This thread is for posting images shot with the Elinchrom Maxilite. As long as the Maxilite was used in the lighting, then it qualifies.
So I'll get the ball rolling. . . . . . . .
Over the last year or so, the Elinchrom Maxilite reflector
, affectionately renamed The Fireball, has become increasingly popular and many photographers are using it as a main light source. I kept looking for samples but I wasn't really seeing what I wanted to see and while the images were all really nice, I wasn't getting excited enough to want to own one.
After a long period of time where the Maxilite was out of stock at retailers, they arrived at B&H and I figured I'd give it a shot. As soon as I received it, I started doing testing and really looking at the light. Tests quickly revealed that this modifier is not one you just point at your subject and start shooting. Until you dial in that sweet spot and get to know the character of the reflector, you're just going to be pissin' in the wind, if you'll pardon the expression.
There is a rather significant hot (and sweet) spot with extremely rapid falloff once you're outside that zone. The hot spot is very concentrated and can create some beautiful light. Having said that, the Fireball can easily create horrible light. By that I mean that if you place the transition from inside to outside the hot spot smack across your model's face, it's going to look nasty and won't give you the typical pleasing light you get when feathering other light sources.
After spending some time with the Fireball, I completely fell in love with the light but in a different way than most. Everyone I saw using it was taking advantage of its amazing efficiency and firepower, enabling them to distance themselves from the subject and still get a very focused ball of light on their subject. I like that too, but what I like even more is to have the leading edge of the Fireball no more than 30 to 36 inches from the subject.
I love how this type of high contrast light reveals texture and for fashion that's crucial. Like any high contrast lighting, you really have to look at your subjects skin and then the makeup applied. Bad skin and/or bad makeup will look terrible. Really oily skin will produce specular highlights that may or may not be acceptable.
For my purposes, the Fireball has now become a serious tool in my toolbox for beauty, fashion and glamour. It's soft but with punch. It doesn't eat up a lot of studio space and for beauty lighting in a room with an 8 foot ceiling it makes things easy.
OK, enough talk.
This is from my shoot with Julia. (more images to follow).
Lighting is as follows:
Main Light - Elinchrom 300RX - Maxilite w/diffusion sock - directly above camera position and on lens' vertical axis.
Fill Sources - Lastolite Tri-lite - Left and Center w/silver panels , right w/white panel -a bout 12 inches in front of subject and 24 inches below the chin.
Hair/Accent Light - Elinchrom 600RX - 7" grid reflector w/30 degree grid and barn doors - 4 feet behind, to camera left, and about 2 feet above the subject.
