Marcus J. Ranum wrote:
I've used a beauty dish before and I'm not blown away by it. The light is a little less soft than what you get with a softbox and it throws a much sharper "edge" on your background. You can get cool results if you use a beauty pan as a main light and softboxes for low-powered fill.

As far as mounting them - that depends on your light and how it's intended to accept reflectors and whatnot.

mjr.

Thanks Marcus!

Your work is beautiful by the way! I think I'll try a beauty dish as a main light and use my softbox for fill. Should I consider getting a bigger softbox to do nudes? What size would you recommend?

Thanks!

Red Sky Photography wrote:
I just bought a Hensel system from B & H and also that beauty dish. It has a speed ring and clips onto the hensel integra just like the softbox does. It came with a grid and also a flat, white  solid metal piece that goes where the grid can clip.

I have only used it once so far, experimenting with settings so I can't give you a detailed explanation. One of the guys on Glamour1 says he uses his beauty dish, a larger Mola dish, almost always instead of a softbox.

Thanks!

Nice work too!

H.

Marko Cecic-Karuzic wrote:
Yes it attaches directly to the head. I use one both on my Hensel and when I rent Profotos (and other systems) with and without a grid. With a grid is slightly more specular, with a slight hotspot in the center (not much) and it gets rid of the donut-hole catchlight.

Other than that, what you're talking about is an umbrella-type source vs a softbox-type source, and all that implies. A beauty dish is basically an umbrella with a softbox-like softness in the quality of light. What it DOES with the light though is basically umbrella. It's a curved source so it tends to fill in its own drop shadows to a degree and spills all over the place. Much less directional than a softbox.

I use a number of different tools, but beauty dishes are one of my mainstays for the key. The quality looks a bit like soft, hazy sunshine.

Thank you very much Marko! I'm sold, I have to get one.
Love your work!!!

H.

Hassan Patterson wrote:
Your work is beautiful by the way! I think I'll try a beauty dish as a main light and use my softbox for fill. Should I consider getting a bigger softbox to do nudes?

The prevailing wisdom with softboxes appears to be "bigger is better" and I went down that path for a while (to the point where I made a 20'x20' scrim and just made one side of my studio into a "light wall") but I did a bunch of testing and decided that I like the effect of more small boxes rather than a single big one. Mostly because you can independently angle the small boxes for cool effects OR you can just line them up and get the effect of a large light-bar or a huge softbox.

mjr.

Marcus J. Ranum wrote:

The prevailing wisdom with softboxes appears to be "bigger is better" and I went down that path for a while (to the point where I made a 20'x20' scrim and just made one side of my studio into a "light wall") but I did a bunch of testing and decided that I like the effect of more small boxes rather than a single big one. Mostly because you can independently angle the small boxes for cool effects OR you can just line them up and get the effect of a large light-bar or a huge softbox.

mjr.

Excellent advice! Thanks!

H.

Simon A Gerzina wrote:
All of these were keyed with a dish:

Wow, those are fine!

mjr.

Simon A Gerzina wrote:
I love, love, love beauty dishes.  I think one of the problems people have with them is that they don't position them close enough to their subjects - a beauty dish is at its best when within a couple feet of whoever you're shooting.  When you've got it right on top of someone's face you'll end up with gorgeous, creamy, liquid light that still has a terrific falloff into rich shadow.

All of these were keyed with a dish:

https://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pic … 470a61eac0
https://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pic … fff1eb9488
https://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pic … fb30035a1d

Exactly - with a dish, you gotta be close -

Nice pics, BTW!

FWIW -

Bill Ballard
Blue Water Photography
Savannah, GA
[email protected]

Patrick Shipstad wrote:
Hi All..

I have a 19" beauty dish from White Lightning and I'm not sure what you mean by "grid" wish a beauty dish. I know of grid spots that you can put in a parabolic or an egg crate grid attachment over a soft box.. but a grid with a beauty dish? is that brand specific?

As far as I know it is brand specific.  They don't have them for white lightning though.  Profoto also makes such a grid.  It covers the entire dish.

Nello Ryan wrote:

As far as I know it is brand specific.  They don't have them for white lightning though.  Profoto also makes such a grid.  It covers the entire dish.

Actually,

The Beauty Dish from White Lightning is 22inch. Also, if you need one, Norman's grids fit the WL/AB beauty dish with no problem.

