scarpati studio reclaims vintage hollywood-style fresnel lights

several years ago, american photographer scarpati studio had emulated 1940’s hurrell ‘look’ for a shoot. with the leftover gear, scarpati repurposed the vintage 1940’s fresnel lights with modern strobes. he has taken to scouring old hollywood studio supply warehouses in search of restoration-worthy examples. 

scaprati has been collecting these lights to restore for years, (generally 1930 – 1960 models)

made between the 1920’s and 1940’s, each light is a one-of-a-kind original, complete with vintage stand or tripod. they exude the sort of patina that can’t be matched by cheaply mass-produced repros, yet ironically, the lights in his etsy shop actually cost less than the replicas available in upscale malls. ‘my personal favorite finish is a heavy, industrial, vibe,’ explains scarpati. ‘completely refurbished, but still keeping its vintage look intact. less of a polished finished and more real deal.’

he has taken to scouring old hollywood studio supply warehouses in search of restoration-worthy examples

the photographer tends to favor lights by the famed makers like bardwell & mcalister

made between the 1920’s and 1940’s, each light is a one-of-a-kind original, complete with vintage stand or tripod

they exude the sort of patina that can’t be matched by cheaply mass-produced repros

the photographer with his product

back in the day, companies changed their metal choices somewhat frequently

a vintage supply

when dealing with fixtures over 50 years old its not always possible to find missing or broken parts, in this case scarpati started to remanufacturing them himself

his personal favorite finish is a heavy, industrial, vibe

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edited by: lynn chaya | designboom