Page 58 - Lighting the Un-lightable 2015

just wasn't willing to accept that as the price I had to pay

for emulating Hurrell.

Until our partnership with Profoto.
Right Top: One Cine
There were many reasons why we were excited about part- Reflector was fitted with a
smooth disc. I counted on
nering with Profoto. Among those reasons: The impressive this to soften the harsh light

quality of the equipment, stunning recycle times of the of the other light. This light
was placed in the foyer
strobes, and product standardization. There is one quick outside the Ladies' Parlor.

release ring that fits all Profoto lights. That might seem like Right Bottom: The other
Cine Reflector was fitted
a small point, but it isn't. Not when, in the past, we have had
with a more traditional
to carry as many as four different speed rings. Fresnel disc. This light was
placed in the Ladies' Par-
Among the less obvious reasons was the Cine Reflector and lor.

the Fresnel light inserts that work with it. If you aren't fa- Technically, I used a Cine

miliar with Hurrell's work, his seminal photography in the Reflector and a Mini Cine
Reflector. The Mini lacks
1930s and 40s was created with Fresnel lights. Flashes and the mounting bracket that
allows the Cine Reflector
strobes, as we now know them, didn't exist. to be mounted on a stand

or perhaps attached to an
Before we look at this issue's lighting challenge, let's talk
overhead bar.
about Fresnel lights. In the early days of the movies, long
Also, Both the Cine Reflec-
before the advanced lighting systems in use today, lighting for tor and the Mini have a
conical insert that can be
cinema was challenging. There was no effective way to light removed. Since the insert

a sound stage. Fresnel technology addressed this problem intensifies the light, I left it
in.
through the use of a simple glass disc that magnified the

Fresnel lights create a dramatic, emotionally compelling effect. There
is a complexity that is absent when using "traditional" strobes.

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