Search Results

+ My thoughts on the GODOX AD300pro What’s up world? I am back in my usual space, back to work! For those who are interested at the very end of this article, I will talk about some of my upcoming projects. I tested new gear this summer, new tools (for me), and I needed some time to actually get comfortable with them so that I can share my thoughts about them because these tools had an impact on my work. Now, on this channel, will only talk about tools that I actually use regularly, gear that has potential, and nothing else. This article and video only exist because I’ve received many messages the past 2 years about GODOX and their flashes. I am a Broncolor user, and never really looked at them before, but things change, GODOX was kind enough to send me the AD 600pro and AD 300pro… But in this video, It will be all about the 300! Maeva K. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s GF250mm F4 R LM OIS WR 1/125sec f/4 ISO 400 Maeva K. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s GF250mm F4 R LM OIS WR 1/160sec f/4 ISO 320 At a Glance (Images from: http://www.godox.com ) : So Godox throughout the years has managed to seduce a lot of photographers and I totally understand why. They propose a wide variety of tools, from entry-level to professional at a very competitive price. How does the AD 300pro perform? Is it consistent? Robust? Easy to use? In this new session with Maeva, I went back to my roots on this one. Back in the day, I was only working with one light. Most of my work was made outdoors, and after a while, I needed a flash for more control and creativity. The goal here is not to overpower the sun. I used it to have more control over my shadows and the direction of my light. Sometimes we really want a precise composition and framing but unfortunately, the light is not really in our favor. Adding a flash gives us the option to maybe get the shot. I also tested the unit on a more traditional portrait session but more on that in an upcoming article. To my surprise from a look where my model is obviously lit, to a more realistic look, the AD300 pro was able to keep up. I thought that this light wouldn’t have the punch, but it did! So for simple sessions like these, you don’t need more... Trust me. Maeva K. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s GF250mm F4 R LM OIS WR 1/160sec f/4 ISO 200 Maeva K. (Toulouse - France) Fujifilm GFX100s GF250mm F4 R LM OIS WR 1/160sec f/4.5 ISO 100 The advantage with the AD300pro is the size, and weight, although in my case since I used a Broncolor Adapter I kind of lost the advantage of the size. But if you use it with a regular Umbrella or one of the many light modifiers made for this light, then you have a travel-friendly light that you can almost take anywhere with you. The light is really easy to use, I was able to make these 2 sessions and didn’t have to charge it right away. It comes with a nice little case, and you have a battery and its charger included. So what didn’t I like here… well, not much, I didn't have any issues, no misfires, no major color shifts. I even used it with the AD 600pro and they both work together flawlessly. The huge advantage of the size and weight is that It is super easy to use overhead. Images from: http://www.godox.com You may not have noticed but I used it a lot this summer, so the majority of the images you see on my Instagram right now and that were created with a flash were made with these 2! I don’t like the look, but who cares really, so if you are starting out or not… and if you are looking for an affordable solution for a first flash, this might be the one. I started with a Speedlite years ago. I wish this was available back then! My thoughts about the AD 600pro will come in another video. Tell us in the comments below if you are a Godox user, and share your experience with us! So, now that it’s just you and me, I am not going to make this long. I talked about a change that I wanted to operate at the end of last year, and that got pushed back to earlier this year, and then postponed again to this summer and here we are. Basically, the world has changed, we all know it, and my landscape has changed, and the type of work that is coming to me is really different compared to what I used to do. You probably noticed, I worked a lot at home the past 6 months and I’ve been writing and trying to get some of my video work into production. So far only a bunch of tests, with different cameras and rigs, and one of my latest dance videos was released this summer… If you haven’t watched it, go check it out . I just finished the edit of 4 other micro/ short films that will be released not here but on my 2nd channel . Don't worry, I will keep you informed of all the changes when the time has come. Until then, please, have a good one!

