![]() Whenever I’ve bought a softbox that didn’t come with one, I’ve found it to be virtually impossible to find one that fits perfectly after the fact. I find them invaluable, and always recommend getting them with your softbox if you can. They block the light from spilling out the sides and illuminating things you want to remain dark, or plan to light some other way. A grid allows you to direct the light toward the subject without it hitting the lens, and eliminating the chance of flare or hitting the background. You’ll probably also get a little spill on the far right side of the background, too. Without a grid you’ll get that nice rimlight on your subject, but with a large bright light source pointing toward the camera, even if not in shot, there’s a chance of flaring if light is hitting the front lens element. Something similar to the first comparison images in this post. Imagine another softbox behind the subject on the left creating a rim light up the shadow side. One thing not mentioned in the video, but a reason I often use grids is for rim lights. The grid helps to stop light hitting the background while keeping your subject well lit. It’s how you can use softboxes with subjects fairly close to a background. They’re not normally in the shot, but it demonstrates the principle of how grids work, by blocking light from spilling off at odd angles. Now, this isn’t a typical use for softboxes. On the right, with the grid attached, we can’t (mostly) see the front surface of the softbox, which means that light isn’t spilling onto the camera. This means that the front surface of the softbox is also shining light out toward the camera. This image illustrates that with a bare softbox, the camera can see the front surface of the softbox. Rather than the front surface blasting out light in all directions, the grid basically flags off the side angles, allowing it to project more toward the front. You still get that nice soft look one expects from a softbox, but it’s more confined. It’s well worth going through it and having a good read if you own a strip softbox or have thought about getting one.Essentially, as David illustrates, grids help to control the spill of light coming out of your softbox. ![]() Neil also put up a blog post to accompany the video with a little more information and further reading on using strip softboxes. It’s certainly not as versatile a solution as a single strip, but if you need a horizontal strip, it can be a handy alternative. Often I’ll set three of them down side-by-side for a 6’x2′ strip of light and it works rather well. ![]() But I do usually have several 24″ square softboxes with me. I just find them a bit to unwieldy for the types of locations I tend to shoot at. I don’t take a strip softbox out with me when shooting on location, though. Personally, I like the look that strip softboxes present as a main light source, especially when set horizontally. But when the subject turns more toward the light, a lot of the definition becomes lost. Godox 9'x 35' 22x90cm Honeycomb Grid Strip Softbox for Photo Studio Bowens Mount Flash Lighting and S-Type Bracket Bowens Mount Holder for Speedlite. In the above two images, for example, the lighting has remained the same. You can also rotate it anywhere in between to match the angle of the body, too.Īs with any other type of modifier, though, the key is posing to bring out the features you want to see in your subject. Or, you can rotate it vertically to cover more height for full length or active poses. Horizontally, they can make a wraparound light that gently falls off as it move around your subject. But Neil’s video shows that they are useful for much more than that. It’s all they ever see other people doing with them, so it’s all they do themselves. Which is they they’re usually doing the rim light thing I mentioned earlier. Strip softboxes are an unusual light source for many. But the same principles apply to all strip softboxes, regardless of brand or budget. As it’s a Profoto video, it’s not that much of a surprise. Neil uses Profoto RFi 1’圆′ and 1’x4′ gridded softboxes and Profoto B1 flash for this presentation.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |