litebook January-June 2013
the creative lighting magazine
Rafal Makiela
underwater
specialist
Christian Hough tests the Creo generator to dramatic effect... Uzair Karawala talks us
Yves Salmon
5 minutes is all you get
through his latest highprofile ad commission... LiteBites - Kevin Focht tell us why it’s important to always listen to your subject.
C o n t e n t s
H
appy Birthday To Us. 2013 is a big birthday year for Bowens International. We’re 50. Bowens actually started life back in 1923 as a camera service company. And by the Fifties – when we started manufacturing our first electronic studio flash systems the company was one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Then in 1963 the name Bowens International was registered – coincident with the launch of the company’s groundbreaking monobloc invention. It was the first electronic studio flash unit with its power source built-in. Today our products are distributed to over seventy countries across the world and our bragging rights include the fact that our lighting equipment is the most used flash product on the planet. The power behind the picture: Recently at The Societies’ Convention in London we picked up the ‘Best Studio Lighting Award’ and achieved record sales figures at the show. This year we have a raft of exciting new product launches planned, including a new fluorescent light bank range and additions to our LED products, all marketed under Limelite – our blossoming videography and broadcast subdivision. And, of course, we will continue to be at future key trade shows constructing cool and compelling stands, showcase great products and fully engaging with our customers – as we’ve been doing for half a century.
03. NEWS
We’re officially the best!
04. Creo, aim...flash!
Litebook best bud Christian
Hough test drives our new Creo pack with stunning results.
10. Yves Salmon
When all you have is 5 minutes
to do your job you’ve got to be good at what you do...Yves Salmon does it best.
20. rafal makiela
RM is a master photographer
creating stunningly beautiful images of an underwater paradise...“it really is a different world.”
26. Uzair Karawala
Uzair goes on location in London
to shoot a series of shots for Nikon’s ‘I See’ campaign...using, of course, his Bowens lighting.
32. LITEBITES
It’s always good advice to listen
to your subjects...at least that’s what US sharp shooter Kevin Focht reckons in his latest lighting tutorial.
David Hollingsworth. Editor
litebook: Published by Bowens International Ltd. 355-361 Old Road, Clacton-On-Sea, Essex, CO15 3RH. Tel: +44(0)1255 422807. Email: litebook@bowens.co.uk - Any prices quoted are correct at time of press but may vary by retailer and are subject to change at any time. All models and technical specifications featured are subject to change and without notice. ‘Bowens’® and ‘the power behind the picture’® are registered trademarks of Bowens International Ltd. © 2013 Bowens International Ltd. E&OE. // Cover image: © Rafal Makiela - www.makiela.com
News
It’s Official: we’re the best!
W
e’ve done it again... w e ’ v e a d d e d another award to our trophy cabinet while at this year’s ‘Societies convention’ in London; we picked up the award for the ‘Best Studio Lighting’. Robert Cook, Marketing Director, said: “The Convention’s new home at the Hilton London Metropole
O
(like we didn’t know already...)
proved a winner for us all round. We doubled our sales figures over last year’s show and picked up a key award. I am particularly pleased with this honour as it is the result of online voting by photographers who clearly believe our lighting products have a key role to play in their workflow.” He added: “A particular favourite at the show was our multi-awardwinning Gemini Rx flash system that now ships with built-in Pulsar
radio.” Bowens recently launched a trio of new products including the Creo generator packs - and the Essex-based company plan to showcase further lighting equipment innovations at Focus in March.
www.bowens.co.uk
WE’VE REVAMPED OUR STUDIOLITE LIGHT BANKS ur Studiolite light banks have undergone a major revamp and now include built-in DMX compatibility; as well as a three position rotation system allowing for greater creativity. Available in three sizes, the two, four and eight tube models use the same long life
litebook
(10,000+ hours) 55W 5400K or 3000K compact lamps. With full DMX compatibility, the Studiolites can be controlled remotely or simply from the on-board digital control panel; dimming from 100% or 0% and each unit can become a master control for banks of Studiolites linked together via standard RJ45 ethernet/DMX cables. Operating the Studiolite light banks is quick, easy and
intuitive. For photographers the output display can easily be switched from linear to f-stop units to make metering easy. Honeycomb grids, barn-door sets and filter frames slot quickly into the front of the Studiolites for easy creativity on the fly. For more information visit the website:
www.bowens.co.uk 03
Behind-The-Picture...with Christian Hough
Take aiM ...flash! Apart from Superman, what’s faster than a speeding bullet? The new Bowens Creo generator pack! To be more precise, the Creo’s actionstopping flash-duration is fast enough to freeze an airgun pellet at the point it explodes a model’s head.
