Continuous Cool Lighting ?

Being in the market for a lighting setup for portriats, I have been

researching different offers. Is there any feedback of the new

continuous cool lighting? Sounds good at this point.

Thanks

Don-- There was a thread on this subject a month or three ago, albeit from a slightly different angle. It will still have some good info for you. Here's the link:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00DYc0

Happy shooting. -BC-

For shooting actors' headshots I use a combination of natural light (outdoors sunny days), Profoto 7b's (cloudy days), and Kino Flo Diva Lite 400's in studio (1 key/1 for fill). For me they work best for this very limited application.

They do not give off a lot of light - I generally shoot around F4 @ 1/125 - so there is not much room for error. D.O.F. is constantly an issue. They would be challenging to use for shots with more than two people. They are very heavy and require heavy shot bags and expensive, sturdy stands, preferably on castors. You will incur extra airline costs if you try to pack three of them plus stands. Another disadvantage is they only give off one kind of diffuse light. There is no opportunity to use harder light when soft light won't tell the story you want to tell. A strobe set is much more practical and flexible. If you are starting a studio or hoping to do portraiture, strobes are probably a wiser investment.

Yet, I love the fact that I can bang off as many shots as I like without struggling with the recycling times. I find it invaluable as a way to relax the talent and help them be present and alive. Somehow when I'm waiting for strobes even if only for a second or two I find the talent never quite loosens up for me - it gives them a chance to think about what they look like again instead of getting them into a rhythm with me. I also really like the quality of light for this type of portraiture. It is diffuse and flattering without looking too "fashiony." People come off attractive, yet still looking like themselves. Other pluses are switching between tungsten & daylight is just a matter of swapping out tubes and you can use them for film & video shoots.<div></div>