Broncolor Novinky 2003

Transcript

RZ_BRON_Magazin_19/03.qxd 27.6.2003 11:08 Uhr Seite 1 THE BRONCOLOR 19/2003 INFORMATION FOR PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS NO. 19/03 BRONCOLOR 1 19/2003 EDITORIAL RZ_BRON_Magazin_19/03.qxd BRONCOLOR 2 27.6.2003 11:08 Uhr Seite 2 Dear reader, How do you like the new look of our magazine? After more than 10 years, we thought it was time for a facelift. We like the result – and hope you do, too. In this issue, we are presenting the most important novelties we introduced at last year's Photokina. Despite sophisticated prepress and printing technologies, paper can never reflect the finer details and light effects. That's why you should visit your dealer or, better still, test the new products yourself in your own studio! On page 3, 4, and 5, we present the Para FF giant umbrella reflectors. Measuring 220 cm and 330 cm in diameter, they captured most of the attention at the Photokina. Even more than shape and size, it was their unique light quality and their over whelming, unmatched light output which impressed visitors. With the umbrellas, you can generate virtually any light you need, from highcontrast and directed to extremely soft. A new dimension lets your creativity run free. The giant reflectors do full justice to your motifs – giving them natural texture, high colour saturation, and ideal contrast while avoiding hard shadows. Whether as main or fill lights, in the studio or on location – the Para 220 FF or the Para 330 FF will be your steady companion! In addition to the umbrellas, we introduced the new Minicom 40/80 compact units. Their beautifully aesthetic and functional design was enthusiastically received. Especially portrait and wedding photographers will find them convincing. Read more about them in the report on page 9. The new radio technology system RFS (Radio Frequency System) offers enormous advantages in comparison with anterior remote controls. We could considerably increase the reach and the number of remote control channels. In the second half of the current year, we will lance this new radio system on the market. You will be able to profit from the advantages of the radio technology with Minicom 40 / 80, Minipuls D160, the power packs Grafit A 2/4 and other units. A small transmitter synchronizes your flash units with the shutter of your camera. The next possibility of consolidation will be the RFS transceiver on your computer. This transceiver is able to change the power of flash units, to control the different additional functions and the modelling light according to your demands, and much more. One principle guides our total commitment in development and design: to make your job so simple that you can fully concentrate on image composition and motif. We hope we have succeeded once again! Enjoy the read! Claude Bron Circulation: 60 000 copies, Publisher Bron Elektronik AG, CH-4123 Allschwil, Schweiz, Phone +41 061 485 85 85, Fax +41 061 485 85 00, e-Mail [email protected], www.bron.ch Photographs Lois Greenfield, Markus Klinko, Ralph Lehner, Urs Recher, Nadia Winzenried, pictures with the kind permission of Honda and gfw publishing house Cover photograph Markus Klinko Distribution by the local broncolor distributers. Reprint only with the permission of Bron Elektronik AG. Printed in Switzerland. 11:09 Uhr Seite 3 THE PARA FF – A HANDS-ON REPORT For me as a photographer, the decisive feature of the Para FF is the nearly unlimited variability of its lighting characteristics: It offers a full range of settings from spot-like, directional, and high-contrast to totally defocused and soft. || + || URS RECHER When I shoot in focused position, I get directional light with high contrast because there is virtually no spillage. With the umbrella behind the camera, I can still admirably work with it as a single light source. This is especially ideal for shooting beauty portraits. With the light mostly parallel to the shooting axis, I get beautifully smooth skin without any loss of brilliance, detail, or texture. A different result appears when I defocus the umbrella: The centre of the high-gloss reflector remains dark, and 24 ultra-hard lights shine up at the periphery. By turning the umbrella in such a way that some of these hard lights get close to the camera, I won't need any additional brightening. These 4-5 reflections near the camera control the shadows, whereas the other 20 hard lights illuminate the face or object from increasing angles relative to the shooting axis and thus give it perfect shape. The result is a portrait (or fashion shot or still) of perfectly three-dimensional, fully structured shape, whose shadows are deep and strong without being washed out. Finally, I can position the defocused Para FF behind the camera. A very soft light results which remains perfectly three-dimensional instead of getting flat. Speaking of "24 softly arranged hard lights”, this is a unique feature: Structures are fully preserved or even accentuated, highlights appear brilliant and never "dead”, while the light is soft enough to ideally illuminate even faces and bodies. … and these are only some of the many light characteristics the new umbrella offers when I use it open and as a single light source, just playing with focuses, positions, and angles. Unlimited options become available by using its three diffusers of different densities and, of course, by combining it creatively with other light-shaping devices. The Para FF is a light that taught me yet again to look twice – it inspires. 