On to Light Shaping is a video series in which get to see renowned portrait and wedding photographers create magic with Profoto Off-Camera Flash. In this video we join husband & wife team Laibel and Chana Schwartz for a wedding anniversary shoot on the High Line in New York. When you are done watching, click here to see the rest of the series.
Laibel and Chana Schwartz, a NY-based husband and wife wedding photography team, love what they do. As an extension of their wedding business, they recently launched a program called The Eternal Image, for couples to break out of the mundane tasks of daily life and connect through the experience and the images that Laibel and Chana create.
The couple in these images hired the Schwartzes to mark the occasion of their 10th anniversary. The original plan was to shoot from two hot air balloons – one for Laibel and his camera and one for the couple with Chana hiding out of sight with an off-camera flash, wirelessly controlled with the Profoto Air Remote TTL-C. However, wind conditions put a halt to the air-to-air imaging.
Plan B was to shoot on the High Line – NYC’s most visually vibrant walkway. Being their first outing with Profoto’s lightweight B2 Off-Camera Flash System, they were initially skeptical of its abilities under bright ambient light. But these fears were quickly put to rest. Having previously used a number of larger, heavier flashes, the advantages of toting about a notably smaller and lighter, yet powerful one were quickly apparent and quite appreciated.
There was ample sunshine when they set up the first shot, but rather than letting the sun light the couple while filling the shadows with flash, they did just the opposite. They attached a Profoto OCF Softbox 2’ Octa onto a B2 Head, put it in HSS mode and raised the shutter speed, and used it as the main light utilizing the ambient sunlight as fill.
The night portrait was lit using a B2 with two heads with an OCF Softbox 2’ Octa mounted on each, while allowing just enough of the colored lights in the background to shine through.
“Our whole world has changed” Laibel and Chana claims. “We’re blown away by the power, portability, and light quality. We certainly didn’t feel limited by output and the images are beautiful out of the camera, which really cuts down on post-editing time.”
As for image quality, Chana highlights the quality of the image files, which require far less post-production compared to images lit by lighting systems they’ve used in the past.
“Our Profoto B2 Off-camera Flash System allows us to concentrate on the image rather than calculate exposures. We really like the Air Remote TTL-C. It’s user-friendly and allows us to take pictures rather than do math. The B2 makes the world our studio.”
LOCATION: The High Line, New York
WEBSITE: www.laibelschwartz.com
GEAR
1 x Profoto B2 Off-Camera Flash
2 x Profoto OCF Softbox 2’ Octa
2 x Profoto OCF Speedring
1 x Profoto Air Remote TTL-C
Canon 5D Mk III
Canon EF 85mm/f1.2L