Well, that’s the illusion. And there are no splashes of blood, just coloured water. Lots of it. In a large blacked-out studio, fashion and beauty photographer Christian Hough took careful aim with an airgun at a target nearly 20 metres away. But he wasn’t about to shoot his model. Instead, somewhere in the darkness he could just make out the swollen form of a water-filled balloon.
onto the model.” As one of Britain’s leading fashion and beauty photographers, Londonbased Christian has worked with models and water before, but usually in the more restrained set-up of a shower scene or still life. Now, with the Creo packs at his disposal and the potential for freezing high-speed action, he aimed to create a far more dramatic result.
When Christian pulled the trigger, there was a split second of bang, flash and splash, then darkness again. “As soon as I fired the air rifle it activated a sound trigger that fired the flash that froze the motion at the exact point of the explosion,” he explains. This instant of crisply exposed high-speed action was then superimposed in Photoshop onto the startled face of model Kamila Nowak. That amount of image manipulation in itself was a time consuming task, but the final result is an image that demonstrates with dramatic impact the capabilities of the Creo 2400Ws generator pack.
“I wanted to make this a bit more colourful. It was commercial, so needed to be really eye-catching, so we decided to use the bright colours and clean lines of Latex” he explains. “It creates a nice shape and looks more interesting. Then it was a case of just getting the model to create various poses so that we could superimpose some of the exploding balloons onto her head and face. Some of the pictures have got splashes exploding out of her head. They were superimposed onto her head so that she looked like part of the set-up.”
“The key thing was to demonstrate a set-up lit by a really short flash duration, because normally when you throw water you get some blur. But what made it interesting was to use an air rifle to shoot a balloon and then superimpose the splashes from the balloon
06
It was just as well that Christian’s studio was big enough for the task. The airgun to target distance was critical for ensuring that the flash fired at the instant the pellet hit the balloon. “You have to capture the balloon at the point it’s exploding,” Christian explains, “This was very difficult because if the rifle was 30cm further
forward it would mean the pellet would hit the balloon too soon. If it was too far back it would be too late and we wouldn’t capture the explosion of water.” As it turned out, Christian reckons he was firing the air gun in the blacked out studio from a distance of nearly 20 metres. “It was some distance. It’s not great when you need to have the studio completely black. Basically the shutter was open on the camera and the Creo power pack was triggered by the sound. The shutter remained open, I fired the air rifle, the sound triggered the flash and then I had to get someone to close the shutter.”
“ the flash from the Creo even caught the pellet in some of the captures, it ’s actually frozen and you can see it coming out of the balloon!” So the Creo packs really did stop a bullet. (Well, a pellet, admittedly.)
bowens.co.uk
“the final result is an image that demonstrates with dramatic impact the capabilities of the Creo 2400Ws generator pack.” In keeping with the vibrant styling of the shoot, orange juice, blackcurrant and other juices were used to add some colour to the water. The balloons weren’t all burst by airgun pellets either; some were pricked from below by an assistant wielding a barbecue skewer. These proved easier to freeze with the Creo packs because the droplets – pulled by the force of gravity – aren’t moving as fast as those dissipated by the force of a speeding pellet.
