Using a Strobe for Smartphone Photography

In the hands of a good photographer, a modern smartphone can be a powerful tool, enabling them to take photographs so good that one could be forgiven for thinking they were taken with a proper DSLR. But one area smartphone cameras still struggle in is flash photography. The built-in flash is never good enough for creative lighting, and you can’t easily sync any kind of external flash to your smartphone. But a clever photographer knows how to work around that problem. Let’s join photographer Patrick Hall as he demonstrates how you can use an iPhone with Profoto flash units:

For the purpose of this video, Hall uses a Profoto B10 Plus and syncs it up with his iPhone using the Profoto Camera app. This app, which was developed by Profoto, is designed to help smartphone photographers take better photos.

As Hall demonstrates in the video, the Profoto Camera app is just like any other camera app. It lets you have control over all the exposure settings. In addition, it also allows you to control the Profoto flash.  And while Hall was skeptical if the result would be as expected or not, you can clearly see that his image comes out brilliantly.

“I can’t believe that this actually works. There’s no banding or partial exposure. The flash just looks like normal flash.”

It’s amazing how technology has evolved to make our lives (and livelihoods) so much easier. Would you use a flash system that’s compatible with your smartphone?

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