Behind the scenes video feat. Paolina & Tiare So apparently people are debating whether GODOX is made for professionals or not? Yes, GODOX, at least around me was always considered a cheap brand for beginners who couldn’t afford the real stuff… That was a while ago… as nothing changed since? It’s hard to get rid of a reputation or at least change it. I have to admit, I never really looked at that brand because as a professional, you better off working with Profoto or Broncolor if you have the money. And this is maybe why I went from the broncolor move 1200L to the SirosL 800ws. Of course, there are other reasons, at the time I needed the power, the reliability, and the consistency, and the outdoor kit was of great value for me considering my style and the way I work. And since then, no other brands proposed an equivalent of the SirosL 800ws. The AD600pro is short of 200ws, but this doesn’t really mean anything, I have to use it, test it in different situations and on different projects to actually see if I still need 800ws of power or if the GODOX are enough. And then look at the unit itself. How well is it built, how easy is it to use, and does it hold me back or does it help me create the images I want? I’ve used it on several projects during the past months. I mixed it with other lights, other flashes, and continuous lights. this is the only light I used with my Pixapro optical snoot, and I even used it with the smaller but capable AD300 pro. Here is a brief summary and a few behind the scene images of one of my latest sessions made with it. It’s still fat and I can see where the inspiration comes from. In terms of size, we are not far from the Broncolor unit. I still find these flashes a bit too bulky and heavy. I really like the handle here the system is better than the one on the SirosL. I am not a fan of the big screen, and I will tell you why. It is very useful, because at a glance you have all the information you need, all the settings, and the menus are easy to understand and accessible. But, I am not sure this will stand the test of time unless you keep it in your studio, and I don’t think these battery-powered strobes are made for that. I had this concern the first day I received them, when I charged my first battery the rubber protection here fell off. Everything these days is made out of plastic, but here, I am not comfortable. The thing is My SirosL fell, too many times, but I got them serviced only once in 5 years and they still work flawlessly. If the AD600 pro falls, I am not sure the screen will survive. But you know, so far so good, I haven’t had any issues, so we will see. The colors are pretty accurate, I never had any issues, any dramatic changes in color temperature, insignificant changes like really minor color shifts so you can rely on this Flash for sure. No misfires for me, I am using the X pro transmitters and it’s a no-brainer. One thing I couldn’t do lately is work with it outside… So things do change, considering the price and the performance of this flash, why wouldn’t you use it professionally? The big advantages of bigger brands are the availability of parts (in case you break anything), the customer service (sometimes it is really hard to speak to anyone), and the reliability of their supplying chains delivering fewer faulty units. Am I going to switch to GODOX? It’s too soon to say, I am still waiting for Broncolor to make a few updates on their flashes… but maybe this will never happen so this might be the time for me. GODOX also has the AD1200pro, I really hope I will be able to get my hands on one. I’ve seen some pictures and videos, but these units aren’t easy to get. But this means that GODOX is serious about its flashes, and that’s a good thing. We need more competition so that we get more affordable tools that deliver stellar performances. I guess this conversation will continue another time. Thanks to my first video on the AD300pro, I now know that a lot of you actually use GODOX products. You guys probably have more experience than me with these tools, so I invite you to share your thoughts as long-time users. How are they behaving now, compared to when you received it? Do they still hold up? Did you break anything? Were you able to repair it? Tell us in the comments.