08
“At that velocity you need a fast flash to freeze the movement,” says Christian, “but even at the extremities of the exploding droplets, there is some flight blur. That said, the flash from the Creo even caught the pellet in some of the captures, it’s actually frozen and you can see it coming out of the balloon!” So the Creo packs really did stop a bullet. (Well, a pellet, admittedly.) If firing airguns and bursting water-filled balloons wasn’t enough fun in a day’s work, Christian filled some balloons and jugs with milk, which were burst with the barbecue skewer and thrown over the model. Milk was also poured directly from above or thrown from the side, each time the splash and droplets were frozen without a hint of blur, creating an almost molten-like shape that seemed to wrap around Kamila Nowak’s otherwise flawless complexion. She can’t have been on a shoot where so much milk had been spilt around her? “I don’t think so, not in this way,” he laughs. “She’s a good model. I’ve used her a couple of times before. She’s really expressive.” Christian reckons he got through 30 litres of milk during the shoot as well as similar quantities of water and fruit juice. Unsurprisingly, it was one of the messiest studio
jobs he’s ever undertaken. “It was a massive clean-up operation afterwards. It was such a mess. We had to use a kids’ paddling pool to catch the splashes and stuff, and everywhere else was just sheets and towels.” But he’s not crying over spilt milk, instead he’s marvelling at a new set of vibrant images and the speed of light from the Creo 2400Ws power packs. www.christianhough.com Model: Kamila Nowak Styling: Kristina Ritchie www.kristinaritchie.com Hair and Make-up: Fiona Tanner www.ftmakeup.co.uk • Christian Hough’s new book, Studio Photography and Lighting: Art and Techniques (The Crowood Press), is published on 22 April. RRP £16.99
bowens.co.uk
Equipment Used Creo 2400
Beauty Dish
Lumiair 100x40cm
“I loved using these packs. The recycling speed and flash-durations were simply incredible; I couldn’t shoot as fast as the packs could recycle.” bowens.co.uk
“This reflector provides a beautiful soft output; the additions of the full-grid and the elasticated diffuser make this a really versatile dish.” bowens.co.uk
“Everyone uses softboxes and the Lumiair by Bowens are some of the best. The quality of materials used is great and the light output is just flawless.” bowens.co.uk
Profile
YvesSalmon
Shoot me in five minutes For Yves Salmon, five minutes has to be time very well spent. Five minutes is all she can expect to photograph her sitters. Five minutes to make a memorable portrait, to show off their talent.
And hers.
10
bowens.co.uk
[Model] Daniel Craig: Actor
Talent is the film industry vernacular for actors and Yves is as familiar with the red carpet as they are, covering the leading film festivals of Berlin, Venice, Toronto and Cannes, camera in hand, spotting talent. “It’s quite a strange world to be in,” she admits. “It was quite scary at the first festival in 2007, Berlin, not really knowing anyone at all and just being blown off by the publicists saying, ‘Well, who are you?’ So, I just left my business card with people. But that proved to be the key.” Unknown to the publicists, Yves had already shot some talent in London: turning over her business card revealed portraits she had taken of Daniel Craig, Colin Firth and Jane Fonda – in five minutes. “Seeing the business card they saw real high end talent and by the time I got to the next festival, in Cannes, they remembered me and decided to give me a break. I got to know a few more publicists as well and made a point of sending them samples of my images shot at previous festivals, so each time I got to a festival it got that little bit easier.” But how did she get to photograph Craig, Firth and Fonda for her business card in the first place? “I shot those on the South Bank a few years before,” she explains. “They came to introduce some films at an event for the British Film Institute and I was just a little bit cheeky really and said: ‘Can I have five minutes to do some portraits?’ Out of all of them, I got six frames. Strictly speaking that’s not what they were there for. So I was lucky.”
12
Lucky but also determined. Yves journey to the red carpet wasn’t planned, although she did have a tenuous connection with the film industry. After graduating from Trinity College of Music in Greenwich, she got a job as a secretary at the British Film Institute, which rekindled an interest in photography that developed during school days. She recalls: “When I was at the BFI, I knew I wanted to retrain and get back into photography, so I did some short courses. Eventually,
to copy as film stills. “It seems so antiquated now. I would have a copy stand and a rostrum and copy the still that went into various cinematic publications, education manuals and BFI film publications.” By the end of the 1990s, Yves was ready to strike out on her own as a freelance photographer, with the BFI as one of her clients. “I have always used Bowens kit, it was the first stuff that I ever bought,” she says. “It was a Traveler G, which I still
“people don’t remember how you have made them look, they remember how you have made them feel. That’s really what I strive for." the BFI supported me to do an ONC and then an HNC for which I was on release one day a week. That overlapped with my secretarial job for about three months.” Soon after completing her HNC, a vacancy for a photographer with the BFI became available. Yves successfully applied. Most of her time was spent working on a Steenbeck, a machine for viewing reels of celluloid and marking frames
have. Then, when I went freelance, I got some Geminis as well, I found it easier to use single heads, I ended up getting a 750W head and 500W head with a battery pack and sticking all that on a trolley with my camera and carting it around.” The trolley is a vital part of her kit: Yves doesn’t have a studio and always works on location, usually without an assistant, so she likes to keep her
bowens.co.uk
[Models] {left} Giancarlo Giammetti: Honorary President of Valentino Fashion House - {right} Valentino Garavani: Fashion Designer
lighting to a minimum. “I try to keep the lighting quite simple because part of my look is done in post production,” she explains. “I use quite a lot of Photoshop as well, not just to tidy up the talent but also for vignetting in the edges. Lots of the time it is really simple: one umbrella, one reflector. So often it depends on the space I’m in.” Yves only started shooting the international film festivals after a friend made the suggestion when observing her newly printed business card with the images of Craig, Firth and Fonda. That was January 2007, and by the following month she was in Berlin with her trolley. “I had no idea what film festivals
“I got two superb pieces of advice from a friend in the industry: ‘Don’t take the talent too far from the hub occupied by their PR people and don’t take more than five minutes.’ I have stuck to that and it has really worked. The publicists love you because you don’t hog their time, they don’t have to look for you and you hand the talent back almost before they’re up. They think you’re an ideal person to work with.” Less than ideal though are some of the working spaces at the festivals. Even at locations as glamorous as Venice and Cannes, space is at a premium and Yves can find herself jostling for room with other photographers, trying to
“It (Bowens) was the first lot of kit I ever bought and I’ve stuck with it...it’s really been my mainstay. It’s just hardwearing, it’s a good price and its tough." were all about,” she confesses, but some inside knowledge, as well as her business card, helped to get her on the right side of the protective publicists.