19/2003 27.6.2003 3 BRONCOLOR RZ_BRON_Magazin_19/03.qxd 30.6.2003 10:35 Uhr Seite 4 19/2003 RZ_BRON_Magazin_19/03.qxd BRONCOLOR 4 MARKUS KLINKO & INDRANI They say it takes two to tango. This might very well explain the creative juices that brew between Markus Klinko and Indrani. || ALLAN WEITZ || MARKUS KLINKO Markus Klinko was born in Europe and spent his earlier years training for a career as a classical musician. Then one day he started taking pictures. He never stopped. The very same artistic sensibilities and disciplines he drew upon as a musician he began applying to his visual compositions. Indrani on the other hand was born in India and raised in Canada. A former fashion model with over a decade’s worth of experience in front of the camera, Indrani can best be described as the yin of Klinko’s yang. Sharp angles and finely targeted light define the hip photographic imagery they produce from the multilevel Greenwich Village studio they have been shooting from for the past six years. Creative photo-illustration concepts more often than not require an equally creative, not to mention flexible, lighting system capable of producing, and perhaps improve upon, any lighting situation you might ever encounter. This is where the name broncolor enters the picture. As for Markus Klinko, broncolor is the only lighting system he has ever owned. Being sensitive to the nuances of how his equipment feels and performs in the real world, Markus Klinko researched and tested several leading brands of lighting 27.6.2003 16:34 Uhr Seite 5 19/2003 RZ_BRON_Magazin_19/03.qxd equipment. The broad selection of light-shaping tools, not to mention a tough-as-nails reputation, made his decision to go broncolor an easy one. " I don’t like purchasing the same tools twice. (…) In many ways my broncolor system is directly responsible for the way our shooting and lighting style has evolved to date. The visual effects we are capable of producing thanks to the various Broncolor lighting accessories would be downright difficult if we were to use competing brands of lighting equipment. (…) The comparatively limited lighting accessories offered by the competition would require far too much modification, not to mention an investment of time on our part, to achieve the quality of light we get rather effortlessly from our broncolor accessories.” When the Paris-based advertising agency Louis XIV / DDB sought the best photographic talent they could find to illustrate DeBeers/LV’s latest advertising campaign, they found the vision they were looking for among the portfolio pages of Markus Klinko and Indrani. The series of photographs they were commissioned to capture for DeBeers are prime examples of how the right tools produce the best results. Photographing sparkling jewelry has always been one of the tougher subjects to shoot. Add the challenge capturing the smooth, darkly sculpted features of super-model Iman into the mix and you now have the makings of one of the trickier images you’ll ever be asked to capture. To achieve the look of the image he pictured in his mind’s eye Markus Klinko called upon broncolor’s new Para 330 FF umbrella. "This umbrella, with its 11-foot diameter spread, delivered an amazing volume of light that enveloped both Iman’s statuesque features as well as the diamond necklaces that adorned her. The umbrella literally bathed the entire studio in a soft, luscious light”. He figures they could have achieved a somewhat similar lighting situation by constructing an elaborate set of flats and bouncing a battery of lights off of them, but the Para 220 FF / 330 FF umbrellas achieved the desired effects without the hassle or investment of time required to do so. "Each of broncolor’s lighting tools perfectly suite their intended purpose.” Klinko goes as far as saying that many of his creative ideas have been directly attributed to the abilities of his broncolor `accessories. "They are often the source of inspiration for our collaborations. There is a broncolor lighting accessory to satisfy the demands of any lighting need we may encounter. "Broncolor’s Flooters, for instance, produce a rather handsome light that I love to use for highlighting a models cheekbones and other key features while broncolor’s strip lights are ideal for side-lighting purposes. (…)” With broncolor lighting the way for them, Markus Klinko & Indrani find no reason to look elsewhere for any of their lighting needs. Neither will you. www.markusklinko-indrani.com BRONCOLOR 5 RZ_BRON_Magazin_19/03.qxd 27.6.2003 11:09 Uhr Seite 6 MAUL BELSER STUDIOS, PFORZHEIM FIAT LUX – LET THERE BE LIGHT New photo studios are not being founded every day in the current economic environment, and new major studios are a rarity under any circumstances. Nevertheless, Maul Belser Studios of Nürnberg recently celebrated the official opening of their Pforzheim annex. || DR. MARTIN KNAPP 19/2003 In and around the photo studios previously owned by the Klingel mail-order firm, acquired by Maul Belser together with its customer base, a new photo studio has emerged which is not only among the largest but also among the most technologically advanced in Germany. Of a surface area of 