It's no secret that professional photographers have long appreciated the use of softboxes in studio photography. A softbox is nothing more than a light modifier. But what can he do!
Need softboxes
The softbox is considered the main tool for flash photography, more precisely, off-camera flash photography. It's a box in a cloth bag with one side open and a hole in the other so you can put a flash inside. The front side of this lighting fixture is covered with a translucent material. This special fabric is for the interior walls of the lamp. The softbox reflects light before it exits through the open front. The entire installation is placed on a special stand. The purpose of lighting with softboxes is to soften the quality of the light produced by an external flash. Soft light - less shadows, better picture.
Size and quality of light produced
What is a softbox and what size is needed? These are logical questions to ask when you first try lighting with them. Softboxes come in many shapes and sizes.
It's all about the quality of the light. Large softboxes cover a wide area with more diffused light, medium-sized tools provide harder shadows. Size in this case is a relative term. The distance from the directional object will also change the effect of illumination. Choose any softbox you want, but keep in mind the size of the studio as well.
If you are a beginner photographer, have already understood what a softbox is, and are going to purchase one of the models, the choice will also depend on whether you are using a flash or strobe lights. Worth knowing:
- Stroboscopes are more powerful. They require a larger softbox.
- Flashes produce an intense beam of light, but are less powerful than strobe lights. Some softboxes can hold two flashes.
For quality photography, you may need accessories for softboxes - grids that limit the amount of light.
Softbox shape
The shape of the softbox is a very significant factor. This is especially important for portrait photography. What is a softbox and how does its shape affect the final result? Look at the portrait image - undoubtedly, first of all, your eyes fell on your eyes. The first thing you'll notice is the light in those eyes. Ideally, photographers would like to have light similar to natural sunlight. Therefore, octoboxes are an extremely popular choice. They are not perfectly round, but no one will notice this in the end.image. The traditional rectangle or square shape can be used with the main light source or as fill lighting. The stripbox has an elongated shape. It's great for lighting hair as well as full-length portraits. A clue as to which softbox was used in the shoot is the shape of the glare in the model's eyes. The rectangular softbox creates square highlights that look like the light is coming from a window.
Octobox will create circular highlights that look more like light coming from a natural light source (such as the sun).
Mounting system
Softboxes come in different mounting systems. Some of them have their own mounting systems that come with the kit. For others, it is necessary to select mounting systems yourself, which increases flexibility and compatibility with various lighting stands. In addition, of course, there are various systems designed for strobes and flashes (indicator lights). Setting up the lighting inside the fixture, fully understanding what a softbox is and how light spreads are the most important aspects in practice.
A portrait photograph can be taken using only one light source. This means you only need one softbox to get started. The most interesting thing is that the installation with a single light source, located at an angle of 45° from the object and at a distance of 1.20 m, is a classic lighting installation. For full-length portrait shots, you need to have more than one softbox to illuminate each side of the body, depending on the desired result. When using two sources, the first one is key: it illuminates the subject. The second light source is additional softboxes, the number of which depends on the task.