Behind the scenes video feat. Lady Bionic I discovered recently I had behind the scenes footage that I might as well share instead of placing them in the bin. I am talking about Transient, a short dance video I filmed inside la Chapelle des Carmélites featuring, a local contemporary dancer named Emma aka Lady Bionic. Last summer, I released a dance video on my other channel. And I discovered recently I had behind the scenes footage that I might as well share instead of placing them in the bin. I am talking about Transient, a short dance video I filmed inside la Chapelle des Carmélites featuring, a local contemporary dancer named Emma aka Lady Bionic. It is a low budget short piece, and what I mean by no budget, is that we literally had no budget. This is part of a series of videos I will produce in 2021 and 2022, for learning purposes, to test concepts and ideas, to test gear, and to improve my workflow. The idea for me is to be able to face any kind of situation by the end of 2022 and enter phase 2 of my plan. And that is all I can say about all this, you will have to be patient. After a rough start last year because of COVID-19, I delayed everything for about a year and a half. Nut now I cannot wait any longer, so I decided to move forward whenever it was possible. For this one, we planned a half day rehearsal prior to shooting for blocking and beats. I feel it is important for her as a dancer to see and feel the space. She improvised a big part of her choreography, but I asked her to write some parts of it to ease the editing and transitions between specific scenes. During preparation, I had a playlist of several songs that matched the mood I was going after. We ended up choosing "This means war" by Rhythm Scott for this piece. A bit like our very first video together last year, I wanted to create something around the concept of ephemerality. The idea of a volatile moment, that we can hardly conceive. I wanted her to appear and disappear, leaving us wanting more. Gear wise we have the GFX100s, the GF30mm, and the GF50mm. We are recording on the Atomos NINJA V in Prores 422 HQ and the entire film was almost made with the DJI RS2. We are using only 3 lights : The Forza 500 and a fresnel with barndoors, and 2 NANlite pavotube 30c. The Forza 500 and the fresnel barely moved, they were placed in an aisle 3 metres above the ground to light the Altar throughout the video. We then chose to light everything else with one or 2 pavotube led lights. The Pavotube led lights are light, easy to manipulate and still produce a soft light because of their size. So it was easy for us to move them around whenever we needed them. We lowered the blinds on all the windows to kill the ambient light but we still kept the main door opened to keep the same direction for our light throughout. There was construction work going on outside which complicated our work. Sometimes we could barely hear ourselves talking, and the Emma couldn’t hear the music from the speakers. For the final scene, we made her disappear with some easy masking. I advise you to watch the final video on Vimeo or directly here on the blog. I hope you enjoyed this little breakdown, tell me if you wish to see more of these in the comments below! Transient Transient A Film crafted by Haze Kware Assistant Director: Marlène Blackdough Performance by "Lady Bionic" Emmanuelle Cathala Music: Rhythm Scott Additional sound editing: Darkloulou Beats Filmed inside La Chapelle des Camélites Special thanks to: Isabel Birbes Emmanuelle Rossignol Nicolas Galiana Belkacem Bouheraoua ...and The City of Toulouse

From start to finish Behind the scenes video with Clara The "From start to finish" video concept isn't new but that I might do it more often. 4 images for this one, a quick look at my lighting setup and an overview of the accessories and space I used, and as a bonus, a speed edit that will show you how much is going on in the retouching process. Gear-Wise we have the AD300pro overhead because it is light and powerful enough for this type of work. Attached to it is the beauty box 65. Just below me to fill the shadows is the Aputure light dome II with the AD600pro at a very low setting. and behind her, I have 2 NANlite Pavo tube 30c led lights… just for fun! I am of course shooting with the GFX100s and the GF50mm. You will see in the edit and retouching process, that I am using an old technique to overcome partially the lack of control I have on the smoke. By taking multiple shots, with the smoke at different stages I can sample parts of it from several images and add them to my final shot in post with photoshop. I am just using multiple layers with masks and custom brushes, that’s all… Concerning my color grading process, I’ve made I believe at least 2 videos in the past where I explain a bit more how I do things. My process hasn’t changed much since so you can watch these videos if you need to after watching this one! Color grade with gradients, boost details and enhance your photos in Photoshop! Tat’s all folks, if you enjoyed this one then I am happy because I’ve received several requests for a video like this recently. If you would like more stuff like this, tell me in the comments below!

Behind the scenes video with Emilie Sometimes, less is more and the more I grow old, the more I apply this to my work. I used to overdo things and take things a bit too far. It works when the work demands it, when you want a surreal look, or when a heavy contrast or oversaturated look suits your story. But for the majority of my work these days, making it simple is sometimes the best approach. Here is a portrait session, where I intentionally held back. This session is also one of the first where I used my hand-painted backdrops from Gravity studio. I’ve been eyeing these since I’ve seen them used by other fellow photographers and thought I’d give them a shot. Emilie is new to my work, and this was our first time working together. She didn’t have much experience posing so it was also a great experience for me to direct someone who isn’t especially comfortable in front of a camera. Gear wise we are working with the Canon R5 and the RF 50mm f1.2. I am using 2 Aputure LS300X and for some shots, I added the Pixapro optical snoot. One 300X is used with a lantern placed overhead in the early shots and the other 300x is placed at approximately a 45°/ 90° angle camera right with the Aputure light dome II. My light placement will influence the poses. On this one, I only used the overhead light and asked her to look at the light and then close her eyes. For the other shots, the shadows were my guides to fine-tune her poses. The Pixapro Optical snoot was used with the Godox AD600pro. I knew exactly what I wanted to create here, so we just had to experience a bit to place the light perfectly. And for my retouching and color grading process, I used between 5 to 8 layers (usually I have around a dozen and much more on more demanding creations) on these portraits, and here is a summary of the main ones used (in the video). I hope this helped some of you. I will see y’all in the next… but until then, please have a great one!