6,800 square metres, no less than 1,800 are occupied by five furniture studios inside a single, large hall without fixed partitioning. Five "smaller” studios of 130 square metres each complement the facility. (...) BRONCOLOR 6 Put the cameras in place … A spectacular feature of such a new business is, of course, the choice of equipment. As to cameras, Pforzheim opted for a new digital view camera system. This is complemented by no less than 63 digital lenses whose focal length covers the entire range from 24 up to 150 millimetres. Six digital backs complete the list of initial purchases in the field of cameras. An equal number of workstations have already been fully digitalised, and a precise time and action schedule has been established for the rest. "If we haven’t furnished all shooting stations with digital equipment right from the start, it’s not due to unwillingness or budget restraints,” says Achim Rösch. "The pipeline is so full of orders that I simply lack the time to provide the necessary staff training. That’s what forces us to advance step by step.” … and turn on the lights More than anything else, it is the purchase of lighting equipment which is likely to make history. After tough negotiations with Bron Imaging, the largest single deal in the field of flash equipment was concluded that Germany has ever seen since the invention of photography. For a total investment in the seven-figure range (in Deutsche marks), about 120 power packs and 240 flash heads plus accessories were acquired. There may – A large studio in the making is a fascinating project. The Maul Belser Studios in Pforzheim set records – among others, for the largest lighting equipment deal in the history of German photography. – No less than six digital view camera systems with precision digital backs were on the shopping list 30.6.2003 12:17 Uhr be no giant button to switch on all of the 680,000 watt-seconds at once and submerge the studio hall in a sea of (modelling) light in celebration: But the sheer magnitude of the arsenal from which the Maul Belser photographers can almost freely choose their tools at any time they wish is quite impressive. For Achim Rösch, the decision in favour of broncolor products turned out to be inescapable. In comparison with two alternative offers, it was far from being the most inexpensive. But despite the general cost containment policy followed by the Bertelsmann group – Maul Belser Medienverbund is a subsidiary of Bertelsmann Arvato AG –, there was no real choice. The lampheads and reflectors were simply the best available on the market: "To photograph with broncolor lighting is every photographer’s dream. To say he has worked with broncolor lighting will even increase his chances when he applies for a new job.” The Maul Belser purchase covers primarily Topas and Grafit units. The first, according to Rösch, are real work- Seite 7 horses for continuous operation, while the second are perfect all-round tools. Of special importance is the absolute consistency of the flash rating, both within the same unit and in mixed operation – an invaluable asset when it comes to multi-shot work. What is interesting about large purchases, as Rösch points out, is that once they exceed a critical quantity, the supplier is willing to comply with special customer requirements. And Rösch did have some indeed: "In the Topas units we wanted an extended asymmetry. And we wanted the power packs to allow the use of different flash heads, as well as to recognise them automatically. These are not standard features.” (…) Bron Elektronik AG is something like a "purveyor to His Majesty” for Maul Belser. By now, the business relationship has existed for more than forty years. The studios were first broncolor customer in Germany. No wonder, then, that about 90% of the Maul Belser light output is generated by those characteristically bluecoloured appliances. And although negotiations of this magnitude naturally tend to be a little on the tough side, both partners emphasise the unusual spirit of fair play that holds between them: One is willing to pay an adequate price for top-quality products, even though he is a major bigname customer. And the other knows how important it is to fulfil a good customer’s well-founded requirements, and to offer him post-delivery services that are prompt, straightforward, and uncomplicated. www.maul-belser.de/mbs/ This article has been published in Profifoto 1/2003 with the friendly permission of gfv Verlag. 19/2003 RZ_BRON_Magazin_19/03.qxd BRONCOLOR 7 DID YOU KNOW THAT ... a new generation of gasoline generators has appeared on the market that are perfectly suited for use with flash units? || H. P. HAUSER Users who want to benefit from the full functionality of mains-operated studio equipment beyond the range of extension cables, including fast charging times and powerful modelling light, will need to buy or rent a gasoline generator. Such units have been on the market for a long time. Unfortunately, due to their simple design, they cause excessive voltage peaks (up to 400 V measured) when used with capacitance loads such as associated with flash equipment. In the past this resulted in well-known problems. Simpler devices may work at first but then ‘die’ from over-voltage. More sophisticated units (such as the Grafit A) may recognise the peaks but respond with