14
use her five minutes to somehow be more creative with the stars than the photographer before her, or the one after. “You set the lights up and
there really isn’t time to do anything particularly fancy. Most of the time it’s one light with a reflector. Lack of space means you start shooting tight and it gets very physical because you can’t make use of the environment around you. I had a tutor at college who said: ‘There’s only one sun.’ You can get quite fancy with lighting, but essentially you’re looking for just one light and everything else is just an extra.” Yves has found time recently to refine her lighting technique while still keeping it simple. She has supplemented her two umbrellas with a small Octa softbox, and is using more fill-in light to ‘uplight’ her sitter. “I’m quite partial to some bounce light as well, with a reflector,” she says. “There’s a portrait I did recently of Michael Ballhaus, who is Martin Scorsese’s cinematographer, where the light just bounced up and is filling on his sleeve.” Yves has always used Bowens and cannot contemplate using any other brand. “It was the first lot of kit I ever bought and I’ve stuck with it,” she says. “It’s really been my mainstay. It’s just hard-wearing, it’s a good price and its tough.” It needs to be tough and reliable because in her efforts to keep everything to a minimum, she doesn’t carry any spares, even when travelling abroad. “The lights fly and the Nikons go with me into the cabin. I always fly BA because they don’t give me grief about the size of my case. All that piles on to the trolley and a few stands, so I’ve got quite good at condensing my kit so I can wheel it to one place.”
bowens.co.uk
[Model] Carey Mullligan: Actor
[Model] Weiwei Liu: Actor
[Model] Scott Speedman: Actor
[Model] Guy Maddin: Screenwriter/Director
{compl;ete this sentence}
[LB]...I love this profession because... [YS]...of the diversity of the people I meet and work with...it means no two days are ever the same... Has it ever let her down? “No but I’ve run it down!” she laughs. “When I first bought the battery pack in 2008, I didn’t use it correctly. I think I overused it and let it run down, which Bowens warn you not to do. I was in Cannes, at the festival, and Bowens were absolutely fantastic because they arranged a French distributor to send another one to me the next day. I was extremely grateful for that.” Although actors spend their lives in front of a camera, they don’t always immediately look at the lens. She explains: “A lot of the time when they’re working, they don’t look at the camera. There will be a part of the script that says ‘to camera’, but most
16
of the time they will just ignore the crew that’s around them, ignore the camera, because they are engaging with the other actor. So it’s a challenge to get them to look directly at the lens. Yves admits that photographing such high profile stars as Carey Mulligan, Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Viggo Mortensen and Helen Mirren, is not without stress. “There’s always an element of stress with every job that you do because we all know a whole host of things can go wrong. Then you get some talent who make your job so much easier by being quite chilled out themselves. So, it was lovely to shoot Helen Mirren and her husband. They were really lovely people, really relaxed, a very easy atmosphere.”
So how does she gauge the success of a five minute sitting? “You know, I love the work of Dan Winters, the American celebrity photographer. One thing he said was that people don’t remember how you have made them look, they remember how you have made them feel. That’s really what I strive for as well. I just like the challenge of turning up and not knowing what it’s going to be like.” As Woody Allen once said: “Ninety per cent of success is just showing up.” It’s definitely true for Yves Salmon. www.yvessalmon.co.uk interview by Trevor Lansdown
bowens.co.uk
[Model] Michael Ballhaus: Cinematographer
Yves Key Equipment Gemini 750Pro
High Performance Reflector
Travelpak
This is a brilliant unit. Loads of power, easy-to-use, great specifications and they’re easy to set-up which is great for me. Plus I can use them on mains or from my Travelpak battery. bowens.co.uk
I simply love using this reflector; it kicks out so much light you can illuminate whole set-ups with it. The stippled silver finish provides a nice contrasting output as well. bowens.co.uk
An absolute must-have for me. Sometimes when I’m working I don’t have access to mains power so I have to ‘pop-up’ my Gemini & Travelpak quickly and start shooting. bowens.co.uk
th e ultimate creative power. . .
