In some commercially available models the diffuser is removable to allow the light to be used alone as a floodlight or with an umbrella reflector.Ī soft box can be used with either flash or continuous light sources such as fluorescent lamps or "hot lights" such as quartz halogen bulbs or tungsten bulbs. The sides and back of the box are lined with a bright surface - an aluminized fabric surface or an aluminum foil, to act as an efficient reflector. The best known form of reflective source is the umbrella light, where the light from the bulb is "bounced" off the inside of a metalized umbrella to create an indirect "soft" light.Ī soft box is an enclosure around a bulb comprising reflective side and back walls and a diffusing material at the front of the light. All the various soft light types create even and diffused light by transmitting light through some scattering material, or by reflecting light off a second surface to diffuse the light. Browse the rich selection of photography equipment at B&H Photo and Video to find different shapes and sizes of this light modifier.Photograph of fruit with (top) and without (bottom) soft box lightingĪ soft box is a type of photographic lighting device, one of a number of photographic soft light devices. It produces more even-focused soft light than an umbrella. Shoot photos like a pro by illuminating your subjects with a softbox. They create better contrast by focusing light on subjects and keeping it from spilling onto backgrounds. For finer control over illumination, photographers use softbox grids and eggcrates to direct soft light. This attribute makes them suitable for wedding and fashion photography.
Octagonal units, sometimes called umbrella softboxes, produce soft light with wide spreads. For example, square and rectangular models throw light in ways that make it seem to be coming from open windows. Each shape modifies illumination from light bulbs differently. You can also find this equipment with hexagonal, round, and parabolic enclosures.
The most common shapes for this type of light modifier are square, rectangle, and octagon. Use small portable softboxes for close-up shots and large freestanding units for full-length portraits. Large models also throw light farther than smaller ones. That's because larger front diffusers and internal baffles have bigger volumes and surface areas to spread and soften bright light. Generally, larger light modifiers output softer light than smaller ones. They may also include softbox barndoors to help control lens flare.įactors to consider when picking a size include degree of light softness, the distance from subject, and whether you want to capture part or all of the subject. Softbox lighting kits produce flatter, more even illumination. In both configurations, diffused light hitting a subject tends to scatter and produces harder shadows as well as lens flare. For a shoot-through umbrella, the closed side is closer to the subject. When lighting a scene, the open side of a reflective umbrella faces the subject. There are two types: reflective and shoot-through. An umbrella is a simple light modifier with an open end. What Is the Difference Between a Softbox and an Umbrella? With their diffusing covers removed, the photography equipment becomes like floodlighting. Some flash softboxes have removable front diffusers. These surfaces prevent light from escaping the enclosure and direct beams toward the diffusing material covering the mouth of the equipment. This has reflective sides, usually made of aluminized fabric or lined with aluminum foil. The inner compartment of the device is the baffle. The enclosure surrounds a bright bulb, focuses its light, and then diffuses it as the beam leaves the box. It works with daylight, flashguns, and continuous light sources. A softbox can serve as a primary or secondary light source in a scene. It diffuses bright light and spreads it evenly over subjects.
Softboxes are one of the three major soft lighting equipment necessities (the others are scrims and umbrellas) used in photography. A softbox will diffuse harsh lighting and eliminate shadows from your portrait shots.
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