Posted: 6/8/2026 2:54:58 PM EDT
|
Hello, I'm considering adding a Profoto B10 (250Ws) to my kit and would appreciate hearing from photographers with real-world experience using it for environmental portraiture on location. My typical approach is to work quickly and travel light, so I'd likely pair the B10 with a 3' octa (Octa Softbox) for most assignments. My goal is usually to underexpose the ambient background by approximately one stop and then use the strobe as the key light to bring the subject back to proper exposure while maintaining a natural, balanced look. For those who have used the B10 outdoors, how does the 250Ws output hold up in practice? Specifically: Can it comfortably achieve a one-stop ambient underexposure in full sun with a 3' octa? What working distances are realistic? Do you find yourself shooting in HSS frequently, or are you generally able to stay at or below sync speed? Have you found the B10 sufficient for most environmental portrait work, or do you wish you had stepped up to a B1X/B10X Plus for the additional power? I'd appreciate any real-world feedback, especially from photographers regularly shooting environmental portraits, editorial, or commercial work on location. Thanks in advance. |
| Paging TheAmaazingCarl, @TheAmaazingCarl to the white courtesy phone… |
ProTip: Never pick a fight with a tree planter. He swings a hoedad for 9 hours a day, carries 30-40 pounds of seedlings on his back, and has 12-14 friends just like him hiding out on the other side of the junk butt pile. They will fuck your shit up.
|
Can it comfortably achieve a one-stop ambient underexposure in full sun with a 3' octa? - Full on daylight is gonna be rough, overexposure is likely and even if you do avoid it these never turn out great. Full on sun has numerous issues like stressing your model's eyes quickly making them bloodshot, and making their skin look bleh and other ways that are beyond just exposing properly. --------- Find some shade ---------- If you have multiple friends/assistants you can bring your shade with you. - Ideally shooting in full manual mode, including manual ISO and manual flash settings is best but if conditions are changing rapidly you won't notice until you've missed a bunch of shots. - I will usually shoot aperture priority, and start the flash on TTL -1.3 stops (on flash NOT camera) and quickly adjust/offset exposure from there. At sunset 90% of my shots are into the sun with the flash for fill and constantly adjusting my ISO from 64-400ish depending how I am positioning the model, strobe, sunset. - As it gets darker out adjust ISO up and strobe power down, have to chimp and pay attention to the ground around your model for strobe overexposure. You won't notice how quickly the light changes with your eyes as its happening. - Also as it gets darker position your strobe and lightbox horizontal or even angled up some to minimize light spill onto the ground. Especially as it gets darker honeycomb diffusers are your friend, 1" or deeper work well. I would also consider a strip box, especially if you're usually shooting only one subject just make sure it's aimed properly. My 36" Glow EZ-lock (loved that thing) finally broke after a few years and all I had was my strip box and frankly I like it better outside unless I am shooting 2 or more people. - I will also sometimes keep my camera settings and just turn off flash for a few shots, because silhouettes can look surprisingly cool especially if your model poses well. What working distances are realistic? - I always try to place my strobe as close as possible to model (just out of frame) both indoors and outdoors. The closer it is the better the subject's skin will look. A Godox AD200 needs to be within 10' usually for full on relentless daylight and you're gonna be blasting it full power. As it gets darker, I will creep my ISO up to 400 as I decrease power on the strobe, either through the remote or moving it further from away. I don't ave much experience with profoto, but if it's anything like Godox actual light output doesn't really scale with wattage. An AD600 seems to be barely twice as powerful as an AD200. Do you find yourself shooting in HSS frequently, or are you generally able to stay at or below sync speed? -Never. I usually sync at 1/200 and adjust everything else off of that. My camera goes down to ISO64, but has low ISO modes which I think they all do now? -I know guys who do great work and swear by HSS, but I can't stand it. At best it's a waste of battery, at worst your images are more likely to lose sharpness. HHS doesn't really "sync" anything at high speed. Instead at "full power" HSS will strobe a bunch of times at a much lower power meaning some of them will be when your shutter is open, but most prob not. I can see why a lot of people use it, but I personally find it has limited utility. -If you have one of those newfangled global sensor cameras (only Sony right now?) you can probably sync (actually sync, not HSS) fast enough to do anything you want up to and including turning day into night if you want. Have you found the B10 sufficient for most environmental portrait work, or do you wish you had stepped up to a B1X/B10X Plus for the additional power? -I generally use Godox AD200's, with the bulbs NOT the LED fresnel heads. The light is cleaner and I believe more powerful with bulbs than the strobing LED things as a given wattage. If anything considering the price point profoto will work as well or better. |
"Dum spiro spero"
|
Originally Posted By TheAmaazingCarl: Man, making me type and shiiiit Holy cow! See, this is what I love about this place. |
ProTip: Never pick a fight with a tree planter. He swings a hoedad for 9 hours a day, carries 30-40 pounds of seedlings on his back, and has 12-14 friends just like him hiding out on the other side of the junk butt pile. They will fuck your shit up.
|
I generally won't be shooting in high-noon sun very often, but I like having the capability when the situation presents itself or a client requires it. Because of that, I'm leaning toward the B10X for the additional 250Ws over the standard B10. I've looked at the Godox options, and the value proposition is certainly attractive, but for reliability, light quality, consistency, and overall system integration, Profoto has never let me down. Here's an image that I wasn't particularly excited about creating, but the creative department had a very specific vision. They weren't concerned with achieving a natural ambient-to-strobe balance and instead wanted a noticeably underexposed background paired with what they described as "soft, yet slightly contrasty" light. As we all know, part of the job is interpreting and translating creative direction into something that satisfies both the agency and the client—even when it isn't necessarily the image we'd choose to make ourselves. This is with a heavy ass Profoto Batt Pack and a strobe with a 5' Octa on it. The client loved it, I was not a fan and tried to get them to consider the 97 more balanced images, free of the contrasty shadows from the hat. Attached File |
|
Originally Posted By Berger24: I generally won't be shooting in high-noon sun very often, but I like having the capability when the situation presents itself or a client requires it. Because of that, I'm leaning toward the B10X for the additional 250Ws over the standard B10. I've looked at the Godox options, and the value proposition is certainly attractive, but for reliability, light quality, consistency, and overall system integration, Profoto has never let me down. Here's an image that I wasn't particularly excited about creating, but the creative department had a very specific vision. They weren't concerned with achieving a natural ambient-to-strobe balance and instead wanted a noticeably underexposed background paired with what they described as "soft, yet slightly contrasty" light. As we all know, part of the job is interpreting and translating creative direction into something that satisfies both the agency and the client—even when it isn't necessarily the image we'd choose to make ourselves. This is with a heavy ass Profoto Batt Pack and a strobe with a 5' Octa on it. The client loved it, I was not a fan and tried to get them to consider the 97 more balanced images, free of the contrasty shadows from the hat. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/329784/al_jpg-3776540.JPG I can’t tell which is bothering me more, that underexposed background or the pure suckery that’s he ARF image server. |
ProTip: Never pick a fight with a tree planter. He swings a hoedad for 9 hours a day, carries 30-40 pounds of seedlings on his back, and has 12-14 friends just like him hiding out on the other side of the junk butt pile. They will fuck your shit up.