Hassan Patterson wrote:
Hey Everyone,

Does anyone out there have experience working with a beauty dish with a honeycomb grid? Currently, I'm working with one medium size octagonal softbox but the quality of light leaves me a little disappointed at times. I'm looking for something else that produces a soft beautiful even light for portraits and figure photography. I looking at getting this beauty dish: http://www.adorama.com/HLRBD.html?searc … item_no=10
How does this thing attach to a flash head?

If you have examples of your beauty dish photos please show them!

Thanks!

H.

Try an old bedsheet, it makes great light, big and soft:)

Patrick Shipstad wrote:
I have a 19" beauty dish from White Lightning and I'm not sure what you mean by "grid" wish a beauty dish.

Patrick,
The white lighting doesn't have a grid but you can cut a plastic ring the size of the center metal plate, add same mount holes and insert a grid. I use 10 deg.
My avatar is with that setup.
Ferrell

Nello Ryan wrote:
Hey, I didn't say they were 19 inch.  That was Patrick...

I know you didn't, but you said there isn't a grid that will fit the WL/AB pan reflector and I wanted to point out that there is one and I wanted to address the incorrect size thing as well. No harm, no foul.

But again, there IS a grid that will fit the white lightning beauty dish, Norman's fit just fine

Patrick Shipstad wrote:
I have a 19" beauty dish from White Lightning and I'm not sure what you mean by "grid" wish a beauty dish. I know of grid spots that you can put in a parabolic or an egg crate grid attachment over a soft box.. but a grid with a beauty dish? is that brand specific?

Have you seen the little 7" or 9" grid sets that people will mount right to a light's standard reflectors?  They come in degree-ratings from 10 up to as high as 40 in standard sets, look like round metal honeycomb discs that just manage a light's directionality.  Well, the ones for beauty dishes are often just really big versions of them.

I know I'm prone to ghetto lighting modifiers, but I've just taken a big ol' 22" grid and gaff-taped it to the face of my 18" Dynalite dish.  Didn't look pretty but it does the job.

Oh, and to the poster that likes a little extra diffusion: I use the diffusion sock on my dish a lot, when I want a more naturalistic look and want the light spreading all over the place.  Makes it easier to use for single-light portraits.

Thanks for all the compliments, folks!

StevenNoreyko wrote:
FYI - the White Lightning/AlienBees Beauty dish has a spread of about 120 degrees and has no option for a grid attachment.

Are you sure that's true?

Are you positive?

If it is, I'm taking this Norman piece of shit grid back. The one that I've been using over my beauty dish for a year and a half cause OBVIOUSLY it doesn't work. I can't believe for almost two whole years, I've been lying to myself saying it fits perfectly on my dish.

I'm going to write Norman right now and tell them they violated the Alienbee code of no grid will fit and for making me look a fool and buying one, using it for two years, only to have it not work.

DAMN YOU NORMAN FOR SELLING THIS: http://www.adorama.com/NMG22.html?searc … item_no=22 THAT DOESNT FIT ON MY 22INCH BEAUTY DISH! DAMN YOUS



But seriously, I think I've said it about four times now. The Norman grids fit perfectly. If you're going to give out info to people who are asking, please don't give out incorrect info. If you don't have an alien bee/white lightining beauty dish, don't tell those who do have a few, what will and won't work.

again, the link http://www.adorama.com/NMG22.html?searc … tem_no=22. Anyone who owns one will tell you its the exact same size and it connects via lips on four corners. Fits like a charm and works like a charm as well.

mag-jr wrote:

Actually,

The Beauty Dish from White Lightning is 22inch. Also, if you need one, Norman's grids fit the WL/AB beauty dish with no problem.

LOL damn... I have had that dish for a couple of years and this whole time I thought it was 20 inches.. LOL LOL damn!

Now I know it is 22 inches.. I just thought it was 20 this whole time funny.

And for the topic.. I love the beauty dish..  and with the condom on is even better.. !

Dax wrote:

LOL damn... I have had that dish for a couple of years and this whole time I thought it was 20 inches.. LOL LOL damn!

Now I know it is 22 inches.. I just thought it was 20 this whole time funny.

And for the topic.. I love the beauty dish..  and with the condom on is even better.. !

Sorry I ranted

I know it's 22inches because the spread is so small it's frustrating. I love the look of the beautydish over almost all diffusion but the ab one is small. I'm looking to get a mola dish now.

