A Photographer's Dream
Why is it that most photographers use soft boxes? The answer is adaptability. There is not one other light modifier that compares to the soft box when it comes to providing soft light for any style of shooting such as fashion, food, product, or portraiture.
Remember the large plywood boxes with an open front and tracks along the top and bottom where various diffusion flats could be slid into place? Today, soft boxes are built of lightweight materials, come in all sizes, and are very portable. Portability and size are just a couple reasons, artist, Levi Rosen chose our StudioPRO 48" Octagon Soft boxes for his portrait photography shoot.
Building Your Set Up
Matching the light source to the type of portrait you are trying to create is the takeaway as Levi tells us, "What I try to create in my images is a snapshot of who my subjects really are." For this shoot, he moved one octagon softbox in front as the main light and the other over to his model's side on low power as a fill.
"The build is sturdy with thick fabric and good stitching and the poles bend but don’t break. Plus, the Bowens speedring that comes included is solid metal and you could run a truck over it without damaging it"
Bringing It Together
Levi, upon successfully setting up his octagon soft boxes, exclaimed, "Wow these puppies are huge!" The larger the light source, in relation to the subject, the softer the light becomes. Soft light reduces contrast, conceals skin blemishes, and softens the edges of the shadows. Large soft boxes cover the entire subject with light and overall coverage is an essential feature for full-length portraiture.
Final Cut
The strobe and the octagon softbox, together, impressed Levi the most. The light produced is a direct yet wraparound light with a balanced, even spread. Using two of StudioPRO 200W Premium Monolights in combination with the octagon soft boxes, the light created rolls off rapidly as it gets further from the source leaving backgrounds less affected. In the image below, the subject is fully illuminated while the fence and green shrub is not as bright or distracting to the viewer.
If you are still wondering if this shape and size soft box will be the best light modifier for you, let Levi tell you this true story. "Once set up, these wonderful beasts of light modifiers were so large, they blocked the trigger sensors. I found that out the hard way this shoot and didn’t realize it till post processing. But! because they create such a wide and smooth beam of light, the subject still looked great!" Even in error, beauty is present.Sometimes the only photographer you should compare yourself to is the one you used to be.
Who doesn’t want to be an elf or riding a lobster while a nuclear mushroom cloud is bursting behind them? Introducing artist, Levi Rosen, a graphic designer and photographer who has a passion for fantasy and a skill for shooting realism. Growing up in Houston, he was introduced to the world of lighting at an early age by his father. With Levi digging deep to pull the truest self out of his subject, it may be his roots, but we certainly feel his strong devotion to this industry. Let his work speak for itself and enjoy a viewing of his portfolio!