undesirable emergency interruptions. Simple electrical compensation circuits described as ‘voltage stabilisers’ are offered as optional equipment by some manufacturers, but they cannot solve the problem reliably because their effect on the voltage peaks is inadequate. Modern technology has now found an attractive solution in the form of electronically stabilised units. Various configurations have been successfully tested in field trials. For example, the following configurations are possible with fast charging times and full modelling light of 300 W or 650 W per lamphead, respectively: Honda EU 10i 1000 W supports 2 Minipuls C40/C80 or 2 Solo 800B/1600B or 2 Minicom 40/80 or 2 Logos 800/1600 or 1 Minipuls D160 or 1 Minipuls C200 or 1 Solo 3200B Honda EU 30is 3000 W supports 1 Grafit A4 with 3 lampheads. This information should be regarded only as a suitability assessment. The gasoline generators are sold via the manufacturer's normal distribution channels. NEWS RZ_BRON_Magazin_19/03.qxd 27.6.2003 11:10 Uhr Seite 8 Broncolor Pulso G lamphead not just for globetrotters Broncolor, the Swiss lighting specialist, presents its first innovation for this Photokina season. The extremely reliable Pulso F lamp has been updated to meet changes in customer requirements. The new Pulso G lamp can be operated on mains voltages of 100 to 240 V without switching over. All that is necessary is to use the correct modelling lamp. Since attachments and light shapers have become larger and often heavier in recent years, the new lamp has a stronger clamping system with a generously dimensioned clamp mechanism and a steel threaded insert. The stand adapter has been optimised for third-party stands. And last but not least, broncolor has developed a mechanical interlock and new protecting glasses for the lamps. This new bayonet mount prevents inadvertent loosening of the glasses and eliminates associated costs. 19/2003 Report on the broncolor Litestick BRONCOLOR 8 The biggest advantage of the broncolor Litestick, a rod-shaped specialpurpose lamphead, is that it can deliver light to places which are difficult to access. Thanks to the fan and a flash tube protected by an inner glass tube and an outer polycarbonate tube, the lamphead does not heat up and can be easily placed anywhere, even on sensitive materials. Its powerful flash output (up to 3200 J) lets the photographer beautifully brighten up even very dark areas. One illustrative example is an interior shot of a car with the Litestick placed underneath the seat. Thanks to its rod-like shape (30 cm long flash tube), it is also very recommendable for the uniform and balanced lighting of a line, for instance the edge of an object. The Litestick is an exciting tool for portrait and fashion photography as well. A single Litestick delivers a very hard and brilliant light. Also, three or four Litesticks can be configured to form a triangular or square frame – a type of ring flash – through which the photographer can shoot. This light is softer than that of a conventional ring flash and offers the great advantage that the aperture does not have to be changed each time the camera is moved. This gives photographers added mobility and lets them work with predictable frontal lighting. 11:10 Uhr Seite 9 I learned the basics of the craft at the Heusser + Hertig photo studio and at the School of Art and Design – both in Basel. After completing a four-year apprenticeship, I spent two years freelancing in Zürich for various fashion and people photographers. Within the scope of an assignment for the erstwhile Swissair Gazette, I was introduced to Michel Comte. This was followed by 2 1/2 years in Los Angeles. During that period, I worked as his assistant and learned much about the implementation of sophisticated fashion and portrait setups for magazines or advertising campaigns. TEST REPORT MINICOM 40 / 80 After I returned to Switzerland, I opened my own studio in Binningen where I have meanwhile been domiciled for nine years. Working with broncolor units makes work much easier and so it was real fun to test the new broncolor Minicom 40 and Minicom 80 compact units by using them in my everyday working environment. || + Ralph Lehner www.ralphlehner.ch. || RALPH LEHNER For Karim’s portrait, I chose the Minicom 40 with a soft reflector. It can be adjusted over 4 f-stops and thus provides immense latitude for depth of field. The 1/10 increments simplified light control, so I was able to shoot the portrait with a single lamp base. The Minicoms are compelling in terms of handling, low weight, and design. They are equipped with a photocell and can also be triggered via infrared or the new RFS system. The units are pleasant to operate and have various refined features, including the bright modelling light which is proportionally adjustable, the acoustic "ready” signal which is a big asset when working with several lamp bases, and the multi-flash function is fascinating as well. Working with the Minicoms was a convincing experience – they are a true enrichment in portrait and on location photography. 