The Creo from Bowens is the pinnacle of performance, reliability, durability and value. The precision performance of the Creo including super-fast action-stopping flash durations and colour stability from flash to flash as stable as ±40ºk, coupled with the legendary build quality of Bowens, means the Creo is the perfect solution for hardworking commercial studios and busy rental houses alike. The Bowens Creo is equipped with an advanced cooling and internal protection system which is designed to prevent heat build-up during long or extended shoots, to always ensure that the pack is operating at its optimum performance...at all times. • Ultra-fast recycling - just 0.5secs to full power. • Up to 8 flashes per second. • Up to 1000 full power flashes per hour. • Flash durations as quick as 1/7700sec. • 10-stop power range (9-stops Creo 1200). • Super-high colour stability ±80k from 4.0 to 10.0. • Radio enabled for wire-free sync with Bowens Pulsar. • Self Seeking multi-voltage for worldwide compatibility. • Advanced self-cooling and system protection technology
© Photo by Christian Hough www.christianhough.com
Bowens.co.uk
Profile
RafalMakiela
High Watermarks There is a lot going on beneath the surface with Poland based photographer Rafal Makiela. Last month Litebook caught up with this prodigiously talented underwater specialist.
“with my work I strive to create complelling imagery using a delicate combination of style, light, models and processing technique” Litebook: It seems you’re always in deep water Rafal. How did this all start for you? Rafal: Well I am 39 now but my life as a photographer only began nine years ago. When my daughter Maksymilianna was born I wanted to capture as many images of her precious existence as I could, every single day. At first I was obsessed with just doing this – and then I became obsessed with photography itself. It became an all-encompassing passion. I photographed her with any camera I
22
could find at the time – mainly simple compacts. But as my enthusiasm grew so did my desire to start shooting with better capture devices. LB: How did this ambition start to evolve? RM: I started swotting up on wellknown photographers. I read their books and studied their work online. Then I signed up for as many workshops and tutorials on digital processing and software as I could
find but my first real-life mentor was my good friend Roma Ziaja – a brilliant fashion shooter from my own home town of Wroclaw in Poland. Roma made me really think about photography in a different way. He gave me fresh perspective. I think that probably the most important thing I have learned about photography is how important it is to select the perfect ingredients. It’s just like in cooking where everything must be of the right quality and quantity to
bowens.co.uk
“I love large Bowens softboxes that can provide me with large coatings of soft light that can beautifully ‘wrap up’ my models.” bring out the very best results. With my work I strive to create compelling imagery using a delicate combination of style, light, models and processing technique. LB: But why the focus on underwater shooting? RM: About three years ago I was casually surfing the internet and I stumbled across the photographs of Elena Kalis – a Russian-born photographer working mainly out of The Bahamas. I really admired her
litebook
work. She makes a key point about how being underwater creates such a limitless and free experience and how ‘the silence and emptiness of your surroundings becomes your own little space.’ I completely agree with her. I looked further and discovered other astonishing artists like London-based Zena Holloway who produces fantastic dream-like underwater images for her clients. I admired the work of these artists so much I decided I wanted to follow suit and create my own
portfolio of underwater pictures. LB: Shooting fashion in a studio can be a daunting business. But doing it all underwater with all the extra pressures and challenges must be a nightmare? RM: The biggest challenge in this genre is the water itself. It’s not a natural environment for us humans. It can render us pretty helpless. My models have to be properly trained in order for me to have any chance of capturing them looking at ease and relaxed.
