Please list the names of the better photo lighting companies still relevant.

If your RFP addresses the qualifications and experience of the photographer the lighting, modifiers, camera, processing and other technical aspects of photography will take care of itself.

Specifying lighting equipment in an RFP for theatre photography is rude and insulting to accomplished professional photographers.

One Man's View.

I possibly read OP’s post wrong, thinking it was an RFP for lighting purchase or rental. When hiring a photographer, I agree you don’t specify actual brands or types of modifiers. A professional may produce amazing images with five strobes vs. two, or prefer scrims instead of softboxes. You can ask what they will use if in a position to judge. Or just generally spec a full-frame camera, fast lenses and professional lighting. The portfolio, experience and bid are what matter. Lighting brands/models immediately limit the method and process of a photographer. It is different with sound gear or stage lighting because certain standards are synonymous with brands/models. You can tell a technical crew what gear to supply, but you rarely tell the artist what brand of instrument to play.

Jake,

IMHO, for the needs you've described, maybe the equipment list is a bit top-heavy on price. I recommend that you consider the Adorama re-branded Jinbei strobes. For instance, the Orlit 601 is manual, wireless (for both RF and optical trigger), is 500 w/s, Bowens S-mount and supports HSS. I'm very impressed with the monolight--no discernible color drift and the LiON battery holds a charge for hundreds of exposure. If I was a traveling professional, I'd be eyeing Profoto, but I'm not. As a house brand, Adorama gives very good support. The money saved can go into C-Stands and modifiers.

Sadly since this is part of a state bid process where the intent is to try and eliminate or reduce unfair practices, I can not comment any more or offer details.

What (I think?) I can say here is that the bid does not specify brands, it only offers examples. This is maybe 5% of the document, again written in the hopes of providing a balanced playing field and trying to eliminate loopholes that have been taken advantage of by someone's "cousin" to the exclusion of respected seasoned pros.

I knew this would draw some fire when i posted, and I wish I could spell it all out here, as I think you'd agree it is a positive thing.

Jake your explanation is quite understandable. Not really sure where to go here, as if money isn't a significant consideration, then the response could be written with the specifications pointed to an upscale solution. If it is a concern, then I guess write the requirements based on the preferred vendor specifics. Or, are you asking something else, like how many strobes, and what kind of modifiers and stands ?

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #18818379
Sadly since this is part of a state bid process where the intent is to try and eliminate or reduce unfair practices, I can not comment any more or offer details.

What (I think?) I can say here is that the bid does not specify brands, it only offers examples. This is maybe 5% of the document, again written in the hopes of providing a balanced playing field and trying to eliminate loopholes that have been taken advantage of by someone's "cousin" to the exclusion of respected seasoned pros.

I knew this would draw some fire when i posted, and I wish I could spell it all out here, as I think you'd agree it is a positive thing.

Jake,
I've written RFPs, as well as responded to them, including federal and state RFPs for services as well as products.

Even with that experience, I'm having a hard time rationalizing any kind of equipment specific requirements when writing an RFP for professional photographic services.

I can think of a lot of ways to protect against CWAC (cousin with a camera) responses or to eliminate them from contention.

I've also seen RFPs written so that only one person or company could respond and meet all the qualifications. I know its probably illegal but it happens.

dmward wrote in post #18818052
..

Specifying lighting equipment in an RFP for theatre photography is rude and insulting to accomplished professional photographers.

...

In short this was kind of the point. Although the target was far from "professional" in that sense.

Now that the dust has settled, I feel it is "safe" to explain what was going on.

Our theatre dept has been working with a very skilled, qualified and frankly kind pro photographer for years (decades)
He's been so generous with his time, and frankly we have always gotten much more from him time and quality wise than we can pay for. He arrives at least an hour early to set up, makes multiple trips with his strobes and lighting gear from his car,. and is just a real pro.

This is at a State university,. with a bid process for many such things. This was never one of them.

Well, I live in a state where corruption and nepotism is simply the norm it is so prolific. (ever listen to "Crime town" pod cast?)

Anyway, someone's cousin fancied himself a photographer, got himself a "rebel" and some Yongnuos with impact stands, and has been undercutting prices and getting all the work on Campus. His stated purpose was to be THE photographer for everything on campus. Fine for anyone who thinks his work is OK, that's just dandy.

