Photography is about capturing light and shadows. Natural or available Light is not always existing at the intensity or angle to create the image we have in mind. In comes strobe lights to help create the ideal lighting conditions. Strobes are typically used both in studio and on location shoots.

To help me create the lighting effects I desire I employ:

elinchrom

• Elinchrom Range RX 1100W. Because of its stability and light colour, I use these as my key and fill lights.
• Excella, several ranging from 200W to 1000W. These are most often used for rim and background lighting.
• SB 900 and SB 800 Nikon Speedlights. These are used on and off camera. Depending on the shoot type, these speedlights are employed as key, fill, rim and / or background lighting. I find them useful, when used with gells, to add background colour.

excella

When it comes to light modifiers I have tried them all and these days find myself using the following with the Elinchrom sets.

• 150cm and 90cm Octa
• Beauty dish with 30 degree honeycomb grid
• Square and strip soft boxes

On the Excella lights I use mostly:

• Standard reflectors
• Barn doors
• Snoots
• 20 and 30 degree Honeycomb grids
• Gells

In addition I have white, black, silver and gold reflector of various sizes. In studio I have four large Styrofoam boards, with one side painted matt black and the either remaining white.

Anything available can be used with strobes to block light, also referred to as gobos.