Feat. Polarpro PMVND II My first filter was a circular polarizer. And that’s all I am going to say about this one for now. After that, I kind of forgot about filters. And I despised anything that would get in front of my lens, fearing it would ruin my images. Then I started working with the GFX line and the infamous shutter sync limited at 1/125th of a sec and thought, is there a way to have more control over my exposure, without touching my ISO, depth of field, and shutter speed? and this is when like a fool I finally decided to find out more about Neutral density filters. So this is a 3 part video and to help me out a bit I will concentrate on 3 different tools or set of tools by 3 different brands. Do you need Filters? The ones I use [Part II Feat. Freewell Magnetic Filters] Do you need Filters? The ones I use [Part III Feat. K&F magnetic Filters] Today we are keeping our eyes on the PMVND II the Peter McKinnon Variable ND edition II that you probably have seen everywhere. Like the simple Neutral density filters, They reduce the amount of light that reaches your sensor. You can either buy a bunch of them with different strengths or choose to work with a variable ND like this one. I’ve talked about this type of filter, in my What’s in my bag 2021 . I am shocked I haven’t considered having these in my bag sooner. The PMVND blocks from 2 to 5 stops of light, and it is as simple as that. If for whatever reasons you need to set your shutter speed, and Aperture at a specific setting but still have an overexposed image at ISO 50 then this is where these filters can help you out. The most common situation is shooting outdoors during the day with your lens wide open. Your ISO is at its lowest setting, so your only option would be to crank up your shutter speed to some crazy levels. But what if you need to stay at a low shutter speed. And what if you have a small entry-level flash that delivers a limited amount of power. You don’t want to go past that sync limit between your flash and camera because avoiding the HS or HSS mode will let you use all the available power your flash can give you. So if you are not photographing a moving subject you can stay around your shutter speed sync limit (1/200th or 1/125th depending on your camera brand and model), and have your lens stay wide open (at f/1.2 for example), and still have total control over your exposure thanks to your VND. Do you like playing with slow shutters? No problem, you don’t want to raise your aperture to f/22 to compensate, so your VND filters will help you balance your exposure even indoors. I sometimes play at home with slow shutter speeds to have a bit of blur and movement. A little choreography that could only last 2 to 3 seconds, and during my various tests I could quickly get the image I wanted with the help of this VND. There are 2 versions of the PMVND, the 2 - 5 stops and 6 - 9. Most of the VNDs I had in my hands that did 2 - 9 in one filter were awful. X pattern, color cast, and so on. This one gives a slight green tint to my images, not the end of the world for my photography, but a bit tricky sometimes in post-production for my videos. But it has a clever system that prevents you from leaving fingerprints on the glass and eases the screwing mechanism. I also sometimes keep it on and use it as a lens cap. I am using the 82mm filter that fits my biggest lens and uses step-up rings to use it on the smaller ones I have. A lot of people will use them for video and if you are working with DSLMs you will need a little bit of help under certain circumstances. If your camera has a native ISO of 800, and you are filming at 24fps and 1/50th of a sec during the day, wide open like Zach Snyder, then you won’t be able to do it without a Neutral density filter. I used the PMVND for the short dance film “Will You Be There?”. For all of the exteriors, and also some sequences indoors: Will you be there [A dance short film] I barely shoot without a VND these days for video, I always have one laying around, it gives me the freedom to achieve any shot I want. Ther is a mist version of the PMVND II. To make it simple, it's a layer of glass that will raise your contrast and take a bit of the edge off your digital image, giving it a more organic feel, or a TV soap opera effect… Yes because sometimes it’s a bit too much. I’ve used this effect in one of my recent videos… but more on this in a later video. I only have the PMVND II 2 - 5 because the cost of having all 4 versions is a pretty big step to make. One filter costs 279 euros here in Europe, so if you do the math, the clever system comes at a cost. Is it worth it? Given my heavy usage, I would say yes, and you get what you pay for. They are well built, it is quality glass, and again I love the system. But recently, I discovered that other manufacturers propose their own solutions, their own set of filters with sometimes neat little designs and concepts… and at a lower price. But what do we really get at a lower price? Let’s find out in part II . VND | PETER MCKINNON EDITION II

