ALON REININGER AND THE PORTABLE STROBES

I met Alon Reininger in Madrid in 1982.He was the first person who taught me how to use strobe lights. In those days all the world's attention was focused on Spain. We were to have the second democratic elections after Franco's death and for the first time since 1936, a leftist political party, the PSOE led by Felipe Gonzalez could win. A few months ago, Jordi Socías and Aurora Fierro had created the Cover agency, in the likeness of the French Gamma. Jordi had chosen me to follow Felipe González.

FELIPE GONZÁLEZ. MADRID 1982

Other photographers also used Cover as headquarter, including Alon Reininger and the French Frank Fournier, who was his assistant then; Alon and Frank worked for the Contact press agency and had a very well paid assignment to photograph the elections for Time magazine. Alon showed me his portable studio strobes (I had never seen strobes like these before). He wanted to take a very well lit Felipe Gonzalez portrait for the cover of Time.” I do not have too much practice” he explained me” but there is a fellow in the agency, David Burnett, who uses them very well and, thanks to them, is winning a lot of money with his portraits and his work for multinationals" told me Alon while he was teaching me how to use them . "I don’t want to spend a lifetime travelling all over the world "he said," I also want to be able to photograph well-paid jobs without leaving the United States” he said.

When I returned to Barcelona, once the elections were over, the first thing I did with the money I got for my work was to buy a case containing two Multiblitz strobes, Minilite model. It’s been ,by far, the best investment in equipment that I've done in my life. 25 years after the strobes still work perfectly and I've done a large number of portraits and numerous magazine covers with them. Here are a few examples.

ARTUR MAS


AAAAA

CARLES CHECA ISAAC ANTIC


JOSEP FERRER. FREIXENET

RUBERT DE VENTÓS




JOAN PUJOL "GARBO"

FERRàN ADRIÀ

MANUEL MELER

ANDONI ZUBIZARRETA

ANGEL GORDON

A few years later Alon Reining rose to fame by winning the World Press with an in-depth reportage on AIDS. And, also, Frank Fournier won another World Press with his impressive portrayal of the Colombian girl Omaira, shortly before she died trapped by the debris left after the eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano. Finally, Felipe González won the elections that year. And my professional experience was invaluable because, in addition to working side by side next to Alon and Frank, I also could do the same with other world-class photographers as Jose Azel, or Magnum’s Jean Gaumy