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Beauty Dish or Ring Light?
I'm sorry if there are threads on this; but I"m in sorta rush. What would you (the best of the best) recommend for fabulous shots with HOT models doing Portrait, Glamour, Nude, Artistic Nude shots.......Beauty Dish alone or Ring Light Alone? AND which models. Most are already saying in another thread Alien Bees for the Ring Flash. HElp once again? Thanks Going back to the camera store soon. May 17 08 10:44 am Link Tommy, you're really not going to get good results with just one of those trying to shoot a bunch of different stuff. The beauty dish would be a helluva lot better in this case since you're going to get a more diffused light that can be used for more applications, but a softbox or reflector dish are both going to be better for some applications. My vote: beauty dish. Which one depends on your lights. May 17 08 10:58 am Link Although I don't own one yet, you might want to give serious consideration to the AB ring flash with the full accessories package. That'll give you the ability to modify the light off camera for a beauty dish look or with the softbox attachment. It's on my shopping list of upcoming photo equip purchases. May 17 08 11:01 am Link Thanks all...appreciate your comments. Just confused and RUSHED here. LOL May 17 08 11:02 am Link What's the difference between a Beauty Dish and a Softbox or Octabox as the key light directly in front of the model? I'm using Alien Bees and have Softboxes and an Octabox. I'm trying to figure out why some Professional Photogs tell me I should have a Ring Flash in my bag and some say a Beauty Dish. Gets confusing...so what to do....? Buy both? LOL I'm trying to find out the purpose of each; and no ONE individual can spell it out for me.  Tommy May 17 08 11:04 am Link dish. May 17 08 11:06 am Link Flip a coin. You are talking about two completely different things that produce completely different results. Neither is "better" they are simply too different to compare. May 17 08 11:06 am Link I used a beauty dish for most of the swimsuit shots in my portfolio. May 17 08 11:07 am Link I think if you are a softbox guy nox, you should seriously consider trying a beauty dish. It gives an entirely different look from a softbox. For me, the light is harder on the shadow cutoff and more directional, and gives more dimensionality to the skin. I just picked up a mola euro beauty dish. it took me a few looks to find the optimal distance but I'm glad I picked it up for its really distinct contrast. My avatar is with the BD. Be careful though, the beauty dish takes no prisoners on bad skin or uneven makeup. These imperfections would probably be masked by softbox lighting, but not w the dish. I mention BD over a ringflash because the ringflash seems to give off just one look as the key. The bd sounds like it can be used in all sorts of looks: fashiony, high contrast nudes, and maybe for grittier high contrast lighting situations. I've also enjoyed using a BD to light from below. Hope that helps! May 17 08 11:14 am Link Beauty dish would be a better option for the type of photography you want to use it for. I suggest you try and get a grid to go with it too if that is the route your gonna go. Difference between softbox and octabox depends mostly on size and shape but thier both diffused soft lights modifiers. The difference between those and a beauty dish is it's usually a smaller light source that gives a more contoure lighting that can wrap around the subject a little bit and give it a more defined edge. Adding the grid knocks off the intensity by almost 2 stops (profoto) and the angle of the light comes out about 10 degrees lower. May 17 08 11:27 am Link Beauty Dish Try Mola Use it gridded May 17 08 11:29 am Link Amedeus, where can I find a grid for my mola? Do I just build it myself, or is it buyable?? May 17 08 11:32 am Link A beauty dish really is only designed to be used straight on. Your laundry list of styles you want to shoot might not fit the beauty dishes' best use. Personally, I used one for the first time last month and fell in love with it. I have a pic on my MM portfolio shot with a beauty dish. 18+ https://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pic … id=6383130 I am not a ring flash fan, only because they really need to be used in specific situations to really be effective. For commercial or art use the only real redeeming quality is the halo it creates around the model. If you shoot them too far from a background, you loose the halo which pretty much negates using the ring flash in the first place. May 17 08 11:36 am Link dngnyc wrote: If you have the Mola demi, than you can fit the profoto dish grid. I'm not sure but I don't think there is a grid made to fit the Euro, Setti and the other type of Mola. May 17 08 11:36 am Link Bill Mason Images wrote: I don't know if it was only designed to be used straight on but I use it a lot and rarely ever used it straight on. You can definitely put it to great use other than straight on. May 17 08 11:42 am Link Homemade Beautydish: $20  first test photo taken with it.  May 17 08 12:07 pm Link  This is from my port. I'm using the AB ring flash with the 'moon unit' which is a octi-softbox, off camera. I think the results are quite nice. May 17 08 12:09 pm Link RKD Photography wrote: Thats funny May 17 08 12:13 pm Link I use a beauty dish sometimes.. latest example:  I find that a beauty is not as versitile as some would make it seems. It will give you good, evenly distributed light across your subject, if you're looking to direct light in a certain way, you'll need more than just the beauty dish. I prefer softboxes, but I have never been let down by my dish. A good friend of mine, Steve Prue almost always uses dishes, he has a couple, the last time I sneaked a peak in his trunk.. lol.. My opinion is that if you're rushing to find the right light modifiers for a job that you have soon, you're probably making a mistake in taking the job. BTW.. I have a ringflash, but it's not used as often because the ringflash light is so distinct that the application better fit the character of what that light gives or else you're toast.. without butter!! May 17 08 12:15 pm Link Steven Barrett wrote: A ringflash with a moon unit is essentially a