23
{compl;ete this sentence}
[LB] - I love this profesion because... [RM] - it gives me freedom...freedom of mind and freedom of creation. Everything is so different below the surface. It really is a different world completely – the distances and the sizes. You have to worry about avoiding backscatter when using strobes and internal flash. Backscatter is mainly caused by strobes lighting up particles in the water between the lens and the subject. Light just looks and travels in a totally different way below the surface. LB: Apart from the technical challenges underwater you have real safety issues too, don’t you? RM: Yes for sure. Safety is the prime consideration on every shoot. I must ensure my models and my crew never get into trouble underwater - which is why we are always accompanied and supported by professional divers. And at all times we double check to make sure our equipment is watertight. Cameras are placed in waterproof cases and lamps are packed in thick plastic bags so that no accidental splashes of water can damage them. Computers and other electronic
24
equipment are just kept a safe distance from the water. Everyone in the team is always very well aware of safety considerations when it comes to shooting underwater. LB: Let’s talk about lighting. RM: The most important things when it comes to lighting are quality and accessibility. Of course having the right tools is key but light must be used in moderation. Outdoors I always try to employ both natural light and flash. Underwater I set up my own world and rely on very accurate positioning. I use several different lighting tools, including Bowens lamps set in varying positions at the edge of the pool, or perhaps even hanging above water. It all depends on the overall effect I need for the shoot. For our safety the heads are most often powered by Travelpaks of course. I also use professional underwater lighting adjusted for photographic and video productions. These are specialist high powered light lamps that
require limited electricity – based on LED diodes with a correct light temperature. LB: Any other underwater equipment eccentricities? RM: I use Ikelite water systems to house my Canon equipment – the products are high quality and extremely reliable. I love large Bowens softboxes that can provide me with large coatings of soft light that can beautifully ‘wrap up’ my models. Models underwater move around a lot, thus considerably extending the photographic area. Sometimes I add a grid – especially if a lamp is placed right above a model’s head to show off her hair. Additionally, I use an assortment of different sized reflectors to achieve sharp underwater silhouette details – or perhaps soft reflectors just to moderate the light. www.makiela.com
bowens.co.uk
Equipment Used Gemini 750Pro
Pulsar Tx
Lumiair 100x140cm
The perfect flash head; loads of power, simple controls, dual-voltage operation as well as Travelpak compatibility. The Gemini is the perfect portable lighting solution. bowens.co.uk
Everything needs to be wireless where possible. I couldn’t do what I do without these; they’re super small, lightweight and make my work-flow so much easier. bowens.co.uk
I love using big Bowens softboxes; the bigger the better. The quality of light that I get from these always produces fantastic results. bowens.co.uk
Lighting Equipment Used...for Nikon’s ‘I See’ campaign. Gemini 400Rx - Just great flash heads. They’re just as good on location as they are in the studio. With a built-in Pulsar radio trigger and easy-to-use controls these are probably the best small units available today. Bowens.co.uk
75º Softlite - This is one of my ‘go-to’ reflectors. I love the output of this silver dish; the matt-finish coupled with the diffuser cap gives a beautifully soft, yet slightly specular light. Simply brilliant for portraits. Bowens.co.uk
Grid Diffuser - This is a brilliant addition to the Softlite reflector. I love the effect that this attachment gives; a hard light in the middle surrounded by a beautiful soft diffused light is just perfect for portrait work. Bowens.co.uk
I SEE LIFE
through Nikon spectacle lenses Kulvinder Lall, Cardiac Surgeon
facebook.com/nikonlenswear
by UzairKarawala
I Shot This For...NIKON
THE FACE OF LONDON Here’s my lighting set-up...
2
3
1 1• Nikon D800 with 85 f/1.4 & 24-70 f/2.8 2• Gemini 400RX with 75º Softlite & Grid diffuser 3• Reflector under the chin to soften shadows
U
zair Kharawala was chosen by Nikon’s spectacles division to photograph the UK ‘Visionary’ for the company’s ‘I See’ campaign, and his Bowens 400Rx kit provided the lighting for a location shoot with an iconic background.
