Swinging between light and dark
Recently, Broncolor reached out and asked if I wanted to be part of the launch campaign for the new Broncolor Stelos flash unit. So, I took it to the streets of Berlin together with jazz musician David Hermlin and my team. We picked three very different locations to see how the Stelos would perform in a variety of setups.
The Oberbaumbrücke
The first location was the Oberbaumbrücke. The bridge’s arches and the shifting daylight made it the perfect place to test how stable the Stelos would be. To complement the soft natural light from the slightly overcast sky, we set up a Broncolor Octabox 150. This large modifier wrapped David in soft, natural-looking light, perfectly balancing the scene. To add depth, we placed the light slightly opposite David, ensuring we captured the “shadow” side of his body. The Stelos’ lightweight design, combined with the Broncolor trigger, made it easy to adjust the output on the fly (for example, when we placed the light closer to him) and gave us the flexibility to quickly switch positions.
A Play of Sunlight in Kreuzberg
At the second location, I wanted to push the Stelos further and test if it could act as a bright sun. I mounted one Stelos on a tall stand, fitted with a standard L40 reflector, and positioned it almost two stories high. The light passed through a milky glass canopy, diffusing it naturally and creating a believable sunlight effect, but with full control over placement and output.
To gently brighten the shadows on our talent, we used the Broncolor Litepipe P. This unique modifier gave us a smooth, even layer of light. Positioned above and slightly in front of our model, it matched the direction of the Stelos we used as our “sun,” softly filling in the darker areas.
Here, the flexibility of the 10-stop power range allowed me to fine-tune the strength exactly as needed. I also loved the practicality of the design: the side-mounted V-Mount battery detaches in seconds, and a single battery lasted us through several setups, easily over 300 full-power flashes.
Spotlight at Potsdamer Platz
The last stop of the day was the train station Potsdammer Platz. I specifically chose this location due to its interesting tungsten light ceiling. I wanted to see if we could integrate the existing ambient lighting while making our subject stand out. We set up the Stelos with a standard L40 reflector at a distance, carefully matching the quality and direction of the available light but with the control to push the output exactly where I needed it.
Closing
What stood out the most was how easy it was to work with the Stelos in different situations. It’s compact and lightweight, yet powerful enough to mimic sunlight and versatile enough to complement existing indoor lighting or darker environments. The output was consistent, the flash durations were short, and the controls gave me the flexibility I needed. From the bridge to the streets and finally a night scene at Potsdamer Platz, the Stelos delivered every single time.
Credits:
Photography and retouch: Jeroen Nieuwhuis @jeroennieuwhuis
Talent: David Hermlin @daveetheewave
Assistants: Tim Brinkman @tr.brinkman, Ricardo Dumsch @ricardo.dumsch
Behind the scenes videos: Bram van Benthem @bramvanbenthem
Behind the scenes photos: Ricardo Dumsch @ricardo.dumsch, Paul Gisbrecht @paulgisbrecht
