Advanced Light Modifiers

We all know about umbrellas, grids, and rectangular softboxes

In addition to these everyday modifiers, there are some advanced tools that each create a specific quality of light—a quality you may find desirable and one that may even shape your style of portraiture.

Octagonal Softbox
The three-foot octagonal softbox is a nice alternativeto the regular rectangular softbox. The octagonalshape wraps the light more evenly around the face, creating a softer light and less contrast when usingRembrandt lighting. (The final photograph of Brendaon page 9 was taken with an octagonal softbox.)

TeleZoom Reflector

In the final portrait of Brenda on page 9, I also used aProfoto TeleZoom reflector and grid for a backlight.The TeleZoom is an oversized reflector that, in combinationwith the grid, produces softer lighting than aregular reflector and grid. You can also control thespread of light by sliding the reflector away from theflash, resulting in a narrower beam.This modifier is great for use as a hair light or backlight, as shown in the image ofMichael and Gay at thetop of the facing page. Here, the broad spread of thebacklight helps separate the subjects, who were wearingblack and photographed against a black background.A silver reflector was also placed on the leftside of the subjects to bounce light back onto theshadow sides of the faces.

The Globe

The Profoto Globe light produces a very soft butmodeled quality of light. Because of its small size(around fifteen inches in diameter), round shape, andfrosted Plexiglas surface, the light doesn’t have thecoverage of a three-foot octagon softbox, but the gentlequality of the light it produces is similar.

The best way to determine the type and placementof the main light in a portrait is to examine the subject’s eyes. The shape and placement of thecatchlight (the reflection of the main light) willtell you where and what type of light the photographerused. In the inset shown with theportrait of Julie to the right, you can see around reflection just above the pupil. This tellsyou the primary light source (main light) wasround (like a globe light) and that the light wasplaced to the right of the subject and abouttwo feet above her head.

In the setup shot at the top of this page, youcan also see that I am working in a small space.This is a great application for the globe light,since there isn’t much room for a large softbox.Notice that the placement of the light is similarto that used in the Rembrandt lightingsetup Here, the triangle highlightis rounder because of the shape, size, and diffusionof the globe.

The Beauty Dish

The beauty dish is a large, flattened reflector(36 inches in diameter), with a deflector infront of the flash tube to redirect the light intothe dish. Placed close to the camera, this virtuallyeliminates shadows on the face. The qualityof light this renders is cleaner than a softboxor globe, resulting in a commercial look. It’s agreat choice if your client happens to be a cosmeticscompany.

Like the globe light, the beauty dish createsa round catchlight. As you can see in the eyeinset photo on the facing page, however, thereis a black dot in the middle, caused by the deflector in the middle of the dish. Notice the highlightin the pupil is more centered. This tells you that thelight is closer to the camera.

The Ring Light (a.k.a. The Bug Light)

The ring light was actually designed to create a circleof flash around the lens to evenly illuminate insectsand other macrophotography subjects (thus, I sometimelike to call it the “bug light”). The quality of thelight was so unique, though, it was quickly adapted foruse in portrait and fashion photography.

The ring light mounts directly onto the camerabody using the tripod mount. Your lens goes throughthe center of the flash and you’re off to the races.When hand-holding your camera with the ring light,it is extremely important that you and the model setyour positions for accurate exposure. Any cameramovement toward or away from the subject will alsochange the distance from the light to the subject, alteringthe exposure

The catchlight created by the ring light (seen in theeye inset image in the portrait of Julie to the right) issimilar to that seen when using on-camera flash. Thebig difference is that the reflection is round and deadcenter in the pupil. Note, too, the dilation of the pupil.Like light from a beauty dish, light from a ring lightis shadowless. However, it is also much harder. Noticehow it brings out the form in Julie’s face. Since thepupils are dilated, the eyes also appear much darker.Ultimately, the ring light is a great choice for edgierportraits and fashion since the quality of light createsa specific style. However, you must be aware that thering light produces a powerful burst of light. If yoursubject is sitting in a dimly lit studio staring straight atthe light, this can create eye discomfort. Be sure towarn your subject when you are ready to shoot, andgive them a count. Because it is so close to the lensthe ring light will also create red-eye; fortunately, thiscan easily be fixed by most digital imaging programs.