Multi Formula Light

By Robert R. Sanders

www.robertrsanders.com
www.photointensive.com

In building a lighting system, I have found that five flash heads can be the perfect formula to a full system, a "less is more" combination that gives everything needed in a good consistent equipment bin. How that small but powerful lighting system is built is the equation and the brand makes all the difference. Now to have six heads or seven heads isn't disregarded here, but a truly optimal performing unit with enough power and coverage to allow just about any solution to a lighting problem is balanced upon that five head approach. Portability and power then make the rest of the equation complete, calculating the success of the solution combined.

The primary elements to keep in mind aside from the package itself would be "Q" Quality, "A" Affordability, "C" Consistency, "E" Efficiency, "P" Power, "PT" Portability, "S" Support (customer service), and "B" Brand: The formula being, Q ÷ A + C + P + PT x S = B. This equation has a major flaw though, in the first part where you divide the Quality by Affordability, it seems to be the most common compromising point no matter what the budget. Many photographers at this point disregard the remainder of the formula simply to find the best deal or what appears to be the only affordable option. The experience of this photographer has been that "C" Consistency is extremely high on my list and overrides a good portion of any other part of the math, assuring me that I will have great equipment and a system that will grow with me.

A good friend of mine purchased a set of lights a while back and always says the same thing to me, "they were all I could afford at the time and they are good enough, some day I will invest in a better system like yours." The irony is, his three light discounted inconsistent monolight system cost half of what my full five light system initially cost. Had he done his homework he would already be shooting with lights he won't have to replace when he steps to the next level while completing his lighting array.

As a working commercial photographer I have a responsibility to my clients when shooting images of their product, a responsibility to ensure the product will look it's absolute best. I also have a tremendous responsibility to my style, to myself, my very own quality and image standard, it is then foremost a priority to me that the light be perfect; the shots themselves perfect. I have become as enamored by my lighting equipment as I have by my camera equipment, so much so that I have done the same amount of homework in both arenas guaranteeing my standards are met. I love the feeling that I know my lighting equipment as well as I know my camera equipment, and I know what to expect from it as well as the confidence that it is just as good as the rest of my gear.

When I was first introduced to Hensel I was shooting with Broncolor and could not continue to afford the cost of the power or the attachments and accessories. I had found myself spending hours inventing lighting modifiers rather than investing the time in creating images themselves. I wanted a system I could afford and know when reaching for it, it would perform perfectly. Hensel came via a strange introduction but one I am grateful for knowing now I wouldn't trade for any other system out there. I like the design, I like the performance, I like the way everything connects, I like the modifiers, I like the portability, I like the assortment of equipment choices - my options, I like the light weight of the Vela 1500ws power pack, I like everything about Hensel.

Initially I had to compare this product to everything else available and I found myself coming back to the "Q ÷ A" portion of the formula and I liked this figure as well, in fact I loved what I saw. On top of all of this it was German engineered, a statement in itself that assured me my equation was pretty sound and complete, satisfactorily. But I had to see it fully perform and that was going to be my deal breaker should there be one. I was stoked to say the least, I was excited to find the quality I had come to know with the affordable standard I had to achieve. I was also excited to see that I would have the support of not only the company itself but Samy's as well, a crescendo of the equation if the product could perform.

The Hensel Beauty Dish has always been a huge favorite modifier of mine, one that I use both solo and over or behind scrims. I originally discovered the modifier back in the early 90s and didn't realize its potential, but quickly I learned how flexible the devised light could be; versatility that lends to several applications when used in combination with other light utilities. I often put a large 8x8 scrim over my product or model and then light the primary area of the scrim with a beauty dish, a method that permits wonderful spread simply by moving the light in and out from the scrim. It wasn't until I used the Hensel Beauty Dish that I found an interchangeable damper in the center of the dish where it could be exchanged with a grid. Now the dish had a different falloff and light dynamic or highlight in the center of the pan, giving the subject harder highlights... wow, this was a nice variation, a variation that also changed with the degree of the grid.

I have thrown my Hensel Porty in the back of my car and headed to the desert or checked the Hensel Vela Pack as luggage and headed on location, sometimes not knowing what to expect but being totally prepared. Last year in fact I made one of those trips and took what I thought would be enough, one Vela system pack (1500 ws pack and two EHT heads) my 5 foot Hensel Octaform softbox, and a large 4x6 reflector. A thousand miles later and an introduction to a surprise group of creative models and styling ideas, we created this image showcasing Monster Energy drink as the Creative Liquid in Voodoo Promotions in Portland, Oregon. Two lights, one with a 7 inch reflector (crossing the back and bouncing off the reflector), and the other with the 5 foot Octaform... and a whole bunch of creative energy. Hensel really was the light that performed here.

Finally there is the studio situation when more than just a small tabletop creative lighting setup is necessary and all five lamp-heads come into play. As was this last minute call where I was to shoot one of Thor Motocross' riders, Sebastien Tortelli in a two hour window. Both the rider and the car, a 1964 Corvette, were going to be available from 2pm to 4pm and that was it. I had such confidence in how I was going to light this shot that all I needed was the props and players and the rest is Hensel history: This was a classic case of bouncing light off the white walls of the studio bay and using white panels for reflective control, but all I needed was the five heads to make it happen.

A lot of the nuance in Hensel design is in the very simplest of detail, additions that are so naturally taken for granted but don't cost extra. I found that with the higher the price of a brand, the more I seemed to have to pay for when it was just the expected essentials - the little things. For instance on the Hensel you get very long cables from the heads to the power supply, that is nice, but not costing extra is even nicer. Ironically all the Hensel units, whether Vela, Integra or Tria, also have extremely long power cables, again where the manufacturer understands what is necessary for efficient operation. And while the Integra Pro Plus has complete wireless connectivity between camera and flash, as well as the ability to adjust power settings from the same on camera remote, all of the Hensel units have power converters built in so no matter what country you are in you do not have to run the units through an external converter. All of this is a part of a great system that makes my worries and concerns non existent when it comes down to the lighting, f-stops and shutter speeds on the other hand are still a primary concern.

Robert R Sanders | creative
robert@robertrsanders.com
studio: 858.509.3060

www.robertrsanders.com
www.photointensive.com

 

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