Using the Quantum
Qflash Trio system and the Photoflex 60’ umbrella combo on the fly
I have been looking for
new ways to travel with a powerful lighting system that gives me tons of options
without breaking my back OR the bank with extra baggage costs.
My answer is the
Quantum Qflash combined with the Photoflex 60’ umbrella. This combo served me
very well on a recent three stop shoot that took me to Washington D.C., Toronto
and San Francisco.
First, let’s have a
look at this system. The entire thing, light heads, power packs, stands and
diffusion all fit into one medium stand case. You can check the case (if you
dare) or it’s an easy carry-on, on most airlines.
The system consists of
two Turbo3 power packs, two Qflash lighting heads, two stands, 60’ Photoflex
umbrella with diffusion. You will also need a few charging cords and a bracket,
they all fit nicely in the between spots inside your stand bag and offer a bit
of cushion.
The thing I like best
about this rig is the versatility. You can shoot using a number of varying
degrees of softness or go with very hard light. For a softer light you can
remove the black exterior of the umbrella and light through it, if that’s not
soft enough, you can add the diffusion panel and reflect the light inside
the umbrella for softer less direct diffused light. And if that’s still not
soft enough, you can add diffusion disks to the actual Qflash light head at the
source.
The same goes with hard
light, just remove all the diffusion and light directly or bounce.
I like to use a combo
of both not just for lighting people but for adding a controlled ambient light
to a room or a background.
What’s awesome about today’s DSLR cameras is that ISO’s are so great in low light, you just don’t need the power it used to take to create an amazing portrait. I have actually had to teach myself how to you less wattage to create the effects I need for my portraits
.
Mobility and speed have
become very important to me as well in today’s bang it out corporate portrait
scenario. These lights are so light you can move them quickly and usually
without an assistant. There are times when I am not allowed a set up for a
sit-down portrait. The Quantum Qflash
and Photoflex make it very easy to shoot quality portraits on the fly or while
traveling outside your home base. I never leave home without them!
Love it, I am a quantum user and I have used all types of lighting equipment and searched for the best system with the most power, flexibility and weight reduction. No matter what I’m shooting I love photoflex products, there is a lot of different softboxes, umbrellas and etc on the market, but photoflex doesn’t let you down and I find the products.