Beauty Dish with shoot through umbrella idea to try . . .

donaldejose

Some members may be interested in this video . . . .

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzeDGV7K0-M

Joe does a nice job in this video of showing the lighting effect created by a beauty dish and how it can be replicated with a shoot through umbrella.

I have some additional thoughts. Instead of using a black cardboard disc, you can simply cut black material in a circular pattern and sew it to the outside of the umbrella for a permanent shoot through umbrella beauty dish. I think I will do that. It should make the lightest and easiest to transport "beauty dish."

Also, instead of a plain shoot through umbrella you can use one with a reflective backing like this. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Neewer-43-Diameter-Photography-Collapsible-Shoot-Through-Softbox-Umbrella-/381806072057?hash=item58e56a50f9:g:U5oAAOSwh2xX-f54 I find using a shoot through umbrealla with reflective backing to block and redirect the light bouncing back increases light output about one half a stop.

Finally, I have some of these I use with monolights. http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-x-Umbrella-Softbox-Soft-Brolly-Box-Reflector-Studio-40-Flash-Light-Reflective-/361097365784?hash=item5413148918:g:WhcAAOSwSypY9QvM I like to use them instead of a traditional soft box for on-location shoots because they are easier to transport and set up than a traditional soft box and they balance better on a light stand to reduce tip over risk. When you use one of these brolly boxes with a monolight, guess what? That monolight creates the dark center circle in the catch-light like a beauty dish. One difference is that you can see a line going down from the black spot created by your light stand. A thinner light stand will create a thinner line but looking for that line in the catch-light is something no one other than a photographer will do.

I am going to have to haul some gear half-way across the country to make portraits of old folks in a nursing home and was experimenting with the lightest and smallest equipment I could use for the task. I settled on using two of these with light weight light stands, a D500 and two SB-5000s. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Godox-60x90cm-Softbox-Umbrella-Reflector-Softbox-for-Flash-Speedlight-/162273264929?hash=item25c83d8521:g:8E4AAOSwal5YNWEo By cutting a six inch slit in the bottom (and side) of the white diffuser through which I pass the light stand I am able to angle the softbox down more. By using the clip on diffuser which comes with the SB-5000 speedlight I am able to achieve nice diffused and even lighting. The wireless lighting system in the D500 with the SB-5000 creates an easy way to adjust lighting ratios from the camera menu system. I am not going to need a beauty dish as these folks will want diffuse lighting to hide wrinkles!

spraynpray

Those speedlight softboxes are certainly great VFM Donald.

donaldejose

you can even get grids for them inexpensively

http://www.ebay.com/itm/60x90cm-Honeycomb-Grid-for-24x35-Softbox-Umbrella-Video-Studio-Flash-lighting-/391408547770?hash=item5b21c477ba:g:nCcAAOSwwpdW6lk3

http://www.ebay.com/itm/24x36-60x90cm-Photo-Studio-Honeycomb-Grid-for-Umbrella-Softbox-For-YongnuoPIXEL-/152610935144?hash=item2388521168:g:z1QAAOSwFqNZWzn5

some even come with grids

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Neewer-24-x-36-60-x-90cm-Rectangle-Umbrella-Type-Speedlite-Softbox-with-Grid-/191730662329?hash=item2ca409bbb9:g:NCkAAOSwo0JWOFtb

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Neewer-24-x-36-60-x-90cm-Rectangle-Umbrella-Type-Speedlite-Softbox-with-Grid-/122469959278?hash=item1c83c7466e:g:8poAAOSw~y9ZBITY

And you can get some that are octoboxes

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Neewer-Pro-32-High-Reflective-Octagonal-Umbrella-Softbox-for-Studio-Photography-/201608999822?hash=item2ef0d5338e:g:Hu0AAOSwImRYCxEU

To deal with Nikon's CLS line of sight needed for non-radio speedlights you can use an inexpensive radio trigger. However, since the flash is now enclosed inside the softbox it is more convenient if you can use a radio trigger which allows you to adjust the flash from the camera rather than have to open the softbox diffuser to adjust the flash, although it is held on by velcro so that is not hard. On the other hand, you can do manual flash, figure out your settings once (for example set a 1 to 3 ratio) and then just shoot those settings the entire session as long as you don't change distances.

spraynpray

Niiiice.

sport

donaldejose said:

To deal with Nikon's CLS line of sight needed for non-radio speedlights you can use an inexpensive radio trigger. However, since the flash is now enclosed inside the softbox it is more convenient if you can use a radio trigger which allows you to adjust the flash from the camera rather than have to open the softbox diffuser to adjust the flash, although it is held on by velcro so that is not hard. On the other hand, you can do manual flash, figure out your settings once (for example set a 1 to 3 ratio) and then just shoot those settings the entire session as long as you don't change distances.

Here is a youtube video on flash triggers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajwPYxZE8Bs

That link is a good starting place for those that are interested in Rf wireless speedlight control. I am using a Pocketwizard setup with a SU-800 commander. The nice thing with Pocketwizard is the ability to trigger everything with a Sekonic lightmeter. That gets me dialed in really fast and makes setup changes go a lot faster.

I am interested in trying the beauty dish trick, thanks for posting this.

donaldejose

Great video on flash trigger options!