Feat. Freewell Magnetic Filters This is part II so if you missed part one (or part three), you know what to do: Do you need Filters? The ones I use [Part I Feat. Polarpro PMVND II] Do you need Filters? The ones I use [Part III Feat. K&F magnetic Filters] We talked about Variable ND filters, but we are not over yet. This time we have not one but multiple filters. An interesting magnetic offering us various options. 2 Variable ND filters, from 2 to 5 and 6 to 9 stops, a circular polarizer, and a Mist filter that you can all mix together or sort of. Let me show you how I recently integrated these filters in my work, in both photography and video. If you watch the Intro carefully all the images made with the van were filmed with the VND and Mist filter! Yes, we used the Mist and 6 - 9 stops for all the footage you just saw combined with the Mist filter. That allowed us to film wide open with the R5 at RF f/1.2. Freewell’s Magnetic concept lets you have at your disposal these filters in one unique package: VND2-5丨VND6-9丨CPL丨ND32/CPL丨VNDXMIST2-5丨VNDXMIST6-9丨GLOW MIST The Magnetic system makes it easy to swap them on and off and lets you stack some of the filters. I am using the 82mm version with various Step up rings to suit my different lenses. In my first video about filters , I talked about my first filter that was a CPL. I basically used it when I needed to get rid of reflections in glass or water, especially during very bright sunny days. I also used it to minimize haze and to boost the color of my skies and even darken it giving it a more dramatic look. Photographing my partner through a window with a Freewell's CPL filter. Photographing my partner through a window without any filter. The mist filter is also very useful. I use it a lot for my videos to reduce the digital effect but I also use it for my photography. The filter is not too strong, just enough to make it useful in a lot of situations without being distracting. You will notice the halation when shooting directly into a light source. With a stronger mist filter, this can quickly become overwhelming unless the effect has a real meaning in the image you are creating. I also sometimes use it for portraits, when they are backlit, to give that slight dreamy effect. Photographing Charline without any filter. Photographing Charline with Freewell's Glow Mist filter. And of course, you have the 2 VND’s. With my single PMVND II being limited to 2-5 stops, here I have both in one package. Recently, I had to have my portrait shots for my website, which will be updated soon. And I wanted an overly dramatic shot of me and these filters come in handy. I could only do these in the middle of the afternoon, so we decided to shoot into the sun and did our best to bring out all the textures that were present in the sky that day. The VND filter was set around 7 and 8 stops, and Marlène, our photographer of the day, used the mist filter too for the bloom and slight halation. The VND filter helped us shoot at f/1.2 ISO 50 during the day without pushing our shutter speed to high. We avoided the HSS mode with the Godox Ad300pro to use all the power. What I love about this set is how easy you can set things up. I love having all the filters in one place, both for my film and photography work. The other great news is the price! For the 82mm set it will cost you 399$. In my previous video, I talked about the PMVND Edition II and the fact they also made a VND with a mist effect. If you want the full range of the PMVND II filters you will need to buy 4 filters costing 279 euros each here in France (with a discount if you buy all of them at once on their website), which makes the set worth over 1 grand! This doesn’t mean these Freewell filters are cheaply made. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The metal frame construction feels strong, these filters are made of high definition optical glass. And they are all stored in a nice little case. You also have included a magnetic lens cap and a Microfiber Cleaning Cloth. So far I haven’t had any issues in terms of color cast or vignetting, the filters are not neutral but the effect on your image is negligible. I currently use them a lot for my video work and occasionally for my photography work. If you are looking for an affordable set of filters and these ones, in particular, the Freewell Magnetic VND is a safe bet. We will push things a little further in the final part of these videos about filters… So rendez-vous in part III ! Freewell magnetic Filters: https://bit.ly/3jJcVWO