19/2003 27.6.2003 9 BRONCOLOR RZ_BRON_Magazin_19/03.qxd 27.6.2003 11:11 Uhr Seite 10 19/2003 RZ_BRON_Magazin_19/03.qxd BRONCOLOR 10 LOIS GREENFIELD THE MAKING OF NOT-JUST-ANOTHER CALENDAR One can easily call Lois Greenfield the consummate still-life photographer. A veteran of over twenty years in the industry, the compositions she creates are classic examples of how to blend form and content into stunning visual statements. || ALLAN WEITZ (© BY SINAR BRON IMAGING, NEW YORK) What sets Lois’ work apart from other still-life photographers is that her subjects never actually sit still. More often than not, they are leaping, spinning, or flying across the studio, solo and otherwise. The craft of dance photography is no easy matter. Like good acting, good dance photography is deceptively easy looking. Capturing fleeting moments in time requires enormous levels of concentration, not to mention lightning fast reflexes. || LOIS GREENFIELD Teamwork on both sides of the camera plays an equal roll in the process. Fair, Vogue, and Zoom can be counted among her editorial clientele. Her dance images have been chronicled in two books, "Breaking Bounds” and "Airborne”, as well as her annual calendar of stunning black and white dance imagery. On the commercial front, her talents have been tapped by IBM, Kodak, Pepsi, Remy Martin, Minolta, Toshiba, and Raymond Weil. Elle, Sports Illustrated, Life, Vanity One of the technical challenges of dance imaging is having the ability to light a large area in a manner that will illuminate individual subjects that are simultaneously crossing paths with subjects crossing the frame from the opposite direction. The term "pre-visualization” takes on a whole new meaning when shooting dancers. The timing 27.6.2003 11:11 Uhr Seite 11 19/2003 RZ_BRON_Magazin_19/03.qxd BRONCOLOR 11 and logistics for all involved is complex to say the least. At the end of the day all of the talent and planning in the world do not necessarily guarantee magical photographs. The problem is that no matter how fast you hit the shutter button, if your lighting system isn’t up to spec you are more often than not missing the moment. After trying out lighting equipment from a variety of manufacturers, Lois ultimately chose the broncolor nameplate. A unique quality of broncolor light shaping tools is their ability to accurately render the precise look of the actual flash exposure. The integration of the modeling lamp within the flashtube combined with the physical design of each of the broncolor reflectors results in the most accurate modeling light in the industry. What you see is truly what you get. Broncolor offers Lois the widest selection of light tools in the industry. She is particularly fond of the broncolor Satellite Soft reflector for lighting her main subjects. The light it produces is both soft and crisp. Skin tones are rendered in a creamy, flattering manner. Umbrellas and a variety of broncolor reflectors light the balance of each shot. In the series of dance images she shot for broncolor’s 2003 calendar she went as far as including Balloon lamps and Picolites as design elements in several of the shots. Lois’ current power packs of choice are broncolor Grafit A2s. When used with broncolor Pulso Twin lamp heads, Lois has a combination of high output and up to 1/2000th of a second flash duration. Lois’ dancers are frozen in time and sharp as a tack. Having the ability to set output levels in increments of 1/10th of a stop repeatedly, and consistently is alone worth the price of admission. Digital readouts display the exact output levels of each head. Unlike packs from most other manufacturers, the ready light on broncolor packs will not flash on until the pack is totally up to speed. The color temperature of each exposure is equally consistent. Whether shooting film or digital, the first exposure and last will be parallel in both color and density. According to Lois, broncolor support and service is as reliable as the products themselves. When problems arise she knows the solution is a call away. When the clock is ticking and talent is on the set this is a priceless entity. www.loisgreenfield.com RZ_BRON_Magazin_19/03.qxd 27.6.2003 11:11 Uhr Seite 12 Picture of workshop participants and a Para 330* in the background. The group has been light up by a Para 220* only. * The back focused Para 220 and Para 330 are not available in the countries: D, F, GB, I, J, USA. Please ask for the front focused product Para 220 FF / Para 330 FF BRONCOLOR FAR EAST SEMINAR (NO. 8) This Spring the 8th broncolor seminar for countries hosting broncolor representations in the Far East was held in Bangkok. For 3 days, sales managers were familiarised with the latest products – with the new Para FF / Para* umbrellas capturing most of the attention. Instruction was immediately put to the test by practising and mastering various lighting situations. While product training was under way, broncolor employees took charge of coaching the technical customer service staff. Managers of CREATIVE WORKSHOP, 3 DAYS English Mon 08. – Wed 10.09. German Mon 01. – Wed 03.12. INTENSIVE COURSE, 2 DAYS English Thu 04. + Fri 05.12. German Thu 04. + Fri 05.12. Consult your broncolor dealer, visit our Web site or contact us directly for the latest information. the service agencies learned about the latest broncolor products and refreshed their expertise. All seminar participants took part in the lively exchange of information. Bron Elektronik AG has conducted these seminars for the training of sales and technical personnel regularly for years, both at the Allschwil plant and in the important Far East market.