Alexandria’s Lens - From Available light to ‘Oh-My-Gosh’ Light | Profoto (US)

Alexandria’s Lens - From Available light to ‘Oh-My-Gosh’ Light

07 June, 2019

Written by: Allan Weitz

When I asked Alexandria, of Alexandria’s Lens, how she got started in photography I had to chuckle. Her answer was simple and direct - “I had just had my first baby and I couldn’t afford a photographer, so I picked up a camera and started teaching myself how to use it”. Fair enough.

Nine years have passed ands since that time Alexandria has come a long ways. Her path has taken many turns. Once she mastered the basics she began experimenting with different styles and techniques, which gradually evolved from lifestyle photography to the Harry Potter-like storybook imagery she currently produces.

Drawn to the soft monochromatic colors of dusk, weather permitting, Alexandria tries to shoot 3 to 4 times a week during the ‘blue’ light of early evening. This is the time of day where the ambience of the sky balances perfectly with the moon, window light, and lanterns, which are prevalent in many of her hauntingly beautiful photographs.

Though she prefers the look of available light, she did in fact take several workshops in the hope she could expand the visual dynamics of her photographs, but inevitably she felt a lack of control of both the color and intensity of her flash exposures. All of this changed when she was introduced to the Profoto B10. It didn’t take long for her to go from available light only to a “I have it with me all the time” believer. To call Profoto’s B10 a game changer for Alexandria would be an understatement.

Profoto’s B10 is the first flash unit that she was able to connect with technically and equally important - aesthetically. Initially she was only using the continuous light mode of the B10. The fact she could adjust not only other output, but the color temperature in real time blew her away. By her reckoning, the B10 has bought her up to 20-minutes of shooting time during her ‘blue hour’ window of light, which is priceless. The continuous light mode of her B10 enables her to tweak the light in precise increments in order to compliment the ever changing ambient light in virtual real-time.

Another bonus is that her image files require less post-capture editing because she’s able to dial in her output needs and see their effects as the images pop up on her screen. WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) is a beautiful thing.

What else does she like about the B10? “It’s small. It’s easy to take anywhere, and there are zero wires - I take it with me everywhere these days. Every other flash I’ve tried in the past pales next to the B10, in fact, I’m thinking of buying a second unit.”

Is Alexandria a happy camper? You betcha. Next on her list - “Now that I’ve mastered the continuous light aspect of the B10 I’m going to start seeing what I can do with the B10’s flash component.” After all, she’s already conquered her fear of flashguns - everything moving forward is pure gravy.

To see more of the work of Alexandria’s Lens see her Instagram page.

Written by: Allan Weitz