Much of the skill of the professional photographer centres on how well they can handle pressure and still produce the killer shot they need when they find themselves up against the clock. Uzair Kharawala – known universally as Oz – found himself very much in this situation recently when he was commissioned by Nikon’s spectacles division to shoot a portrait of the leading cardiac surgeon Kulvinder Lall. The picture was one of a series of images featuring worldwide ‘Visionaries’ – all of them Nikon spectacle wearers - who have each achieved great things in their respective fields, and the requirement was for Lall to be seen against a background that was instantly identifiable as London. “The job came about after I was recommended by Nikon UK’s camera division,” Oz tells Litebook, “and I was asked to submit my portfolio of images and some ideas for the shoot. The requirement was for a strong portrait of Kulvinder Lall plus a video interview with him, and my first job was to come up with a location that would satisfy the requirements of the brief. “A few ideas, venues and places were shortlisted during the online conference with the creative team in Japan, and The Oxo Tower restaurant on the South Bank was chosen, not only because of the ideal view across to St. Paul’s Cathedral that it offers, but also because there is an open balcony there that allows a clear ‘glass-free’ view of the landscape to be achieved. Once the location had been confirmed I visited the restaurant to take some test shots, and these were sent over to Japan for approval some two weeks before the actual shoot was due to take place. Everything looked good and so we pressed ahead and agreed a date for the actual shoot with everyone concerned.” 27
28
bowens.co.uk
litebook
29
Travelling light Shooting on location in a busy working environment was a real challenge, and it was one where Oz had to call on the flexibility of his gear to get him through. One of the requirements for the stills were large image file sizes, and the Nikon D800 with its remarkable 36 megapixel sensor was the perfect camera for the job. The D800 also has excellent HD video capability and so was able to be used for filming, alongside its big brother, the flagship Nikon D4, which is equally well equipped for cinematography. Oz also took along with him a small selection of Nikkor lenses, the 85mm f/1.4, the 24-70mm f/2.8 and the 1424mm f/2.8. One of the biggest challenges when working on location is lighting, and Oz needed to travel with lightweight kit that would have the capacity to throw out plenty of power but also be hugely versatile and adaptable. He settled on the new Bowens 400Rx Travelpak kit, which is slightly smaller than the standard Gemini 400 but comes with a built in receiver compatible with the Bowens Pulsar radio triggering system. In total the system allows for 24 channels, which are accessed by using the two buttons on the transmitter. “It really amazed me how compact, lightweight and portable the Gemini Rx kit was,” says Oz. “The whole kit is very thoughtfully designed and is perfect for on-location flash photography. You have the two heads, the Travelpak battery system and reflector all included, and takes just a few minutes (if that) to set up and pack away again. Having the Pulsar radio trigger built in was a real bonus, and this gave me consistent and reliable triggering of the flash head. The real advantage of
everything being built in like this is that you save time connecting additional triggers and you don’t have to have things attached or dangling from the monolight. Just to make sure that you’re totally covered, however, there’s still a sync port included in case you don’t have the ability to use your Pulsar trigger. “Those using these units for the first time shouldn’t be fooled by their compact design,” continues Oz. “They might be small but these heads pack a punch and they also come with
opening hours. “We had very limited time slots to shoot in,” he says. “I had only two sessions of two hours each available, in the morning from 8am to 10am and in the afternoon between 4pm and 6pm. However, with the shoot scheduled to take place in the winter months I was faced with the light disappearing by around 5pm, and so really I had only three hours in which to achieve the stills I required plus the video interview. “The pressure was truly on and to
“It really amazed me how compact, lightweight and portable the Gemini Rx kit was” really fast recycling times. After initially trialling this kit to see what it could do I had no hesitation in choosing the 400Rx for this shoot. It was also very practical for location work, being packaged in a high quality carrying case that’s made of extremely rugged material. “For this shoot I used a single 400RX head with a Bowens 75º Softlite Reflector with a Grid Diffuser attachment. This is a great combination for portrait photography and we use this combination in the studio as well for our daily portrait, product and commercial work. I also had another three heads with me as back ups for the shoot.” Having already visited the location prior to the day of the shoot, Oz was familiar with the environment and also aware that he would have to be fully prepared to pull everything together quickly since he would only be able to work in the limited times that were available between the restaurant’s
add to this we also had the creative director for Nikon fly in from Tokyo to attend the shoot. It was a real race against time to capture all the requirements of the brief but we made it and everyone went away happy with what we had achieved. Being able to set up so quickly was a real lifesaver and the Bowens kit did everything we required of it. I would have no qualms recommending it to anyone, particularly if they, like me, are likely to find themselves regularly undertaking location shoots where time is of the essence and you just need things to do their job as quickly and efficiently as possible.” More information: www.sfdigital.co.uk www.fotosf.com www.sfphotoschool.com Nikon ‘I See’ Campaign: www.iseenikon.com
I SEE LIFE
through Nikon spectacle lenses Kulvinder Lall, Cardiac Surgeon
facebook.com/nikonlenswear
C RE ATIVE FREE D OM W IT H O UT C O M P R O MI S E ...
Bowens range of monolights have always been at the leading edge of studio and location based lighting. Bowens pioneering monolight range now includes four different and distinct ranges designed to suit the needs of every photographer, from aspiring amateurs to demanding commercial and fashion photographers...and everyone in between. With benefits and features including built-in radio triggering, dual-voltage mains (AC) operation, Travelpak battery compatibility, precision 1-stop and 1/10th-stop flash power control, IR remote controllability, recycle times to full-power as fast as 0.7 seconds, flash durations as short as 1/2900 sec...and with units available from a compact 200Ws unit up to a massive 1500Ws, the Gemini monolight range offers a flash for everyone. For more information on any Bowens products visit the website.