I've tried using it with out the condom and found it to be too harsh, so I always single or double condom the light.

Patrick Shipstad wrote:
Okay, I'm a mondo dork. My apologies everyone for the confussion..the White Lightning dish IS 22" not 19" like I previously said. Thanks for the great info on the Norman grids fitting the WL dish. I hope there's another spread degree other than 15% though. Damn those things are expensive.. waaaaaaa :-(

No worries,

My post wasn't to you, at least the rant wasn't. It was to the guy who said with out hesitation there isn't a grid that covers the alienbee/white lightning bd when I know for a fact it is. Nothing like being told your wrong when you have undenied proof what your saying is true.

Get that bd if you can, it's a great light and I can't sing it's praises enough.

mag-jr wrote:
I know it's 22inches because the spread is so small it's frustrating. I love the look of the beautydish over almost all diffusion but the ab one is small. I'm looking to get a mola dish now.

Molas are even trickier than plain beauty dishes, as their 'sweet spot' is pretty specific. When they're dead-on, the light is really great; when they're a little too close or too far, they're merely good.

I've got a Euro, and it's very placement-specific. And, given the weight and size,combined with my small shooting area, it's sometimes hard to get it exactly where I want it. (I don't have a grid for it.)

These two were lit with the Euro.
Johnette in subtle colors
Johnette

(I tend to use slightly flatter lighting (lower main/fill ratio) when using that light, as the specularity tends to make up for the lighter shadows. But that's me; I'm sure others could do a more dramatic approach.)

mag-jr wrote:
But seriously, I think I've said it about four times now. The Norman grids fit perfectly. If you're going to give out info to people who are asking, please don't give out incorrect info. If you don't have an alien bee/white lightining beauty dish, don't tell those who do have a few, what will and won't work.

Sorry MagJr.  I must have missed your post regarding the Norman grid (I skimmed over some of the posts). 

I should have been more specific in my statement - My meaning was that Paul C Buff (the makers of White Lightning/Alien Bees equipment) does not sell a Grid that is specifically for the WL/AB beauty dish.  Until your post I did not know the Norman Grid would work in the WL beauty dish.

FWIW - I do in fact have a WL beauty dish

-steve

StevenNoreyko wrote:

Sorry MagJr.  I must have missed your post regarding the Norman grid (I skimmed over some of the posts). 

I should have been more specific in my statement - My meaning was that Paul C Buff (the makers of White Lightning/Alien Bees equipment) does not sell a Grid that is specifically for the WL/AB beauty dish.  Until your post I did not know the Norman Grid would work in the WL beauty dish.

FWIW - I do in fact have a WL beauty dish

-steve

No worries.

I know most people don't know about the grid, so I always take the liberty of saying so when it's brought up. Also, any photogenic accessory will fit the wl strobes. I brought the grid just to prove the store wrong, when it fit, I had to send an email saying I was wrong. It's still sitting in my drafts folder heh.

mag-jr wrote:
Mola has larger dishes which is my number one concern. As far as the specular highlights, use a condom/strobo sock over it and it'll cut that down, in theory that is. I hate the way my images look when I don't use the diffiusion filter over it.

Nah. I want that specularity--if I didn't, I'd use a softbox. For models with great skin, and great makeup, that sparkle is what makes a beauty dish worth using.

For portraits, I very rarely use it; it's too harsh for most Real People(tm).

FWIW, I've seen a grid for the Euro dish, but it was a custom one. At 33.5", I was afraid to ask how much it cost.

mag-jr wrote:

No worries.

I know most people don't know about the grid, so I always take the liberty of saying so when it's brought up. Also, any photogenic accessory will fit the wl strobes. I brought the grid just to prove the store wrong, when it fit, I had to send an email saying I was wrong. It's still sitting in my drafts folder heh.

Semantics Rant:

Like Steve, I did not say that it's Impossible to find a grid to fit a WL beauty dish.
However, WL/AB do not offer nor do they sell such a grid. 

I completely believe your assertion that a norman grid will fit a WL BD.  And I have no reason to say otherwise. (Nor did I ever suggest it would not fit). 

The fact that a Norman grid will fit is useful information, and I'm glad you have shared it in this thread. (although I don't personally use a WL/AB kit).

End of semantics rant.