Profoto Monolight Kit

[Kathy Rappaport]

I bought a Profoto Monolight kit and was like a kid waiting for it to arrive from B&H. I bought it because of several suggestions I got a WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers). Came with Pocket Wizards, 3 softboxes, umbrellas, two light stands and two reflectors. Sounded like a great top line kit with all I would need to start the studio set up. This lighting is on the newer side of experience for me.

Well it came yesterday, I opened the box from B&H today and went to test everything. Heads worked great. Put the bulbs in, figured out the light stands, set up the velcro and compartments in the included case.

B& H put this kit together. It only has TWO lightstands and THREE Monolight heads. The PW's don't come with the right synch adaptors with work with THOSE Heads! And the three softboxes didn't have any speed rings. ARRRGGGHH

I have a portrait shoot on Monday - I told them I was bringing my lights. I wanted to use my new softboxes. I hope Samy's is open Easter Sunday and they have the speed rings I want. I guess I will rent them and hopefully they will have them because I think that B&H just neglected to put them in the box. Either that or I am back to my on camera flash with the Gary Fong lightsphere or hope for good outdoor light. (sigh).

They (my client) are open to what I will want to do at least they have no expectations. I am shooting a 12 year old girl. We are doing a save the date card for her Bat Mitzvah in December. I have some fun ideas for it.I did just want to play with the new toys!

[MArk Le]

I know...

it is at least disapponting when we need to face incompetence like that. Usually B&H is kind of accurate but I see that this time they just missed the .. shot :)

Be patient and try to make the best out of this, but going out for a job with a brand new system is not really "safe" : maybe it was the destiny that prevented you to use your new set up. Profoto are very powerful and sure need a little of practice unless you are already familiar with the system.

In any case, you could just get a stand and use a sync cord (which is always good to have it even with the PW because you never know...) and umbrellas instead of softboxes (just a suggestion...)

Congrats on the Profoto system: it is one of the most reliable available.

[Kathy Rappaport]

I did use the Profoto monolights in the class I took in February which was one of the reasons I bought the system. I had it all set up and tested it all by synch cord - but without the PW's. We didn't have to set them up, which is why I did not know how to connect the PW's.

Actually, I decided that I am going to bring one of the heads with the umbrella with the sync cord and use my Canon speedlights the Stofen or Fong.

If I can post some photos from the session later, I will. Otherwise it might be next week. The session is with a 12 year old girl who is using my portrait for save the date cards for her bat mitzvah in December - which I am booked to shoot.