Feat. K&F magnetic Filters Last video about filters this year? in 2021, Probably! Do you need Filters? The ones I use [Part I Feat. Polarpro PMVND II] Do you need Filters? The ones I use [Part II Feat. Freewell Magnetic Filters] We are going to end this series with another neat little package, no VND this time, but a UV filter, a CPL and ND1000 filter, and yet again a magnetic system but this time from K&F concept. Most of you might already know how valuable filters are for landscape photographers, so I don’t want to go there for this video, plus I am not a landscape photographer even sometimes I pretend to be during my free time. I talked about my main use of CPL filters in part II and I was curious to see how this performed in comparison. Without Filters and With UV + CPL + ND1000 Remember that this is only a tool so it’s up to you to use it creatively. Whether you want reflections and glare in your shot is your call. The Filter I use the most is the VND. Being able to simply twist the filter and change the amount of light coming in is really useful. But sometimes depending on the quality of your filters, you can get underwhelming results. Vignetting, X patterns, color casts, dramatic loss of light, and so on. Usually, single filters perform better because they have only one job. In this set of Filters, you have an ND1000 stopping 10 stops of Light. This goes beyond what my other NDs offer me. For long exposures or extreme lighting conditions, this is a must-have. The UV Filter is the Filter I was less familiar with. I now use it to protect my lens from dirt, scratches, fingerprints, and accidental damage. It slightly reduces haze, and the bluish cast of daylight, and improves contrast by minimizing the amount of ultraviolet light that reaches my sensor. This is the Filter set I carry with me during my free time. I use it for my urban, architecture photography, street photography, and all my personal images, so basically, a lot of the images I do not share online, because they are too different from what I usually post. This doesn’t mean I don’t use them in my professional work, but I rarely need to block 10 stops of light, but If I do, this is my go-to. You can of course stack these filters and cumulate the UV filter with a CPL and an ND1000. The magnetic system makes it a no-brainer! The K&F concept magnetic filter pack is well made. I feel confident using them in the field. They have a slightly better grip than my other filters, I just wish they included an additional lens cap to protect the filters while they are on the camera. I use again the 82mm filters, and they are delivered in this lovely little pouch. The entire set will cost you 154,79 euros (Lookout for discounts around the holidays!). I cannot live without these filers now, and you have guessed it depending on the job and my creative needs, I am currently switching between the 2 magnetic systems. Because of how versatile they are and how easy it is to use them. What about you? What are your go-to Filters? Magnetic Filter Kit/ Kit de filtres magnétiques

Power for your camera, flashes, continuous lights, projector, your photography and filmmaking gear… and more! I almost lost the fear of not having power on location. This is the ECOFlow Delta, and I’ve been waiting for this for a long time! You probably have seen this already on the web or recently on my Instagram and recent intros. This is not the biggest model you also have the Delta MAX and the upcoming Delta PRO taking all of this a little further. But still, the delta is a beast of a battery and probably may suit most of you, for most of your needs. We used to travel in an RV and we now have a customized van, that we often use fr work. When I shoot on location, wether it is for photography or film, the first question that comes to my mind is: "how am I going to power all my gear?". When shooting outdoors, this becomes a nightmare, because you really have to make sure you bring a few spare freshly recharged batteries just in case. The ECOflow Delta gives you the option to power all of your gear anywhere, which means you can make any place your office. Plug a computer or 2, recharge a couple of batteries, your phone, and so on. These are some of the main specs of this monster: The ECOFLOW DELTA at a glance: - Charge from 0%-80% within 1 hour - 4x AC Outlets (Total 1800W) & 1260Wh capacity - Fast charge via solar panels and 12/24V car port - Power 11 devices simultaneously 1 399,00 € (and 150 € off starting November 22nd 2021!) Apparently, you can plug a fridge into this, so we are already thinking about making an adapter to plug our mini-fridge into this in our van (just in case). I’ve seen people using this for outdoor trips and cooking with it. But ultimately for me, this is an amazing tool on set. I often use hungry continuous led lights for my work. For example, you can plug 2 Aputure 300x lights into this battery and use them at full power! Usually, you have to use 2 huge V mount batteries to use these types of lights at full power… and only for an hour or 2. Considering the price of V mount