Cinematic lighting: key takeaways from The Zurich Sessions
We’re still buzzing from the amazing first episode of the Maxima Master Series! It was so inspiring to see so many talented photographers and professionals come together to capture the magic we created on the bespoke set @ Venice Bar. We had a blast with all the lights, creativity, and energy we brought to the location. It was such a special opportunity! We were so happy to have the chance to work with the amazing Daniel Kellenberger, who is a true master of portrait photography, deeply tinged in his noir-cinematic style. He was kind enough to share his expertise with us, and we learned so much! Enrico Ripalti from Cinestudio Italy and film director Claudio Ripalti also joined us, and we were so grateful for their contributions.
It wasn’t just about learning new techniques, either. We had so many chances to network, share experiences, and even start new projects together!
The Master Photographer’s View
Daniel Kellenberger headlined this event with mastery and a commitment to inspiration, which is reflected in the reaction of the lovely attendance we had. In his own words:
"I had the pleasure to host a workshop in Zurich on the 6th of September 2024. The atmosphere was very relaxed although there was an inner tension as I already gave quite a few lessons in photography but never presented in front of a large and intensively interested audience. And I finally was able to get my hands on not only one but two brand new Maxima Furiosa at the same time. I was able to play a lot more with continuous light than ever before. This probably made me nervous too. 🙂
I wanted to show the participants how to seamlessly integrate the Maximas in a classical three lamp lighting setup. The Maxima 6 was used to light the whole scene as a fill light in order to avoid harsh shadows and produce a cinematic basis. I then set up the flash as main and rim lights. Once having this classical setup, I added smoke and a Furiosa to give the smoke it’s own temperature. Because the sun light hit on our wonderful model, we already had a certain amount of white and blueish light. With the possibility of the Furiosa to produce different colour temperatures within the blink of an eye, I was able to add a much warmer tone in the smoke, adding more depth to the colour scheme.
Finally, because the Maximas are quite photogenic, you can easily use it as a prop which is also replacing a rim light. With this scene set up, there would have been even more possibilities to highlight certain areas and add the perfect details. But time was limited, and I wanted to build up a second setup.
My other fascination lies in reflections but not from the standard reflectors you can buy in specialised photography stores. Where I am seeking interest are everyday items, like shiny carton packaging, little mirrors or even metallic watering cans can be a completely new and different source and form of light. This is where the normal flashlight is pushing you into endless tiring experimenting. The Maxima is producing a strong and intensive light to immediately see the effect on your subject. I had two Furiosas as one main light and one as the source for the reflection light, both with the opposite colour temperature to gain a maximum of contrast. There was actually an unintended reflection we used on the cinema set up which just lasted two minutes, but it gave an additional glance to the model’s face.
The participants followed the one-by-one step and asked different technical questions where Enrico and Claudio from Maxima where able to help out with the details. In general, the atmosphere was very relaxing with little breaks leaving room for chats, networking and creative exchange. All in all, I think we had a wonderful and interesting workshop, and I hope, I infused a little bit of a creative spark into everyone’s mind."
Final workshop photo
