Frio has been around for a while, but the last decade, as the brand changed hands in the “now under new management” kind of way, it somehow was forgotten, except by those who, having used it, considered the Frio Cold Shoe “the best ever cold shoe” they owned. But what is a cold shoe and why the name Frio? Well, while a hot shoe is “hot” because it uses electric contacts on the shoe that trigger devices such as speedlights, a cold shoe is “cold” because it lacks electrical contacts. It is used to mount, for example, a flash away from the top hot shoe of your camera.
A cold shoe is an excellent support if you’re using flashes away from the camera, which is common in an age of wireless lighting. But a cold shoe is also good for mounting anything from microphones to light panels or any other piece of gear that has a shoe. This type of support comes in many shapes and sizes, but the FRIO brand has carved a place for itself. As for the name chosen, it is simple: FRIO means COLD in Portuguese.
Now for the good news: – Imaging Brands, the parent company of Tether Tools, announced it has relaunched the previously acquired FRIO brand, which now features a variety of off-camera lighting solutions for photographers who need professional lighting setups in dynamic shoot environments like weddings, events, real estate interiors, tight locations, and more.
With an initial focus on mounting gear for Speedlight or other light sources with a shoe, the Frio product line offers an easy solution for photographers who require light in tight, constrained spaces that would otherwise be difficult to accomplish. In addition, the Frio product line maintains a small footprint for lighting setups and offers efficiency when a photographer assistant is not available. Frio provides a simple, practical, and secure solution to photographers and videographers who always want an option to create the best lighting possible.
“The original Frio cold shoe was a popular product among photographers because of its clever design features. With the expanded Frio line, we built upon those same ideas to create mounting gear with unmatched versatility, durability, and portability for our customers,” said Josh Simons, Imaging Brands Founder.
Aside from the Frio Hold, the newest line of products includes the Frio Arch, Frio Stand, Frio Cling, Frio Grasp Mini, Frio Grasp Bigi, and Frio Reach Kit—all providing the ultimate in versatility and portability for hard-to-light spaces. These Frio lighting setups have been created to tackle unique challenges that have been identified by customers and professionals alike.
“Imaging Brands is committed to finding gaps in the market which solve pain points that make imagemakers’ lives easier.,” stated Matt Hensler, VP of Marketing at Imaging Brands. “We saw an opportunity in Frio to address needs for off-camera lighting in a unique way. The reintroduction of Frio captures the playfulness of the original brand in a way that connects back to the versatility and usefulness of the products.”
Imaging Brands continues to provide new and improved workflow solutions for professional photographers and videographers. For more information about the latest Frio product line, please visit https://friophoto.com/.