Intro by Skip Cohen

I wanted to share this post from Profoto's "Inspiration," because it's one of my most favorite to date. Written by Seth Chandler, he does a terrific job of asking just the right questions, and Elisabeth Hoff brings an issue to the surface so many artists forget about; the art of making your clients feel terrific!

Whether you're doing a portrait session with a celebrity, high school senior or "Mom" and the kids, getting great expressions and capturing the personality of your subjects is about how you make them feel. She mentioned in the interview:

"I work on making my subjects feel fantastic and like they can’t do anything wrong. I never use negative language, I just nudge people in the right direction."

I chose two of my favorite images from the post to kick things off above. So many of you photograph dance schools, but I've never seen images that simply feel this much fun. You can see it in every child's expression.

It's a short interview, and I hope you'll take the time to read it all. Elisabeth isn't just sharing thoughts on her growth as an artist, but giving you a short lesson in communicating with your clients. Check out more of her work with a trip to her website with a click on any image below.

And, check out Profoto's Off Camera Flash System. Elisabeth talks about how she's using the B1 and combining it with natural light to get an even better result.

by Seth Chandler
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Elisabeth Hoff is a London-based fashion, celebrity and beauty photographer working for major advertising and editorial clients such as Adidas, Coca-Cola, Nike, Vogue, Glamour and the BBC in the UK and abroad. She has photographed such celebrities as Bob Geldoff, Dannii Minogue, Emily Blunt, Naomi Campbell and many more.

​Born in Norway, Elisabeth spent five years of her childhood sailing around the world aboard her family’s sailboat. After graduating from university, she attempted to become the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic. After a near-disaster at sea, she realized the importance of making the most of now and decided to pursue he lifelong dream of becoming a photographer.

You’ve been doing this for quite a few years. How do you think your work has changed over time?
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You get more levels of awareness as you get older and intellectually understand more. You develop a skill set to see what’s going on. When you are younger, it’s more of a gut feeling. When I look at my early work I don’t think it has enough layers.

How do you use light?
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I’ve used Profoto throughout my career. I recently got a Profoto B1 and have found myself using a mix of daylight and flash. Using a mix of different heads you can get amazing results. It almost looks like daylight but with a better result.

The women in your photographs are not shrinking violets. A lot of bold personalities come across in the images. How do you bring that out of the subjects?

I’m really happy you said that. My job is to make people look like a better version of themselves. I work on making my subjects feel fantastic and like they can’t do anything wrong. I never use negative language, I just nudge people in the right direction. Sometimes you have members of the team judging the subject, like a stylist crassly pointing out how the model doesn’t fit the sample size clothing. I don’t like to work with people like that. You should not leave a shoot feeling neurotic!

In the shot with the young ballet students, they all look so happy and are smiling so naturally. I know from my daughter’s school photos that that is no easy trick. What’s your secret?
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When shooting children I really steer away from telling them exactly what to do. There is no stand up straight and smile from me as I think that is the wrong approach. I try to create a fun environment and gently nudge them along with words of encouragement. I played Justin Bieber during this shot, and they started singing at one point while I was shooting, which proves how incredibly comfortable they all were. I think I asked them not to look at the camera. They were allowed to have a little chat if they wanted.

How important is it to just go with the flow?
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Sometimes I’m not ready but if the subject is in a moment, I’ll just take the picture anyway. I also sometimes have to shoot through the person being “not ready.” It can take a while for people to get used to you before you can get something good. You have to be very present.

You’ve taken a lot of photographs of famous people. Do they tend to be difficult? What’s the secret to working with celebrities?
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With famous people, you have to be quite confident. You have to sell your idea in. Sometimes, they have a strong resistance to an idea or a strong idea of what they want instead. So you try it their way first. And then you say, “How about if we just try this and see what you think.” It’s psychology. You have to listen to people before you can bring them around.

What is the secret to getting a great shot that people will remember?

​It’s easy to become obsessed with technology. But if there isn’t a performance, it won’t be a great picture, no matter how perfect the exposure. The subjects have to share a bit about themselves or I’m not going to get the result I’m looking for.

by Skip Cohen

At least once a week I take a scroll through Profoto USA's website. I'm always amazed by the amount of content being shared. One of my most favorite sections is under "Inspiration." 

In this profile I ran across this morning, written by Jens-Linus Lundgren-Widén, Chris Knight is shooting cinematic portraits in a story called "Homage to Hollywood." There are too many great images to share here, so just click on any image to see all the photographs and read the complete story.

Check out more of Chris Knight's work with a visit to his website. The minute you land on his home page, you'll be hit with stunning portraiture by an artist who NEVER compromises on the quality of his images, or his gear.

What I love about these inspirational stories is the way Profoto is sharing outstanding content. Each story introduces you to another artist.

At the same time, they're sharing creative ideas to help you build a stronger skill set of your own, and helping you understand how much depth is in their accessory line to add to your creative tools.

The images are beautiful, but for me, I love the behind the scenes components, including the short video below.

Chris shares a lot of great content in this video as he takes us through all the ingredients to create the images. Then the article fills in the holes with images of the set Chris built, along with links to the various components.

I've written this so many times before...

Profoto isn't just building some of the finest lighting gear in imaging today, but helping to build some of the best artists and in turn, stunning images.

Check out Profoto's D1 along with their Off Camera Flash Systems with the new B1x and B2. It's a quick click to their website, but even better to stop in to a Profoto Dealer or Rental House for a "test drive." Just click on the link below.

Intro by Skip Cohen

I've been sharing these Tiny Talks videos all year long because they provide so much great content in a short amount of time. And, they feature some of the most creative and talented artists in the world. While the common denominators are their passion and love for the craft, there's a third ingredient, the "game-changers," Profoto's Off-Camera Flash Systems, the B1 and B2.

Charleton Churchill is in the spotlight  this week with adventure weddings. While some of you might think every wedding is an adventure, Charleton redefines the meaning of the word! And, if you think about it, Profoto lights have raised the bar on so many different mind's eye visions he's now able to capture.

He's shooting with the B2 system. Just click on the image to the right to find out more about it and then visit your local Profoto dealer or rental house.

Check out more of Charleton's work with a visit to his website. Just click on any of his images in this post. He's definitely an artist who's combined his love for travel with his passion for adventure and his clients.

What a kick!