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Strobists and modifiers other than umbrellas
Umbrellas are the obvious modifier of choice for strobists, but how practical are softboxes and beauty dishes for flash-based systems? Umbrellas are often criticized for lack of light control, especially in small areas. Are these concerns as valid when they are used with flashes vs. higher-powered strobes? Feb 03 08 11:04 am Link i use my soft box way more than my umbrellas. Feb 03 08 11:12 am Link Trisha Bowyer wrote: Who makes softboxes that properly-fit flashes and don't sap their limited light output? Feb 03 08 11:18 am Link My most favorite modifier is a wall. Feb 03 08 11:19 am Link Fotticelli wrote: Do you talk to it often? Feb 03 08 11:20 am Link I like large light sources that give me wrap around lighting. If I use an umbrella, I use a large 60 inch one. Mostly I use a softbox. Feb 03 08 11:20 am Link rp_photo wrote: I use a Gary Fong with foil to block light where I do not want it. A glue stick holds it in place. It also works for general lighting and then I can light an area with a second light. Feb 03 08 11:22 am Link I only use my umbrellas when it rains... Soft boxes or scrimms is what I use most. Brick Cre8ive HWooD, Cali Feb 03 08 11:22 am Link rp_photo wrote: You could always double up on flashes. Use two (or more) hotshoe strobes to get twice the power output. I would like to know of a good softbox to use also. Feb 03 08 11:22 am Link I have Alien Bees strobes and recently bought their 3'x5' softbox and love it. If you look at my port, the first image of Delana is the most recent shot with this softbox. It was about 3-4' from the model, with a 2x4' foamcore on the other side of her face bouncing some of the light back. The large softbox was around $160 I think. Feb 03 08 11:27 am Link rp_photo wrote: No, I bounce light from it. Feb 03 08 11:30 am Link joenov1977 dallas wrote: Presently, I use 2 x Sunpak 383 with 60" umbrella as main light and 1 x Sunpak 383 with 45" umbrella as fill, normally keeping all on 1/2 power. Feb 03 08 11:33 am Link I have a little Photoflex softbox for my SB-600 speedlight which works pretty well. I recently picked up a Stofen omnibounce and I've been using it a lot. Pretty simple and takes up virtually no space in my camera kit. Feb 03 08 11:36 am Link Fotticelli wrote: gotta agree with you there Feb 03 08 11:36 am Link rp_photo wrote: Go to radio shack or someone like that and buy some universal power adapters... and a little work and you don't need the batteries anymore... you'll save mint in the long run. Feb 03 08 11:37 am Link Charles Williams wrote: If you have the right wall, that can be the best of them all. Feb 03 08 11:39 am Link sloshutter wrote: Don't softboxes require light-specific adapter rings? Feb 03 08 11:39 am Link rp_photo wrote: I have been looking at these softboxes. Anyone ever use them? Feb 03 08 11:43 am Link Hey richard! wescott makes some great softboxes, and i have seen some photographers use them, by simply placing their flash units inside them thru the side vents. some have even gone as far as to use the constant light kits like the td3 and td5 along with the flash installed from the side vent. wescott: http://www.fjwestcott.com/fjw.com/products/boxes.htm http://www.fjwestcott.com/fjw.com/products/td3.htm Feb 03 08 11:44 am Link rp: the speedring has a double L bracket thingy that mounts to it and a lightstand. The flash doesn't mount to the softbox it just points into it. Check the pic below.  Feb 03 08 11:45 am Link rp_photo wrote: check lumquest Feb 03 08 11:47 am Link sloshutter wrote: Thanks for the info. Feb 03 08 11:48 am Link I did a shoot in hotel room so small I couldn't open the light stand support legs to the fullest. I lit the room/model with two Speedotron heads each fired in to an umbrella. They were either aimed at the ceiling and/or the Model. https://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pic … id=5188492    Feb 03 08 11:48 am Link I never use umbrellas Feb 03 08 11:49 am Link Feb 03 08 11:52 am Link dreslin photography wrote: forgot about that one. Feb 03 08 11:59 am Link Fotticelli wrote: I have to agree with this. joenov1977 dallas wrote: You could, however you're also doubling up the price too. For example if I take two SB600's it's about $450ish if I buy them in town. For that much I could have 1 alien bee (or another cheaper light) and almost everything I need. For another $150 I could make a battery pack. Feb 03 08 12:01 pm Link Fotticelli wrote: Wall color changes from one location to the other. I went to doctors office that had red walls. My apt. walls are painted a warm color with the ceiling being white. A good diffuser would come in handy when the walls don't cooperate. Feb 03 08 12:08 pm Link lumiquest makes some nice stuff. I use their snoots and