Photography News issue 22

Photography News Issue 22 absolutephoto.com

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Part one

Profoto B1 & B2 In the spotlight Finding out how photographers use the Profoto B1 and B2 off-camera flash kit in earnest, we spotlight two pros. First up is Tom Barnes

TomBarnes

Self-taught Tom Barnes has found his home in portrait photography, snapping everyone from ballet dancers to rock stars, always with his Profoto B1 in tow. Tell us how you got into photography in the first place? I was first given a camera by my dad at around five years old and I’ve been shooting since then – when you’re that age you’ll take anything your parents say as concrete fact and when they said I had a talent for it I believed them. I was taking pictures of anything and everything I could but even at an early age Iwanted to photograph people, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. Who has been the most memorable person you’ve shot? I’ve shot some incredible people and met such a variety that it’s almost impossible to nail it down to one person, I had a shoot recently with Suzi Quatro and that was great; we really clicked but other shoot highlights have been British boxing legend Joe Calzaghe; Huey Morgan fromFun Lovin’ Criminals was great; and the funniest person I’ve ever shot was Rhys Darby from Flight of The Conchords . I had to ask him to stop talking as I could not hold the camera steady I was laughing so hard. What in your eyes makes a great portrait? Very simply getting someone’s character across in the image; it obviously helps to have great lighting and a technically strong shot, but if you’vemissed capturing someone’s character then you’ve entirely missed the point of taking a portrait. photographer

When Profoto announced the B1, it was as if they’d heard my prayers

Lighting is key when it comes to portraits, what’s your style? I thinkmy style is dark and slightly moody, some people have said cinematic but I don’t know if I’d go that far. I use a little ambient but rely heavily on flash in almost every situation, I also tend to only use one or two heads on a set-up. Why did you choose the B1 when the market is saturated with portable lighting systems? I’ve been a Profoto user for years and years so bought into the system a long time ago. I’ve always enjoyed the quality and consistency of the light and the reliability of the kit. When they announced the B1, it was as if they’d heard my

prayers for a smaller and easier to transport and use flash head, it was the perfect light for me; smaller, lighter, compact with no cables and remotely controlled via the Air system. It’s meant that I carry less kit and have a much easier time on set; I no longer need to run over to packs or lights to adjust power or modelling, it can all be done from the camera. All I need to do is make sure the angles are right and then I can control everything else over the Air system. Which accessories in the Profoto Light Shaping system do you use with your B1? I use a whole mix of stuff but my go-to accessories are the 3x4 RFI softboxes with the soft grids; these give a lovely light and are easy to control. I’ll tend to use one or two of these on a set-up. Often I might also use some of the new silver deep umbrellas as they have a great crisp focused output to them due to the slightly more parabolic shape. Tell us about themost challenging assignment you’ve tackled with the B1. Every assignment is challenging for different reasons, it’s one of the things that makes the job so interesting. I think the challenges I’ve faced on shoots are mainly things like light placement. The B1 is the perfect solution for me with that sort of situation.

Because it has no cables, you can suspend it in tight places or have the light up really high and not have to worry about packs getting caught etc. Cables might sound like a funny thing to have a problem with but they cause problems, people trip or they can get caught, it also takes two hands to move a pack and light. With the B1 you can just grab the stand and go.

tombarnes.co

Turn to the inside back cover to read the second spotlight.

Profoto B1 & B2

One of the keys to great photos is lighting. A well-lit photo stands head and shoulders above the rest, giving your work a professional edge. Lighting doesn’t need to be complicated though and with the Profoto B1 and B2 off-camera flash systems, achieving slick expert-level shots is easy. The B1 has completely cordless TTL operation and is ten times as powerful as your average speedlight, making it your go-to flash for on-location shoots. On the other hand, the B2 is TTL ready too, can be used both on and off camera and is versatile enough to use as a gentle fill light or even as your main source.

profoto.co.uk

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