This morning I got a chance to sit down with H.W. Briese, the founder of Briese Lichttechnik and Gerd Bayer who oversees their New York operation, Briese-NY. As part of his stateside trip, Mr. Briese is here showcasing their full line of continuous light and flash products today-10/21, until 10pm and tomorrow-10/22, from 10am-6pm, at Jack Studios (601 West 26 street, NY, NY 10001- between 11th and 12th Aves.) The studio is perfect for showcasing the line of focusable parabolics, strip boxes , ballasts and packs that Briese is known for. I must admit I was overwhelmed as I walked between the two rooms; it is rare that light modifiers themselves are as captivating to look at as their output.
Among the new products Mr Briese is showcasing here in New York are the Focus 96 and 150 parabolics and the remote controlled, Focus Help which allows for changing and/or fine tuning the lamp position, without having to lower the Focus manually for adjustment and then reposition it.
Mr Briese describes the Briese lights as “efficient.” He maintains that the special quality of the light is the result of its components; from the u shaped flash tube to the movable lamp to the shape of the modifiers themselves. He also reinforced my belief that the key to understanding and unleashing the power of the Briese light is learning how to adjust the position of the light within the Focus as well as adjusting the power of the pack. For some photographers this may represent a paradigm shift, as many of us look at adjusting power as the sole means to control the light once in the modifier: With the Briese system, the movement of the flash head within the modifier is fundamental and as important as adjusting the power.
Mr Briese also made me realize how versatile the Focus range can be: you have a light source that can go from a spot to a flood and cover a lot of ground in-between. Usually when people are talking about parabolics and particularly the larger ones, they talk of the brilliance and wrap of the light. In moving the lamp within the Focus (the amount of movement you have varies according to the size of the Focus product you are using) you can indeed change the light characteristic and falloff.
Unlike many companies that specialize in either flash products or continuous lighting products, Briese does both. According to Mr Briese, they have been manufacturing HMI products since 1985, and added tungsten to their product line a few years ago. With the bases covered from “3250k to 5500k to flash,” Briese feels that his company is well positioned to navigate and serve the converging stills and motion markets.
If you are in New York and want to get a first hand look at Briese products, the event at Jack Studios is open to the public.
hdhd!! 