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The beginner’s guide to using grids with softboxes

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Every day I see people posting in Facebook groups asking about softboxes and whether or not they should buy one with a grid. Personally, I always advise going for one that comes with a grid. Even if you don’t know why you might need it yet, if you get one without and then find out that you need one, it can often be impossible to source just the right size and shape.

But what exactly do grids do? And do you really need one? That’s what photographer David Bergman looks at in this two-minute video. He goes over what grids are for and when you might choose to use one. I have grids for all of my softboxes and octaboxes. I don’t always use them, but when I do need them, they’re absolutely invaluable.

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Turn your bathroom into a natural light softbox for amazing portraits

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When most portrait photographers want to create a directional soft light look, they break out the strobes. Then they usually stick a big octabox on the front of it. But what if you don’t have all that gear? How else can you get soft directional light? Well, you may be able to use the window in your bathroom.

In this video, Jay P Morgan shows us how we can get great soft directional light using only what enters through the bathroom window. Or whatever room in which you happen to be shooting. It’s a great technique if you don’t have flash gear and want to practise your portraits.

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This short movie shows the difference between diffused, double diffused and hard light

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Most large modifiers come with two diffusers. A big one for the outer rim and a smaller one that fits between the source of light and the big diffuser, right in the middle of the modifier. Of course, this begs the question how may diffusion layers do you actually need.

Photographer Francisco Joel Hernandez shares a short, yet informative video on how diffusion of strobes effects portraits (or any other type of shoot).

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How to make a DIY softbox from an old bicycle wheel

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There are plenty of fantastic DIY softbox solutions, but this one is definitely something I haven’t seen before. To make it, you’ll need an old bicycle wheel. It doesn’t only make a great softbox, but it looks really cool, too. So, if that old bicycle is just collecting dust in the garage, maybe it’s time to repurpose it. In this video, Prickly Sauce will show you how.

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Sundisc is a softbox that is totally flat

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Mirrorless cameras and high-power speedlights have reduced the size of gear, just like they promised. But the softbox still remains the largest piece and takes up a lot of space. Vincent Palma and Vilhelm von Platen wanted to change this, so they created Sundisc. It’s a light, compact and ultra-portable reversible softbox that fits in your camera bag and that you can carry everywhere. You can attach it directly to your speedlight, and it also doubles as a reflector with both warm and cool light.

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How to use gridded strip softboxes as your main light source

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When it comes to setting up flash for a portrait, one might usually grab a big octabox or beauty dish. Normally, we wouldn’t consider something like a strip softbox. Strip softboxes are typically relegated to rim light duties. But they can also be extremely effective as a main light source.

In this Profoto Tiny Talk, photographer Neil van Niekerk talks us through how he uses his gridded strip softboxes for lighting portraits. He describes it as the most powerful tool he has both on location and in the studio. And, indeed, it is an extremely versatile modifier.

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Watch: a small octa acts as a sail in extremely harsh wind

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By now, you probably know that you should sandbag your gear. I mean, who would want their gear flying on their face when they talk about sand bags?

But sometimes the wind is just too fierce. Not only for a light stand but for any sort of modifier. In the movie below, German photographers Flash bros set out to shoot a portrait. Only the wind was a bit too strong even to hold a Profoto B1 500 TTL strobe with a small Profoto 2′ Octa. You can actually see how the wind drags both gear and assistant away.

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This modifier comparison shows off over 100 different lighting setups

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Flash modifier comparisons can be extremely useful things. Without having to get up out of the comfort of our chair, we can very quickly and easily see how different shapes and sizes of modifier affect how light falls on our subject. Here’s one we discovered by photographer Michael Quack and the team at Visual Pursuit comparing a very wide array of Hensel modifiers.

Hensel modifiers aren’t exactly inexpensive, but if you want the best quality, you generally have to pay the highest prices. While you may not be specifically looking at buying Hensel gear, it’s still a useful comparison. With the subject, lights and photographer remaining the same for each shot, you can quickly get a feel for the differences that modifier design can make in your image.

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A real softbox for LED lights (and how to extend an Osmo)

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If you are using LED panels, there is a good chance you are using them bare, or with a diffusion panel.  If you need a bigger light source that the size of your panels, there are no pre-made solutions.

If you are using a spot LED (like the 120T from aputure), you can use “regular” softboxes, but there is really no solution that can further extend an LED panel.

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Size matters; Comparing Octabox sizes with high speed sync

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One of the questions I see pop up often through various portrait groups on Facebook is “what softbox do I buy?”. After they settle on an octabox, it’s invariably followed up with “How big should I go?”. Personally, when it comes to Octaboxes, I’ve always been of the belief that the bigger the better. But, that’s just because I like nice big soft light. And, if you’re using a flash capable of filling it, why not?

In this video from photographer Francisco Joel Hernandez, we’re shown how they measure up in a direct comparison. Using 18″, 38″ and 60″ we get an overview of how size affects how the light falls on your subject. We also get a look into some of the more practical reasons why you might choose one size octabox over another.

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