Mira and Thilda (@mirathilda) for Profoto
Profoto seems to be on a mission to create professional-level gear that is ideal for small crews and location photographers. Adding to this growing list of lights and light shapers are three new Profoto Softboxes. Profoto has announced a 3’ Octa, a 2×3’ Rectangular box, and a 1×4’ strip softbox, covering the most popular sizes and shapes. These boxes feature an all-in-one design requiring no separate speeding to mount them to standard Profoto heads. Along with the softboxes, there will be accessories such as soft grids, various levels of diffusion fabric, strip masks (for the strip), and edge masks (for the octa and rectangular box).
Profoto is not new to the softbox game; they are “The Light Shaping Company.” As such, we expect these new boxes to produce clean, beautiful light for portraits, fashion, products, and commercial work. This new line stands out because Profoto has deliberately designed this series to reflect how photographers work today. Quick to pack and assemble, with versatile options to make each box more than just a one-trick pony. This new line of softboxes includes options of various diffusion levels, strip masks to allow for very precise light placement, and edge masks to eliminate hot spots and allow for beautiful contouring of subjects.
Profoto focused on ease of use and speed when developing this new line of softboxes. Featuring a quick set-up design that requires no additional speedring to build and mount to Profoto lighting heads. Using the standard Profoto connector, these new softboxes can be mounted directly to Proheads and the B10 line and used with the A2 equipped with the OCF Adapter II. This near-universal light shaper connection system has long been a strength of the Profoto line, allowing creators to mix and match their lights and shapers to fit any project.
After releasing the softboxes, Profoto released the Zoom Rod S. It is a unique tool designed for photographers and content creators who want to step away from traditional softbox lighting and want to venture into more creative light effects.
It’s lightweight and crafted with durability in mind, making it ideal for use both on-location and in a studio. Along with its versatility for anywhere is compatibility with many impressive lighting equipment with all heat-resistant Profoto Softboxes and Soft Zoom Reflectors.
With the Zoom Rod S, photographers and content creators alike are offered more flexibility and control over their lighting. Shoutout to portrait photographers, product photographers, or content creators who shoot a lot of lighting-heavy content, the Zoom Rod S might be what’s missing from your Creator Kit.
Each of the new Profoto Softboxes comes with 1 f-stop diffusion kit, which will deliver the smooth light you’ve come to expect from Profoto. In addition, Profoto is offering diffusion kits of 0.5, 1, and 1.5 f-stops to allow creators to have maximum control over the specular highlights and contrast in their work. Perhaps you want a bit more punch in your light for an athlete’s portrait; choose 0.5, or maybe you want the ultimate in smoothness for a gentle portrait or a food layout; choose 1.5. To master lighting is to master the subtlety of light, and these new diffusers will allow creators to do just that.
Photographers have long loved using strip softboxes to fine-tune the placement of light. Whether used as a hair light or separation light, to add a thin highlight down the side of a bottle, or to create a signature catchlight, strip boxes are versatile tools in our creator arsenal. For the new strip softbox, Profoto has created a strip mask that will allow users to create an even more narrow sliver of light. This new accessory effectively turns your strip softbox into two distinct lights. Providing more options for our light shapers in one way, this new softbox line is giving photographers even more freedom to create.
For me, the most exciting new accessory Profoto has announced is the edge masks for the Softbox 3’ Octa and Softbox 2×3’. By blocking the center of the softbox, the edge mask eliminates any hotspot that may be caused when we place the softbox particularly close. When used as a backlight, the edge mask can help wrap the light around in a pleasing way, shaping the light around our subject. This technique works extremely well with athletes and dancers, creating a short-light-type pattern that has a unique feel. As a bonus, when used as a key light, the edge mask breaks up the catchlight in a pleasing way, removing the large bright catchlight that can be distracting in close beauty and portrait shots.
This new line of Profoto softboxes is ideal for creators who need to work fast, travel light, and want each light shaper in their kit to serve many purposes. Not only is each new box completely self-contained, making it a simple process to pack for assignment, but the additional accessories, such as soft grids, strip masks, and edge masks, make each light incredibly capable of creating a range of looks. Add to this the availability of 0.5, 1, and 1.5 stop diffusion for each, and your simple kit becomes a wealth of tools that allow you to create the light you need to capture the images you imagine.
Profoto has a full range of light shapers, and while these three boxes will cover a large amount of ground, some other accessories may be of value in your kit. For the times you need a small diffused source to create sculpted light, the Profoto 1×1.3′ RFi Softbox is a great choice. For some extra punch or when you want to create crisp sunlight-type shadows, the Profoto OCF Magnum will get the job done. While not as portable as these new softboxes, the Profoto Silver Softlight Reflector (Beauty Dish), always makes my must-have list of light shapers.
Profoto, long respected by professional photographers for their light shapers, continues to take even the most standard of these shapers to new levels. How we work and light has changed so much over the last ten years since the introduction of the Profoto B1; photographers need reliable, portable, and versatile tools as we work faster and with smaller teams. These new Profoto softboxes will shape not just light but also the way photographers work.
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