Since Kino Flo came on the scene in 1987, a plethora of digital cameras and advances in lens design have revolutionized the way we capture images. More people have more imaging tools than ever before to help them realize their own unique and creative visions. Kino Flo applauds the era's new vibe. However, despite the tumult of technology, we shouldn't forget the first rule of good photography: "It's the lighting, stupid."
Lighting is the difference between a mediocre picture and a work of art. In the natural world, there are two kinds of lighting: hard light, such as a brittle shaft of sunlight, and soft light, such as moonlight reflected off a field of snow. Kino Flo makes soft light. And cool light.
Unlike hot tungsten or HMI lights, Kino Flos can be handheld. Owing to cool light, Kino Flo designs reflect a whole new school of thought about solving lighting problems. Instead of bouncing light or covering hot lights with fabric, Kino Flo houses its cool-running lamps in non-traditional fixtures that are lightweight enough to be taped up on a wall or ceiling. The most versatile Kino Flos can be dismantled and reassembled in new ways. They even operate underwater (Hydro-Flex and Pace Technologies, for example, are two companies that customize their underwater fixtures with Kino Flo systems).
This unique level of versatility was one of the characteristics that earned Kino Flo a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Another award-winning feature is Kino Floâs custom line of professional True Match lamps, which display, on high output, a white light source similar to studio tungsten or HMI lighting, while proprietary flicker-free electronics serve as the nerve center controlling the lamps, on high output more than 100 feet away.
Looking back, it seems as though we've come a long way in our 15 years. But we've certainly never rested on our laurels. Recently, Kino Flo's design studios turned out the latest sensations in cool lighting: the ParaBeam 400 television studio fixture and the Kamio ring light kit.
If ParaBeam were an automobile, it would be a sports car. Kino Floâs new dimming ParaBeam design is hip, and the light cool and intense. In fact, the ParaBeam pours out more lumens per watt than any soft light around. It dims from 100% to 0% in seconds and can run on just one amp of power. It also comes with a warranty and is fully loaded.
While the ParaBeam can throw a shaft of light more than 20 feet across a stage, the Kamio has become the close-up glamour light of choice. The ingenious, lens-mounted Kamio fixture is both a beauty light and a matte box system with sunshades, an eyebrow, and a filter tray holder. The gentle, natural illumination softly paints the subject even with white light, easing away character lines and adding a sparkle to the eyes.
Lighting professionals interested in working with Kino Flos can find the lights at more than 1,000 rental houses worldwide, as well as on television news, commercial, and feature productions from Hollywood to Hong Kong.
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