I imagine nice images is a results of nice lighting. As somebody who has spent loads of time touring and capturing in a wide range of situations, gentle has at all times been a high precedence. Small moveable LED lights began to turn out to be widespread round 5–6 years in the past, when dozens of manufacturers started making a wide range of lights in several styles and sizes. I’ve purchased many, eager to attempt totally different choices out and discover one of the best options for once I journey to shoot on location. Just lately, I got here throughout a model that, in a comparatively brief period of time, has carved out its personal area of interest and positioned itself at an entire new degree on the earth of moveable lighting for images and video. They’re referred to as Harlowe.
We dwell in a world with enhancements in know-how occurring quickly, and new merchandise are being churned out repeatedly. Everyone seems to be making just about the identical factor. The main target is on advertising and marketing the newest and best options, with little thought to good design and person expertise. Steady lighting, I’ve found, is a kind of product classes. There are such a lot of me-too merchandise which have jumped on the pattern bandwagon. It’s arduous for customers to know the place to start out wanting and the way to determine what to purchase when there’s no apparent differentiation. That’s my expertise anyway.
An organization referred to as Hobolite had a imaginative and prescient to vary that. They began in 2023 as a direct-to-consumer model promoting on-line. In 2024, they rebranded to Harlowe to embrace a artistic imaginative and prescient that aligns with an aesthetic impressed by traditional and timeless design. Their purpose is to design and manufacture merchandise that “empower creators to raise creativity, productiveness, and identification via progressive lighting options constructed to encourage.” That fancy marketing-speak sounds spectacular—even convincing. However is it? I needed to seek out out.
Harlowe kindly despatched me a couple of of their lighting kits to completely put via their paces. I ought to add at this stage I’m not a images or tech journalist who receives gear, performs with it of their backyard for an hour, after which writes a overview. My actual job is as a photographer/videographer who travels to shoot on location loads. So I took the lights on precise shopper shoots and used them in real-life images situations over a three-month interval.
I beforehand wrote a overview about Harlowe’s new Iris 5 Spectra and mentioned, “The very first thing that struck me once I opened the field is how superbly every thing is made. It not solely seems extremely high-end, the eye to element and high quality of all of the items is top notch. So many small lights are low cost and plasticky. Not this one, it’s aluminum. It combines elegant aesthetics, considerate performance, and high quality manufacturing—which have resulted in one thing that could be a pleasure to make use of.” This is applicable to all of their merchandise. They are surely in a league of their very own when it comes to high quality of each design and manufacturing. It could be honest to say Harlowe is the Rolls-Royce of images and videography lighting. Choosing up considered one of their lights provides you a similar sense of confidence as selecting up a Hasselblad or Leica. That’s a much bigger deal than many might imagine.
However is Harlowe on a mission to create a luxurious model that may confidently sit subsequent to the likes of Hasselblad? CEO and founder Helene Bian says whereas Harlowe’s merchandise do carry the positioning related to luxurious, their intention isn’t to chase standing or exclusivity. Their merchandise should not about luxurious for luxurious’s sake. Harlowe’s focus is “emotional design, instruments that really feel pretty much as good to carry and use as they do carry out.” I can relate to this. I discover if I decide up a very well-designed, well-made digicam, the enjoyment of the expertise makes me need to use it extra. However a lightweight? I used to be doubtful. That was till I had considered one of their lighting kits sitting on my desk in entrance of me, and I unzipped the high-quality case.
A Nearer Look
Harlowe’s Creator Kits are very effectively thought out, and there may be zero compromise on high quality of supplies or performance. Each little element has been thought-about, even right down to the massive leather-based tabs on the zipper. I’ve the Mini 20 Creator Equipment, which contains a gentle that appears like a strong classic digicam within the hand, placing out a really helpful 1,800 lumens. This can be a excellent multi-purpose equipment, as I used to be to shortly uncover. It’s an amazing gentle for capturing environmental portraits on location, lighting meals in a restaurant, and tabletop product shows in a house studio. FYI: The photographs on this article are lit with Harlowe lights.
The equipment contains:
Magnetic gentle modifiers and coloured gels
Magnetic barn door
V-mount adapter to connect the sunshine on a stand
V-mount adapter with chilly shoe to mount the sunshine on a digicam
Mini tripod made from aluminum that appears like one thing Leica would make
Every little thing packs right into a case that’s 11 x 7.5 x 3.75 inches, making it excellent to journey with. A lot of their lighting kits are round this dimension and simply transportable.
I additionally examined a floor-standing carbon-fiber stand that needs to be on show at a design museum. I’ve spent my working life utilizing a wide range of tripods and lightweight stands, and this one is a murals—from its design, performance, and high quality of supplies to its aesthetics. It’s beautiful.
Reassurance
I do know some photographers might not see the worth in lighting gear and equipment like this. I get that. You pay a premium value for Harlowe merchandise. In a single regard, positive, a lightweight is only a gentle. However isn’t a digicam only a digicam? Strive telling Leica homeowners that! That low cost plastic gentle from Amazon is a method to an finish. However when you will have one thing that’s so effectively thought out, designed, and made—you do get quantity of reassurance that it gained’t allow you to down. That’s necessary. And when you will have one thing that places a lot consideration towards a really pleasing person expertise, you’ll most actually need to seize the equipment and head out to shoot extra typically. I do know I do now.
I need to confess, one of many causes I used to be compelled to jot down this text is the dearth of media protection for such a superb model. Why is that? What’s occurring? It is mindless that one thing so good will not be being talked about extra. But it surely’s a brand new model; perhaps it simply wants extra time for folks to find and recognize the distinctive qualities that may be helpful on a number of ranges.
These are the merchandise I’ve examined and actually recognize:
Mini 20 Creator Equipment
Micro 8 Spectra Grasp Equipment
Iris 5 Spectra Creator Equipment
Harlowe Adjustable LED Mild Stand
Please observe, this isn’t a sponsored article. I discover myself being uncovered to many images manufacturers in my considerably distinctive place as an expert photographer, YouTube creator, and author. I’ve no obligation to jot down about any of the merchandise which can be despatched to me. Many merchandise that I see are very comparable and unremarkable. However once in a while, one thing comes alongside that actually stands out and warrants a minimum of a couple of ideas.