batteries these days, and the fact that you need a pair to power one light, this makes you think twice. There are different ways of charging this battery. The obvious one is to plug it at home on any power outlet. And the other one is with a little help from the sun. Now I can work in several locations and even be away from home for a day or 2 and still be able to charge all my batteries without worrying about finding a place to charge them. I have an hour or more to go from one location to the next? Great, I can charge my batteries in the back of the van during the trip. We recently stayed one night outdoors for a special session because we needed to get up really early the next morning. No lights where we were staying so we used 2 Pavotubes for the night. These can only last a few hours, but with the ECOFlow, I knew we wouldn’t run out of power. And guess what? We decided to watch a movie there, so we plugged my computer, a projector, our phones, and our lights in the ECOflow all at once, and it worked flawlessly. I mean this is only one of the many scenarios possible with these batteries. There are different sizes depending on your needs and budget. For bigger projects, the Delta MAX or PRO could be an essential tool on set. I’ve said it before, I only review gear that I actually use and that I believe in now. So usually when I share my thoughts about something on this channel, chances are, I like it. Concerning the ECOflow, I really love it. It is also amazingly built, easy to use and understand and although it is a bulky and heavy battery, it is to be expected. This is largely justified when you realize how much power you can carry around with you. You will probably see this lying around in future Behind-the-scenes videos, and I will most certainly briefly talk about it again here and there every time I will use it in an unconventional way, or on a special project. If you wish to learn more about ECOflow and its amazing products, click on the links below! Get yours now! Support my work, by clicking on the following affiliated links, you ECOFlow DELTA there will be a 150€ discount starting November 22nd 2021! ECOFlow DELTA MAX ECOFlow DELTA PRO

Behind the scenes video feat. the Aputure 300X I've been playing with the Aputure LS300X for some time now... and thought it was about time to share my experience with this versatile COB bi-color led light. I usually use them for video but we’ll talk about this later down the road. I now use them for some of my photography work solo or I mix them with other lights for some effects. I may use an additional flash with an optical snoot for some of the light shapes down below and just sneak in a bit of warmth with the LS300X: The 300x has been around for a while and has nothing to prove now. I thought it would be interesting to have that control over color temperature, for my portrait sessions. Something you can obviously do with flashes, and gels but with longer setup times. Here, with just a remote, you can fine-tune your lights in seconds. These lights could be a time saver. I have yet to make a video comparing these 2 approaches, continuous led lights versus flashes. But to make it simple here, if you are working in a dim and controlled environment like in a studio setting, a home session, using these lights can be a great option. For all you hybrid shooters, juggling between video and stills images, if you mainly work indoors for your photography and do portraits, this can serve you for both. The Aputure LS300X has a Bowens mount. I used them with the Lantern 90 and the Light dome 2, and they worked well for those portrait sessions. The great thing about the Aputure LS300X, is how nice and robust their lights are. I love the single Handbrake Locking Yoke with the 360° Rotation, the Smooth 0%-100% Dimming Control, and the 2700-6500K tunable White Point that could be changed with a simple dial. The CRI & TLCI scores are over 95 and they are of course compatible with the Sidus Link App & 2.4Ghz Remote! You can power the 300X with a V mount battery and use up to 50% of its power, or you can put 2 of them to use it up to 100 %. But you all know my preferred method to power these lights... I use the ECOflow DELTA . Personally, I would use them every time I have these kinds of sessions planned. You have just the power you need, and unlike strobes, you see exactly what your light does to your subject before taking your pictures. I usually use the lantern as a top light, or as a fill light. The light dome is usually my main light, and its grid gives me all the control I need. Am I considering a Full Aputure ecosystem? Maybe... I am still thinking about it. Until I make up my mind, I have to see how these babies behave on a film set. But I guess will talk about this in another video. Have you ever considered using Bi-color lights for your photography? Tell us in the comments below.

