start that I wanted to light the dancers with the Magnum,” says Aaron. “It’s one of my favorite Light Shaping Tools. It throws such a powerful beam of light but is still very kind to skin. The Softbox RFi 5’ Octa was used as a general soft fill for the room, pulling up any areas that were completely shadowed. The Zoom Reflectors were used as edge lighting on the crowd. They were also gelled to create the mood of a weekend night with colored lights.  Finally, the Seven Inch Grid Reflector was used to skim across the floor behind the crowd and dancers to add some separation between the dancer’s legs.”

“When it came to lighting the dance floor, one of the most important things to me was actually the back wall. As mentioned before, there is a projection there, playing a montage of dance scenes in old movies. It’s a very important feature at this location and crucial for tying it in to the audience we were trying to reach. I knew that this would require a long shutter speed, so determining my exposure for the projection was one of the first things I had to do.

“The next step was setting up the three backlights. I used two edge lights on c-stands with gels to color the room and create depth. I used a red/orange gel on camera right and a cool blue/purple on camera left. The third light was on a floor stand in the corner camera left, shining through the legs of the dancers, giving a little separation between all the people moving around.

“The Softbox RFi 5’ Octa was then used for a fill camera left to keep information in the shadows. Finally, the Magnum Reflector was on a superboom up at least 10 feet, zoomed in and angled down on the two ballet dancers.

The monolights Aaron used are not really designed to freeze motion, at least not in in the same way as a ten times as an expensive studio flash, such as a Pro-8 or Pro-B4. But rather than letting this become a problem, Aaron turned it into an advantage.

“I knew there would be a little motion blur but I completely embraced it,” he says. “Most of the images were shot with a shutter speed of one second or more. Looking at the results, I really enjoy the slight streaking that can be seen in some of the images. I think it gives a great feeling of motion to a still image. There is also a slight ghosting of the projection on the dancers that I also enjoy. I try to always create everything I can in camera and to stay away from compositing. In my mind, a composite image never has quite the same feeling. The natural blending of the colors and dancers is actually one of my favorite things about these images.”

See more of Aaron’s work at his website.