The lighting-modifiers tag has no wiki summary.
4
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2answers
83 views
Does the diameter of openings on photographic lighting grids affect brightness?
I was kind of thinking about different grid options considering the depth vs diameter of individual openings and get to a interesting point (at least for me :-) ). Let's consider a very simple home ...
8
votes
2answers
208 views
Does this RGB-patterned reflector have benefits for digital photography?
B2Pro has announced a parabolic umbrella reflector for photographic lighting. The surface of the umbrella is printed with a hexagonal array of red, green, and blue spots:
The manufacturer makes the ...
4
votes
4answers
518 views
These photos were taken to show the different effects of light, but what's actually different?
B&H released an info-graphic today to show the effects of different lighting with modifiers, but they all look the same to me. The first photo looks different with the darker shadows, sure, and ...
7
votes
1answer
372 views
How can I light someone to make him look evil or Machiavellian?
What would be the best way to use light to make someone's face look evil, creepy or Machiavellian?
4
votes
3answers
276 views
What type of lighting would provide slightly more contrast than a softbox for product photography?
I am a self-trained amateur and shoot product photography for my clothing company. My typical set-up is 2 500-watt continuous softboxes, lighting a product from above with each light just to the left ...
11
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2answers
1k views
How does an octobox differ from a rectangular softbox?
Octoboxes and more-typical rectangular softboxes appear to have similar structure and function. How do they differ, and when would you use one over the other?
1
vote
4answers
105 views
Is it ever correct to describe a flash diffuser as opaque?
I've seen product listings online for flash diffusers where they are described as opaque. Is this an incorrect description? Should it be semi-opaque or is that assumed? How does opaque make sense in ...
3
votes
1answer
420 views
Is it normal for a Gary Fong collapsible LightSphere to fold a Nikon SB600?
My Gary Fong collapsible on my Flash Nikon SB600 cause my flash to fold sideways even if it 90 deg rotated. This is happening when I move just a bit. The lock button don't lock the flash tilt.
Do ...
7
votes
3answers
7k views
When and how to use a push-on flash diffuser?
I've bought a cheap flash on eBay and got this fancy flash diffuser as a free gift:
So, what are the effects of a light diffuser like this one? What difference does it make to the resulting photo? ...
12
votes
4answers
469 views
Is there a difference between a large, far light source, and a small, close one?
As I was doing my reverse engineering of the lighting for this question, I wondered whether there's any discernable difference between a large light modifier far away versus a small light modifier ...
18
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3answers
2k views
Are small on-flash softboxes useful, or a gimmick?
There are a number of "mini-softbox" products on the market. These are meant to mount on a hotshoe flash (usually with an elastic band).
Lumiquest Softbox III
Are these worthwhile portable and ...
8
votes
2answers
580 views
Why diffuse a softbox?
I just read "Lessons Learned on The Flash Bus Tour" and saw this image. In it, an assistant is holding some sort of white shoot-through diffuser (I got a similar one in my 5-in-one reflector kit) ...
10
votes
1answer
2k views
What lighting effects do the various surfaces of a 5-way reflector produce?
I have a '5 Way Reflector' that I want to use in my photography, which includes the following 5 options:
Gold reflective
Silver reflective
Gold/silver alternating pattern reflective
White
...
6
votes
2answers
415 views
What are the advantages and disadvantages of grids vs. snoots for light control?
Both are, in general, used to control the area that's lit.
What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of both? When would you prefer one over the other?
1
vote
1answer
188 views
Kino Flo: should I buy 4 fixtures with one ballast? Would I need anything else?
Not much experience with Kino Flos...
Considering buying 4x of these: Kino Flo 4Bank 4' Fixture Only
And am wondering if I could get away with only one ballast: Kino Flo Mega 4Bank DMX Ballast ...
14
votes
5answers
12k views
What are the best and worst diffuser materials for DIY softbox/light tent?
There are hundreds of web sites with tips of building a DYI soft box or light tent, and it looks like people are using almost anything as the diffuser material, from white plastic bags to old ...
6
votes
3answers
242 views
How can I tell if a reflector is pure white?
I want to use a piece of fabric as an inexpensive reflector.
Is there any way to find out if it is pure white, so that I can be sure it will not add a colour cast to the light it reflects?
16
votes
3answers
642 views
What are the disadvantages of using a diffuser on a flash?
I am thinking of using a diffuser on my canon speedlight flash to soften harsh shadows when shooting indoors. I was wondering what the disadvantages of this might be.
4
votes
1answer
217 views
Does UV light pass through the fabric of a softbox?
Studio flash makers sell both bare flash tubes and flash tubes with a UV coating to block the UV emissions. Quite a few studio monolights come up on eBay without the UV coating, and I'm wondering if ...
10
votes
4answers
2k views
What does a black reflector do?
I'm familiar with using white / silver / gold reflectors to add fill light to a photo. When would you use a black "reflector"?
11
votes
2answers
477 views
What are the lighting characteristics of a beauty dish?
How does light from a beauty dish behave, and when and why would you use one?
8
votes
5answers
1k views
What is a good softbox for small hotshoe flash?
What are the good softboxes for a small flash like a Canon Speedlite 430EX, for example?
15
votes
2answers
2k views
How do I use gels to make my flash match the color of the ambient light?
When using fill flash to supplement ambient light, how do you determine the flash color that will match the ambient light?
16
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3answers
595 views
What is the difference between a softbox and a shoot-through umbrella?
As far as I can see, using shoot-through umbrellas is slightly cheaper than using softboxes.
Would I give up anything if I went with umbrellas?
Would it make any difference to the images I create?
13
votes
3answers
1k views
How do I achieve smooth light falloff in portraits?
I'm having trouble getting a nice, smooth light falloff when shooting portraits. If you look at the left side of David Hobby's beautiful portrait, thats the effect I am trying to achieve. I have ...
8
votes
5answers
723 views
How can I prevent light spill from an umbrella?
I've been reading Strobist lately and love the moody half-lit-half-dark effect in a lot of these types of photos. I'm a beginner and have a limited equipment budget, so I got a 45" ...