Behind the scenes video feat. Charline Poncin Tight spaces again, one backdrop, one light, or almost and the help of a filter for the last shots. If you are into portraits, on a budget, If you have only one light and no studio… then this one is for you. This Behind the scenes video will be straightforward. I’ve done more portraits in the past year and a half than ever before. It was just the right time for me, more time at home and the will to do something different than my regular work. I am slowly going back to using flashes, not that I don’t like continuous lights, but for a lot of reasons I prefer using flashes most of the time for my photography. I used the lightdome II from Aputure as a softbox for this session, with the GODOX AD 600 pro attached to it and 2 layers of diffusion. I am now using Gravity backdrops painted canvas for my portrait work. At first, we worked with a lot of ambient light in the room, but halfway through the shoot, I decided to reduce it because I wasn’t satisfied with my contrast ratio. I still used a big white reflector on the other side of my light to slightly lift my shadows. Charline, is an experienced model, so I gave her a bit of room for improvisation. In the video, you can see a 2nd light but I never used it. I just placed it in front of Charline for a few images for an additional catch light in the eyes. But I did use a 2nd light for those white background images. It’s just my reflector that has a white transparent layer that was placed behind her. I used a single AD300pro to shoot through a Beautybox 65 and then directly into the backdrop. The first images were made without a filter, and then to accentuate slightly the light spill and add a blooming effect I used the K&F black mist filter. Without any filter: With the Black pro mist filter: That’s all folks, I hope you learned something from this quickie. I am preparing a few videos where I use 3 to 4 lights. These will be fun. See y'all in the next one!

Behind the scenes video feat. Phottix Raja softboxes My go-to 3 to 4 lights set up in the studio, and my experience with Phottix’s Raja Softboxes... that's what's on the menu! We are back with a studio-style kind of session. It is not a real studio but a temporary one in an empty house that a friend gave me access to for a few days. Something I often do is set up a temporary studio, because, well it’s bigger than my living room. No electricity there, but we had our power station with us. If you haven’t seen my review of the Ecoflow, you know where to go . So it is basically just a sports portrait session with a classic 3 to 4 lights setup. Swim athletes Marie Kuntzmann and Assia Touati: This is my go-to for this kind of visual. I kill the ambient so that you can barely see the backdrop I am using. In other words, these images can be made with any dark backdrop you can think of. I am using two Phottix Raja strip softboxes placed on both sides behind my models with a grid. A Phottix Raja 105cm round softbox above the athlete for my hair and shoulders, and for my main light I am using the Phottix Raja 80cm deep octa with a grid for more control on my beam. The idea was to have that rim light around my athlete coming from the sides and relatively high contrast. I only used one lens, the GF50mm on the GFX100s, and this is an almost full Godox setup, with the AD1200pro the PIXAPRO Citi1200pro the AD600pro, and the AD300pro. For the image down below I asked Marie to look up and only used the overhead and rim lights: A few words on these softboxes now and why you will most likely see them in a lot of my future videos. You can choose from a wide variety of sizes and shapes but this is not what intrigued me at first. The one thing I am always looking for is the overall built quality and how fast I can set them up. These have a sweet feature, they are built like umbrellas. This means it takes only a few seconds to pop them open and a few more to add the included layers of diffusion, Inner Baffle (depending on the model), and grid. They are shipped with a nice robust carrying bag, and so far they are serving me well. I hate setting up and packing, and these make it easy, or at least easier than before. If you are looking for a set of light modifiers, really, you can trust these. I have to give a huge shout-out to https://www.buystudiolight.com/ Thanks for sending me these softboxes… and for letting me share my experience. Do you wish to get yours? Follow the links below: Phottix Raja: https://www.buystudiolight.com/product-tag/phottix-raja-quick-folding-softboxes/ Phottix Raja Strip 30x140: https://www.buystudiolight.com/product/phottix-raja-quick-folding-strip-softbox-30x140cm-12x55/ Phottix Raja Deep octa 80cm: https://www.buystudiolight.com/product/phottix-raja-deep-quick-folding-softbox-80cm32/ Phottix Raja Octa 105cm: https://www.buystudiolight.com/product/phottix-raja-quick-folding-softbox-105cm-41/