I haven't been posting the past few months and have no excuse other than sheer laziness. Fortunately, I have at least been working on my photography.
I began using my fresnel immediately after my last post and have gotten dramatic results with it. I find the fresnel creates a much more dramatic light than I had previously achieved using only softboxes. The lighting I get now is much more theatrical and works very well with my style. Bringing it close in gives a very harsh effect that requires burning in on the final print. Keeping the spotlight further back, and placing it immediately in front of a softbox, gives a much more nuanced effect. The light is particuarly useful when photographing portraits.
