Nigel Atherton and Jessica Miller spent a day with the latest Rotolight kit on a sci-fi themed photo shoot in Sussex hosted by The Creativity Hub


Fans of Grand Designs may remember a family home made entirely from bare, unpainted concrete blocks. Inspired by post-war brutalist architecture, it made the perfect setting for a sci-fi themed photo shoot.

The Concrete House in Lewes, Sussex. @concretehousesussex

Rotolight teamed up with bespoke photo events organiser The Creativity Hub to create a sci-fi themed photo experience day with six models using Rotolight’s latest, award-winning lights – just like the Gatsby-themed shoot featured in AP 26 April.

This time Rotolight brought a couple of new modifiers for us to try out: The R90 Parabolic Umbrella Softbox and the SmartSoft Box. Here are a few of the pictures we took during the day.

Hamish Scott @hamishwjscott_model was photographed against an illuminated red sign on the wall and lit using an AEOS 2 fitted with the SmartSoft Box, set to a matching red gel. A NEO 3 was placed directly behind the model’s head facing towards the camera, to produce the blue rim light at the rotolight sci-fi event

Hamish Scott @hamishwjscott_model was photographed against an illuminated red sign on the wall and lit using an AEOS 2 fitted with the SmartSoft Box, set to a matching red gel. A NEO 3 was placed directly behind the model’s head facing towards the camera, to produce the blue rim light. Picture by Nigel Atherton using a Nikon Z 7 with 85mm f/1.8 S lens. 1/250sec, f/4.5, ISO 1600

Rotolight AEOS 2 and NEO 3

Rotolight’s new LED lights are a leap in technology. More power, softer illumination (thanks to the new dome diffusers) and the addition of RGB WW LEDs that enable up to 16.7 million colours to be selected using the touchscreen interface, which can be used in flash as well as continuous mode. A new iOS and Android app enables multiple lights to be controlled remotely.

A hanging sheet of highly reflective mylar film provided the distorted reflection for model Katie Willy @katie.t.willy in this shot. The key light was an AEOS 2 with the dome diffuser, set to a cyan colour, while a second AEOS set to orange lit her from behind.rotolight sci-fi event

A hanging sheet of highly reflective mylar film provided the distorted reflection for model Katie Willy @katie.t.willy in this shot. The key light was an AEOS 2 with the dome diffuser, set to a cyan colour, while a second AEOS set to orange lit her from behind. Picture by Nigel Atherton using a Nikon Z 7 with 24-70mm f/2.8 S lens. 1/80sec, f/2.8, ISO 400

Read our Rotolight NEO 3 and AEOS 2 Review here.

behind the scenes of the rotolight creativity hub sci-fi event

Picture by Jessica Miller. Model: Katie Willy @katie.t.willy

Rotolight R90 and R120

Rotolight has released two 16-sided universal umbrella-style parabolic softboxes: the 90cm diameter R90 and 120cm R120. Both come with removable 1-stop outer and 0.5 inner baffle diffusion panels, and 40° fabric Honeycomb Grid for fine control over the level of diffusion.

Model Meg Biffen @meg_biffin, was lit using an AEOS 2 in an R90 Parabolic softbox as the key light. The wall was lit by two AEOS 2 lights, one set to a blue gel and the other to magenta. sci-fi event

Model Meg Biffen @meg_biffin, was lit using an AEOS 2 in an R90 Parabolic softbox as the key light. The wall was lit by two AEOS 2 lights, one set to a blue gel and the other to magenta. Picture by Jessica Miller. Pentax K-70 with 18-135mm lens. 1/100sec, f/4.5, ISO 1600

model behind the scenes pictured with the rotolight r90 parabolic umbrella at a sci-fi event

Picture by Jessica Miller. Model: Meg Biffin @meg_biffin

SmartSoft Box

The world’s first intelligent electronic softbox. This patented technology uses LCD crystals to provide 1.5 stops of electronically variable diffusion.

AP editor Nigel Atherton (left) shooting with a Rotolight SmartSoft Box during the Rotolight x Creativity Hub Events Sci-Fi event on 20 May 2022. Model: Hamish Scott @hamishwjscott_model

AP editor Nigel Atherton (left) shooting with a Rotolight SmartSoft Box during the Rotolight x Creativity Hub Events Sci-Fi event on 20 May 2022. Model: Hamish Scott @hamishwjscott_model

Events by The Creativity Hub

The Creativity Hub runs immersive, themed photography experiences in unique, exclusive locations around the UK. Rotolight is The Creativity Hub’s official lighting partner. For details visit creativityhubevents.com

OFFER! Buy the Creativity Hub Bundle (an AEOS 2, NEO 3 plus R90 softbox and other accessories) and get a free ticket to a future Creativity Hub event worth £400. For details visit www.rotolight.com/creativityhub

Roxana Gavrau @gavrauroxana, was photographed in front of a yellow curtain through which daylight was shining. She was lit using a blue light from a Rotolight Titan, with magenta fill from an AEOS 2.

Roxana Gavrau @gavrauroxana, was photographed in front of a yellow curtain through which daylight was shining. She was lit using a blue light from a Rotolight Titan, with magenta fill from an AEOS 2. Picture by Nigel Atherton using a Nikon Z 7 with 85mm f/1.8 S lens. 1/100sec, f/4, ISO 400

Nan Mthembu @sansmelanin, was photographed on a yellow sofa using two AEOS 2's, the model was lit in orange and the background in blue

Nan Mthembu @sansmelanin, was photographed on a yellow sofa using two AEOS 2’s, the model was lit in orange and the background in blue. Picture by Nigel Atherton using a Nikon Z 7 with 85mm f/1.8 S lens. 1/80 sec, f/4, ISO 400

Actor and model Lee Hoy @leejayhoy, photographed in a corridor of the Concrete House. The green light on the wall came from an AEOS 2 hidden in the doorway, while the cyan light came from another AEOS 2 next to the photographer.

Actor and model Lee Hoy @leejayhoy, photographed in a corridor of the Concrete House. The green light on the wall came from an AEOS 2 hidden in the doorway, while the cyan light came from another AEOS 2 next to the photographer. Picture by Jessica Miller. Pentax K-70 with 18-135mm lens. 1/400sec, f/4, ISO 3200


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