Bowens.co.uk
Š Photo by Chris Reeve www.reevebanks.co.uk
imageone
nice ink
Kevin Focht // kevinfocht.com the importance of listening to your subject:
...
“I’ve been shooting a lot of personal projects and one of them focuses on faces. All different kinds of faces. The challenge is that every single one needs slightly different attention.”
but think
Kevin Focht // thecreativeorange.com
Set-up ONE Equipment Used... 1 x Gemini 500R 1 x Softlite Reflector 1 x 90cm Zip Disc
Set-up TWO Equipment Used...
imagetwo My personal style is to start out with one main light, and then only add other lights when they are needed. The images that I took here are of a local actor. He’s a really great guy but he made the point that he always seemed to be judged by the plethora of tattoos he sports. The truth is he’s a father of two lovely daughters and he’s just a really nice guy. Image one (set-up one) was actually the first capture of the day. It’s what I was looking for after meeting him. I loved the fact that I could see the scar on his face, even if he did look a little menacing. I used the Softlite reflector on my main (and only) light in this first set-up. Additionally, I used a small silver reflector to fill in under his eyes. After talking with him for a bit, I realized that what he was saying about being judged was exactly what I had done with the first shot. Judged him. I’m learning that with portraiture you need to really listen to your subject as well as look at them.
36
3 x Gemini 500R 1 x Softlite Reflector 1 x 90cm Zip Disc 2 x Lumiair 100x40
For Image two (set-up two) I used the same Softlite Reflector but this time I added two Lumiair 100x40cm strip softboxes as rim lights. I wanted to make the shot a little lighter while still having the same feel. I think by adding the strip softboxes, I was able to make him look strong, while making him feel a little more approachable. Metering was done by having the strip lights a full stop over the main light. In this case the main was metered at f8, so my strip lights were metered at the subject at f11. For Image three the same lighting was used but by bringing in his arms and hands and using a looser crop, I think I was able to really bring his personality into the shot. This is the image I have decided to include in my portfolio. Sometimes listening to the subject is the most important thing we can do. Listen and learn and then adjust your lighting to create a truly creative and meaningful portrait that captures the true essence of your sitter.
Kevin Focht bowens.co.uk
imagethree
Sometimes listening to the subject is the most important thing we can do. Equipment Used Gemini 500R
75º Softlite Reflector
Lumiair 100x40cm Strip
From start to finish these are just great lights. Easy-to-use, good spec’s and I just love the ability to unplug them from mains, clip on a Travelpak and go-anywhere with them I want. bowens.co.uk
This is probably ‘one of’, if not ‘the best’ portrait reflector I’ve used. I use this for almost all of my close-up portrait work and even some of my fashion shoots. bowens.co.uk
An absolute must-have for me. Sometimes when I’m working I don’t have access to mains power so I have to ‘pop-up’ my Gemini & Travelpak quickly and start shooting. bowens.co.uk
© Photo by Chris Reeve - www.reevebanks.co.uk
the little light packed full of features Built-in Pulsar Radio Trigger
Large, user-replaceable professional flash-tube
for wire-free sync freedom Built-in Photocell
250W Halogen modeling lamp. Shape does not
Solid, ultra-sturdy
obscure flash-tube
metal body for strength and durability
Travelpak battery
Bowens ‘Global standard’
compatible for studio or
‘S’-Typemount
location versatility
Single, simple dial to quickly control flash power and modeling level
Well ventilated for long periods of use. No fan necessary
The Gemini 400Rx is a compact, lightweight and now includes a built-in Pulsar radio receiver controlled via a simple, single push-button as well as many features only found on expensive flash units. The Pulsar radio allows full control over 24 different radio zones, using four channels and six studio settings enabling photographers to isolate various light sources or combining them and firing them all at once, without leaving your camera. The inclusion of the inegrated Pulsar radio receiver coupled with the versatility of featuring both mains and battery power operation makes the Gemini Rx one of the most resourceful monolight systems and the best value for money available today. facebook.com/bowensflash twitter.com/litebookmag youtube/bowenstv
bowens.co.uk
‘Bowens’® and ‘the power behind the picture’® are registered trademarks of Bowens International Limited. All models and technical specifications featured here may be subject to change without notice. © 2013 Bowens International Ltd.