Strobe misfires aren't typically celebrated, but sometimes, these unintended mistakes create standout images.
Coming to you from James Quantz Jr, this insightful video explores a unique photo session with the Philadelphia Flyers NHL team. During the shoot, Quantz encountered several lighting misfires, initially seen as mistakes but ultimately becoming some of his favorite images. He details how these misfires, resulting from rapid-fire shooting and demanding light setups, led to dramatically lit photos that differed strikingly from the planned results. Quantz explains how one particular misfire, where his key light didn't trigger, created a dramatic edge lighting that transformed an ordinary action shot into something visually striking. Importantly, he emphasizes the need to carefully review unexpected outcomes, rather than discarding them immediately.
Quantz also draws a parallel with an earlier experience photographing a university volleyball team, where another misfire sparked inspiration for an entirely new lighting setup for a subsequent shoot. That misfire accidentally replicated harsh sunlight indoors, inspiring Quantz to deliberately recreate that effect later for beach volleyball portraits. This demonstrates how accidents in photography can become intentional strategies in future projects. Quantz stresses that misfires aren't brand-specific issues; they occur across various equipment, whether Profoto, Westcott, or Godox, and arise from multiple factors like recycling speeds, transmitter glitches, or simply random anomalies.
Quantz also shares his struggles with autofocus due to challenging lighting and atmospheric haze from adjacent video setups. Additionally, he explains his strategic lighting arrangement, including symmetrical side lighting and his choice of a 1x3 strip modifier to manage problematic visor reflections common in hockey photography. His adaptation to conditions, such as turning off fill lights to utilize ambient haze creatively, further showcases his approach to real-time problem-solving. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Quantz.
If you would like to continue learning about how to light a portrait, be sure to check out "Illuminating The Face: Lighting for Headshots and Portraits With Peter Hurley!"
Thanks for sharing, Alex!