Profoto

Profoto
Louhuanghe · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Profoto
Type	Private
Founded	1968
Founder	Lars Lindgren, Conny Dufgran
Headquarters	Stockholm, Sweden
Products	Studio flash generators, portable battery packs, light shapers, modifiers, monolights, strobes, flash heads
Key people	CEO (current)
Industry	Photographic equipment

Profoto Profoto is a Swedish manufacturer of professional photographic lighting equipment and accessories, founded in 1968. The company designs and sells studio flash units, portable battery-powered lights, light modifiers, and control systems used across commercial, fashion, portrait, editorial, and advertising photography. Profoto products have been adopted by photographers working with luminaries and institutions in photography, film, and visual arts worldwide.

History

Profoto was established in Stockholm by inventors and photographers in the late 1960s, during an era when practitioners like Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, and Diane Arbus were shaping visual culture. Early development responded to needs similar to those faced by studios working with figures such as Helmut Newton, Cecil Beaton, Richard Avedon, Garry Winogrand, and Elliott Erwitt. The founders aimed to produce robust, reliable flash generators analogous to equipment used by studios in New York City, Paris, and London. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Profoto expanded its product line as photographers like Annie Leibovitz, Herb Ritts, Peter Lindbergh, Bruce Weber, and Mario Testino influenced fashion and editorial workflows, increasing demand for versatile light shaping tools. By the 1990s and 2000s the company worked alongside brands and organizations including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, National Geographic, BBC, and Getty Images as digital imaging and photographic technology shifted. The 2010s and 2020s brought developments tying Profoto devices to camera manufacturers such as Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Fujifilm and to studios servicing advertising campaigns for clients like Coca-Cola, Nike, Apple Inc., and Samsung.

Products and Technology

Profoto’s product portfolio covers studio monolights, portable battery-powered heads, compact flashes, light-shaping modifiers, softboxes, grids, reflectors, and remote control systems. Many designs practice electrical and optical engineering principles akin to innovations seen in companies such as Hasselblad, Leica Camera, Canon Inc., Nikon Corporation, and Sony Corporation. Profoto introduced modular generator systems and lightweight battery packs that addressed on-location needs similar to those met by manufacturers like Broncolor, Elinchrom, Godox, and Bronica. Control protocols and wireless systems have been developed to interoperate with camera triggers and sync systems from PocketWizard, Sekonic, Phottix, and native systems from Canon, Nikon, and Sony. Light modifiers follow patterns used by studios collaborating with agencies like McCann Worldgroup, Ogilvy, and BBDO that require consistent quality for campaigns featuring talent represented by companies such as IMG Models and Elite Model Management. Optomechanical components reflect materials and tolerances found in precision manufacturers like SKF and ABB.

Applications and Use in Photography

Professional photographers use Profoto equipment for commercial, editorial, fashion, portrait, product, and cinematic stills, working alongside creatives from Vogue Italia, Harper's Bazaar UK, Wired, Time (magazine), and The New York Times Magazine. On-location shoots for brands including Levi Strauss & Co., Adidas, H&M, Zara, and IKEA often pair Profoto lighting with camera systems from Canon EOS, Nikon D-series, Sony Alpha, and medium-format systems from Phase One and Hasselblad. Cinematographers and directors of photography collaborating with production companies like Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and Netflix employ similar light-shaping approaches for stills and behind-the-scenes photography. Education programs and workshops run by institutions such as Rochester Institute of Technology, Royal College of Art, London College of Communication, and School of Visual Arts often include Profoto gear in lab courses and masterclasses taught by instructors associated with names like Annie Leibovitz, David LaChapelle, and Chloe Dewe Mathews.

Corporate Structure and Operations

Profoto operates as a private company headquartered in Stockholm, maintaining regional offices, subsidiaries, and dealer networks across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. Distribution partnerships and authorized resellers often include camera and gear retailers like B&H Photo Video, Adorama, Calumet Photographic, and regional distributors servicing markets in Germany, France, Japan, China, and United States. The company engages with professional associations and trade shows such as Photokina, The Photography Show (Birmingham), PMDA, and PMA, aligning with industry standards promulgated by organizations like ISO and trade groups in photography. Corporate strategy includes research and development collaborations with universities and technical institutes including KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, and partnerships with manufacturing specialists across Sweden and Europe.

Recognition and Awards

Profoto and its products have been recognized in industry awards, trade publication reviews, and professional accolades that include features in Professional Photographer (magazine), Digital Photographer (magazine), PDN (Photo District News), and trade award programs associated with events like Photokina and The Photography Show. Endorsements and accolades often come indirectly through equipment lists used by award-winning photographers honored by institutions such as the World Press Photo, Sony World Photography Awards, Pulitzer Prize, Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, and International Photography Awards, where lighting technique and tool choice contribute to judged projects. Industry design and engineering recognitions reflect comparisons to peer companies such as Broncolor and Elinchrom.

Category:Photography equipment manufacturers