big softbox. May 17 08 12:15 pm Link Dishness. May 17 08 12:16 pm Link Bill Mason Images wrote: well... if you think there is only one use for any particular light/modifier... you are really a sad sad person. May 17 08 12:52 pm Link It's really about understanding the light characteristics from each type of modifier. For instance I might use my Diamond Box (big beauty dish basically), on clothing to bring out the specularity and make clothing pop. While doing something softer on the face. Also, you can use modifiers to mimic others. For instance, there is a beauty headshot (current avatar) in my photos here, that looks like it was using a gridded beauty dish or gridded slightly smaller reflector. In fact it is just the corner of a softbox turned at a 45 degree angle. It gives me slightly more gradual shadow edge transfer, than if I'd used my gridded dish. John www.JohnAllanStudio.com May 17 08 01:12 pm Link Ok, so Beauty Dish is the choice; however, if I have an AB Octobox, can't I use that as if it were a Beauty Dish. If NOT, why not? Thanks May 17 08 01:31 pm Link TMK Images wrote: they are not even close read this about BD's May 17 08 01:34 pm Link Wow...you all have been a huge help, really have. I'm a bit confused, but will figure it all out. I'm trying to step up my shooting level and become more serious about who and how I shoot. Going for the gusto. Thanks May 17 08 06:43 pm Link AB Ring Flash... Love mine. It can work like a small beauty dish too! May 17 08 06:50 pm Link TMK Images wrote: Ring flash is a flash tube that wraps around the lens of your camera usally requires an external power pack May 17 08 08:31 pm Link First of all, I don't use RingFlash. I have, however sifted through enough threads and image examples to see some pretty inconsistent results. A great deal of the images I see are models with blown out hotspots, or flare being directed back into the lens. It begs to question, just what do you see as the payoff? The shadow effect? RingFlash for Fashion, I can see...but I don't see that here.... the majority of the models shot with RingFlash on this site aren't modeling anything but flesh... which stands to reason why the light on the skin looks so inconsistent. When you add that plus the pindot catchlight in the models eyes... there seems to be something amiss. I'm still contemplating getting one, but would like to see some better examples -- here or elsewhere, if anyone has some links. Regarding the OP's question....I would go with a Beauty Dish.... Used right, you get rich skin tones and a combination of hard and soft lighting... May 18 08 12:10 am Link Ring flashes are specific and has their niche, but for me, I like beauty dishes and griding them. I use a 22" Speedotron Beauty dish with the 30 deg. honey comb grid. If you have an Alien Bee beauty dish (BD), I have read here on the forums that the Speedotron 30 deg honey comb grid can be effortlessly attached onto the Alien Bee BD. ronald n. tan www.ronaldntan.com May 18 08 01:40 am Link TMK Images wrote: The beauty dish and ring flash are completely different beasts. The beauty dish is much more versatile as a modifer since it doesn't have to follow you May 18 08 01:44 am Link I agree with everyone and say get the BD. - especially if you have no other strobes and you had to choose just one. And then later on, if you like the look of a ringflash, consider the Alien Bee with additional attachments, which will allow you to use it as a 2nd strobe/softbox in a way, (as well as take ringflash photos). but you simply cannot go wrong getting the BD first. May 18 08 02:20 am Link TMK Images wrote: It all depends on how you use them. May 18 08 03:10 am Link Grace Photographic wrote: Yes the ringflash can be just as effective but completely different if used off camera as a main or fill light. I have a Profoto 1200 ringflash that I use off camera with a softlite reflector and sometimes with a shoot-thru umbrella. This photo was shot with the ringflash and softlite reflector about 45 degrees to camera right and up about 7 feet. May 18 08 03:38 am Link TMK Images wrote: Why, HOT lights, of course EMG STUDIOS wrote: QFT. Any new modifier takes a while to get used to. May 18 08 04:09 am Link For the OP ...Lighting and developing creative looks will come from an understanding of your equipment and critiquing the results you were able to obtain when experimenting with them. Eventually you will develop looks with your lighting tools that you can call upon for any assignment. Beauty Dish,... Ring Light s can produce many different looks depending how you put them to use. (There is never one way to use either of them) ...but there will be one way to obtain consistent results for any assignment. And that will come from learning how to work with your lighting ... With that said.... Your RUSH for answer to question that has no correct answer is just that.. a RUSH ..Take time to develop your craft as that is how it is done by the best of the best.. May 18 08 03:46 pm Link Jonathan Richard wrote: I completely agree with the overall message here... "Take the time to develop your craft". That said... (For the OP)... and for the sake of your "RUSH"... Your better off with a BD than the RF to start off with. After you purchase it... practice, practice, learn, learn, make mistakes, learn more! :-} May 18 08 06:29 pm Link I have a profoto ring flash and a profoto beauty dish and I use the beauty dish very often and the ring flash very seldom. One of the things seldom mentioned about a ring flash is that if you move around you change the requisite exposure unless you stay the same distance from your subject. This is very tricky to get used to at first as you will have to take another meter reading (if you back up or move closer) or have an assistant do that. If you use pocketwizards and a sekonic wireless light meter it is possible but a pain in the you know what. The ring flash is ok once and a while, but the beauty dish will give you way more mileage for your money and is definitely what you should cut your teeth on. Enjoy. May 18 08 06:34 pm Link Beauty dish by a mile if you are photographing models, ring lights if you are photographing dead bugs. May 18 08 06:37 pm Link Beauty dish! May 18 08 06:56 pm Link |
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