Fovitec- The Professional Touch of a Monolight

The Professional Touch of a Monolight

Sep, 16

Flash of Beauty

Do you ever see a picture and wonder how the photographer obtained perfect professional lighting for that shot? You might be asking "What kind of flash do they use?" or "Where is the light positioned?" For Alexandre Godinho, quality equipment was necessary for an upcoming photo shoot he had with Jiu-Jitsu multi champion, Gabi Garcia, and the UFC Champion Anderson Silva's daughter, model and celebrity, Kaory Silva. With Fovitec's help, Alexandre went with (2) SDX 600 Strobes and (2) 68" Octagon Softboxes for his important shoot. The images produced were nothing short of a flawless production.

Controlling Your Light

The difference between a strobe and a built-in flash is that a flash is directly connected to your camera. This means that however you adjust your camera, the flash will always go off from the same direction as the lens is pointed. This could end up leaving unflattering shadows behind the subject with no light control, giving your image an amateur look. A strobe, in contrast, can be placed wherever you desire, placing you in control of your light. This gives you the ability to control light by adding it in any direction, which gives a much more realistic, soft light on the subject.

Shown below are some examples of the difference between less controlled or natural lighting and the professional look of an SDX 600 Strobe. Notice in this first set of images the amount of detail gained by using the strobe. This kind of detail contributes to the quality of the photograph.

In this image, notice the even lighting the Octagon Softbox was able to produce. Alexandre added, "This light modifier has a fine finishing that gives it a very professional look when shooting." He announced that the best part of the softbox for him as a photographer is that it remained easy to work with during a 12pm-7pm nonstop shoot. It did not loosen, remaining tight during the session and left the flash always well centered providing a very homogeneous light.

Crisp, Clean, Convenient

Upon handling his equipment for the first time, Alexandre noted, "I could see that the strobe was really user friendly and made of high endurance quality thermoplastic with no burrs or amendments." With two displays, a large one for the power control, and a smaller one that points out the selected channel, it is much easier to work with agility during the photo shoot session.

He recommends using the wireless remote control for SDX because, he says, "It allows one to adjust at a distance without needing to walk back to the flash, remove it from the light stand, make the adjustment, and position it again." He and his team can focus on creating the perfect image as quickly as possible, which can be one of the biggest obstacles in professional photography.

"I could see that the strobe was really user friendly and made of high endurance quality thermoplastic with no burrs or amendments."

Strobe lights differ from continuous lights because you cannot see exactly how your scene will be captured until you trigger the flash. Once you do, a high intensity light will pulse for just a fraction of a second, giving the perfect powerful light output. After some test shots you can make adjustments to light the scene as you need. Sometimes you can even use natural light to your advantage, having it compliment the strobe lighting.

As you can see, the image above, where Alexandre used his SDX 600 displays details better, has a softer effect on the skin, and doesn't leave a shadow behind the subject. This technique makes portraits much more pleasing to the eye and professional looking.

Camera Ready

Understand that simply pointing the light toward the subject will not guarantee you a perfect shot. Placing and angling your lights are extremely vital to the success of your photo. You will need to think about where to position your lights to give your subject the look you want to achieve. For example, take a look at the image below. Typically, you will want to put a strobe about 5 feet to the right or left of the camera and angle it toward the subject. Choose a location where the shadow from the lights will not be visible in the camera shot. This will add light to the side of a subject, rather than the front, giving the subject a nice, realistic, clear feeling in the image.

Alexandre admitted he checked the equipment temperature multiple times throughout the shoot and all thanks to the SDX's internal fan, it remained the same. He also stated that, "With equipment at such a reasonable price and the recycling time of 2s at full power, the products were flawless and much more than enough to get the job done!"

Compliments

While shooting, you should be thinking about creativity and the final piece. What direction do you want the light to come from? Do you want a dramatic shadow on one side of the subject? Do you want to add an extra light or two to the photo to remove some shadows? Should you consider lighting up the surroundings, or even add a second subject? These are the kind of questions you should ask yourself when shooting, and this is what makes photography a form of art. There is creative choice.

Essentially, the secret to having professional lighting in a location where it seems as though the natural light cannot possibly give such a perfect composition on someone's face, is with the use of strobe. Soon, you may be highly sought after like Alexandre Godinho, all because you hold the professional touch on your monolight.

Images that often go unnoticed in the rush of everyday life, are only some of what Alexandre Godinho captures. Featured as one of the fifty photographers, you may recognize his name from the book, Light and Shoot: 50 Fashion Photographers of the World by Chris Gatcum. Known as the gaucho of Rio Grande and photographer of fashion, architecture, and advertising, he uses a mixed technique that works the amount of light at different intensities. Alexandre is responsible for producing a wide range of portfolio images for an assortment of models. Working with tight shooting schedules in makeshift studio environments, Alexandre delivers results that appeal to both local and international modeling markets. Saying we are honored to have Alexandre work with us is an understatement. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world.