softboxes on my sb-800s when shooting in small spaces. Feb 03 08 12:11 pm Link AndrewThomasDesigns wrote: Fotticelli wrote: I have to agree with this. For the true strobist who sets flashes to manual and meters, SB-600's and SB-800's are over-qualified. Feb 03 08 12:12 pm Link AndrewThomasDesigns wrote: Fotticelli wrote: I have to agree with this. I actually use Canon 540ez flashes. I got them cheap (30 bucks apiece). They sell on ebay for 30 to 80 dollars. Just as powerful as the 550ex. More powerful the vivitars and sunpaks, cheaper than the $80 vivitars also. For indoor might as well shell out the money for a good studio strobe. But for outdoors and on locations I would like to use my light weight portable hotshoe flashes. Any info on good diffusers would be ideal. Feb 03 08 12:14 pm Link Got 2 softboxes, two snoots (one is broad & one is more of a focused pinpoint), one bare-bulb remote strobe and a variety of umbrellas ranging from 24 inches (overhead hairlight fill) to 72 inches (whooper size umbrella large enough to shoot in front of). Snoots and umbrellas are definitely the most economical... but for quality of soft light, its pretty hard to beat softboxes. There's a variety of unique lighting options available at the SM studio (available for rent)... with each rendering their own special effects... here's a few samples...  This image of LAURA BAKER was shot with a pinpoint snoot about 15 feet away from camera, set at about a 10 foot elevation to render that 'late night street light' effect.  This shot of SHODIRE and CHANTELLE was taken with a strip softbox rotated length-wise... with Vornado 'tornado fan' blowing their hair...  This pic of CAROLYN was captured with a 60 inch umbrella elevated about 6 feet high as she leaned against the white wall. I was lying down on the studio floor.  This shot of LEXI was taken against a Denny 'old master' canvas background with a 60 inch umbrella and a broad hairlight snoot above her head.  This shot of Select Models co-founder HEATHER MCBROOM (the beautiful brainchild who was responsible for our name) was captured using a 60 inch umbrella with a silver base reflector attached to the umbrella's light stand (notice the catchlight in her eyes).  This 'legs up the wall' pose of TRACEY was captured with the 72 inch umbrella slightly to my right as I stood on a ladder.  Feb 03 08 12:15 pm Link rp_photo wrote: Yeah I know, just saying that sometimes this gets more expensive than it's really worth. Feb 03 08 12:20 pm Link Who is using wireless, optical, and/or sync cords? My system is now a radio/optical hybrid, with a Pocket Wizard pair firing one of the main lights and optical slaves firing the other main and fill. This works flawlessly indoors when I am the only shooter, less so when outdoors (optical relies on bounced light more than direct) or at group events (nuisance firing of optically-triggered flashes). Feb 03 08 12:20 pm Link rp_photo wrote: I have one of these from a few years back, and it actually does have a sort of "collar" that cloes off the back of it... (Not sure if it is exactly the same as the one shown above.) Feb 03 08 12:23 pm Link AndrewThomasDesigns wrote: Cords are fine for everything but the camera link. Feb 03 08 12:26 pm Link rp_photo wrote: Lastolite Ezybox Hotshoe is tailor made for use with Flashguns Feb 03 08 12:28 pm Link http://www.juliagreerphotography.com/sb-800-article.htm here is an article that you may find interesting, the options -to the date of the article- for softboxes, speedrings and pseudo softboxes. Feb 03 08 12:29 pm Link I like the hotshoe flash / umbrella for wide coverage hair/rim lights. If the model is moving around a lot she won't step out of the light. I made a cover for one umbrella, essentially a brolly box, but masked it so that it only shows a 12" x 33" rectangle. The material I chose cuts the light A LOT, but you can use it to get a nice catchlight and reflections. It's only useful to create soft light if VERY close to the subject. I did make a straw snoot, but it's sooo darn tight the model has to be still while it's aimed, tested, aimed... go for shorter depths (like 1") to get more use from it. As for wireless / opticals; grab some of the 4 or 16 channel ebay units. Yes, AB's or PW's are better, but for nearly $0 you can get a transmitter and wired receiver, 2 hotshoe rx's, and they throw in 2 more optical peanut slaves with hotshoe mounts, all of this stuff is 1/4" threaded too. Of course all of this stuff is now secondary to my new toy, the AB800 ring flash. The optical slave in the AB is terrific, I don't bother with using the wireless trigger. Feb 03 08 12:34 pm Link The OP asked about light modifiers to use with Canon/Vivitar or Nikon speedlights BUT some posters want to talk about their studio strobe set-ups -- lot of help that does. Feb 03 08 12:39 pm Link |