BUT, then he set his sights on our photo-shoots. He forced the dept. to open the job up to the bid process, again because he is someones cousin and has that connection, and he bids $50.00 (there are only two bids, the old photog and this guy)

He shows up with his rebel and yongnuos lights 5 minutes ahead of time and wastes our time while he sets up the impact stands. He's difficult to work with and is terrible with the actors (students) Aaaand well, the photos are a complete disaster.

This goes on for several shoots, he's annoying and terrible, but now the schools' bid process is making it nearly impossible to get rid of him. Complaints of low quality are not convincing enough. He is supplying way compressed low quality jpegs, he doesn't understand DOF, etc. etc. etc.

All of this goes on for nearly a year (most of a season) before I hear any of this story from our admin assistant.

"Bonnie" I say, "what does the bid look like?"

Well, it's written by someone with no idea what to ask for. We didn't HAVE to know what to ask for when we were allowed to hire someone that KNEW BETTER THAN WE DID. But now we have hired a hack. We get crap.

So I sat down and wrote a comprehensive bid with strict requirements. More pertinent than lighting was MP and file size requirements for printing and web use, number and type of shots needed for marketing etc. There is a small section about hardware required, and "look"


the result is that the "cousin" has quietly gone away. I heard this week that he decided it wasn't worth the effort to meet the demands of the bid. My bid was not and could not be interpreted to single out a single individual either pro or against,. but it does now have clear guidelines that a hack likely could not live up to.

We had this unsavory individual that has been weaponizing the bid process to get his way.

I simply beat him at his own game.

It ended up a lot like this;
( ---- replaces any names etc.)

------ is seeking a professional photography vendor (“vendor”) to capture promotional photos during the rehearsal process for _______________
The vendor will capture images for use on all media including, but not limited to ---- website, social media accounts, promotional publications and advertisements of both candid and art directed photographs. The successful vendor is required to have extensive experience in theatrical and marketing photography.

SCOPE OF WORK:
Promotional Photo Shoot for the production of _______________ at the ---- Theatre Department, ---- Theatre. Images will highlight the production cast, and scenic elements where available. Department staff will work with the vendor on the specific images and locations that will be required for this project. Photography style required is warm, soft lit, sophisticated, vibrant and engaging.

PHOTO and FILE REQUIREMENTS:
Provide at least 80-100 final edited jpeg photos to be furnished to the department on 2 copies of DVD’s with both high resolution print quality, and low resolution “web ready” copies of each photo. Both resolutions must be supplied in edited ready to print and upload condition. The selected vendor will not add or embed photos with branding captions or watermark signature on image files provided to ---- Theatre. The selected vendor will be allowed to use approved images captured for this project for demo purposes only.
- High/Full Resolution jpeg must be at least 5000 pixels on the long side for large prints.
- Low resolution jpeg for “web ready” uploading must be 1280 pixels on the long side.
- Deliverables: Full resolution and low resolution images with full usage rights and ownership on two copies of DVD within __ number of days after the photo shoot.

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS:
The vendor will provide all equipment to produce the photos required for this contract. Bid prices shall be inclusive of all costs related to the provision of digital image photography and production services, set up, tear down, equipment, including cameras, lighting, and support etc. Vendors must provide their own equipment capable of;
- Minimum 20 megapixel Digital Camera capable of producing files for high resolution prints.
- Minimum 2 studio strobe lights and soft box modifiers, capable of the warm, soft light the RFP requires. Acceptable lighting includes minimum 400 – 600 WS strobes from manufacturers like Profoto, Elinchrome, Bowens, Hensel, Paul C. Buff, Broncolor.

Jake,
Thanks for the follow-up.
Appears you found a reasonable way to accomplish what you intended.

I have been using Godox for about a year now, having switched from Britek when they started getting finicky from age. I have had great success with them to this point and I really like how you can designate each flash with its unique number or flash and change lighting ratios wirelessly from the transmitter on the camera's hotshoe. The mounts are standard Bowens S mounts so there are a wide range of different modifiers and accessories available.

A satisfying conclusion. Congrats.

i like your style.