The Need For Speed

Over on David Hobby's most excellent Strobist site, there's an update about AnnieL shooting the founder of Profoto, The Light Shaping Company. There's even a video of Annie shooting the guy. I guess anything and everything the divine Ms. L shoots is worthy of a video, whether it is or isn't. (Worthy, that is.)

A big chunk of the Strobist update focuses on the lightning-fast recycle speed of Profoto's Pro-8 Air power pack. (Seen being used by Ms. L in the video.) Indeed, this baby is fast! Ultra-fast! And fast it should be with it's $11,000 price tag. I'm sure many Strobist readers will be chucking their Vivitar 285s and Nikon SB-800s and rushing out to buy a Profoto Pro-8 Air pack with some Profoto heads. (That was sarcasm if you haven't already figured it out.) BTW, heads for Profoto's Pro-8 Air power pack will run you another two-grand per head.

But recycle speed IS a big deal. Leastwise, for me it is. I want my strobes ready to fire in short order... frame after frame and snap after snap. It's how I roll. I'm an impatient sort and I ain't got time to wait too long for the freakin' strobes to recycle! Might miss something. You know, like some of those "decisive moments." (© Henri Cartier-Bresson.)

What? You didn't think there are decisive moments when shooting pretty girls? There's more of them than you might guess. Way more!

Okay, I'll admit I'm not willing to reach into my pocket and pull out eleven-grand simply to enjoy the pleasures of ultra-fast recycle times. (Like there's $11k in my pocket anyway.) But when shopping for lighting, the first tech-spec I look at is recycle time. That's why I often recommend to friends they think twice before buying any of those Chinese monolight kits you see on Ebay all the time. Sure, the price is right. Maybe even better than right. But that's the problem. The price is too good. Too good to be true, that is. Ya see, you get what you pay for with that stuff. And, with those instruments, you ain't getting much in terms of the quality, durability, customer service, and the recycle times associated with many of these inexpensive lighting products.

I have a buddy who bought some of those Ebay specials a while back. At first, he kept going on about how much money he saved. Then, one of them effed up and he had a heck of a time getting it fixed. In fact, I'm not sure he ever got it fixed. But, later on, he had an even bigger complaint: Their painfully slow recycle times, especially at higher power-output settings.

"I told ya so," I said.

I should note that I've shot quite a few times with Profoto gear. Specifically, their Profoto Acute 2 stuff. Gotta tell ya, I'm not overly impressed with the Acute 2's recycle times. I'm not saying they're annoyingly slow, but my (older) Novatron monolights recycle faster.

A couple of caged, Lithuanian, vampires at the top, shot... Sheesh! About 5 or 6 years ago! (And you thought vampires only come from Transylvania.) Anyway, the pic was captured back when my PS skills were seriously pathetic. (Like they're all that much better now.)

If any of you are thinking of purchasing a Profoto Pro-8 Air power pack and a couple of Profoto heads, and you read this and other blogs for the tips and techniques, i.e., to help you develop skills as a photographer, I've got a better idea: Buy some WAY less pricey strobes (strobes that are high quality in spite of their reasonable costs) and, with the thousands you save, hire me for some private tutelage. I guarantee you'll end up shooting better pictures after spending a day or two with me--even if you're using cheap, Chinese, Ebay gear--than you will by spending well over ten grand on that Profoto gear. BTW, if it makes you feel better to spend more, I'd be perfectly willing to charge you a BFF. (Big Fat Fee.) Of course, if overspending ain't your "thang," I'm also willing to be quite reasonable.