Need more diffusion

[john_murphy1]

I am using a Photogenic 1250 strobe with a medium Photoflex

Silverdome with both diffusion screens in place, but the light is

still too hard. I get a big specular highlight on the nose, for

instance. What should I do to soften the light?

[ellis_vener_photography]

First try using powder makeup on the subjects face. next try movign the light both closer

andor to the side or above. Move the light until it looks the way you want it too.

[john_murphy1]

The problem with makeup is that the subject is my one year old daughter. What I am really curious about is why the same softbox produces beautiful soft light when used with a 1000W Lowel DP light, but harsh light with the strobe. Any thoughts?

[brooks short]

John,

 

Try a larger softbox. The "medium" Photoflex Silverdome is the same size as a small Chimera, about 2'x3'. For portraits, I always use a medium 3'x4' Chimera at a distance of about 3 feet.

 

You could place a scrim between the light and your subject. Use the small "medium" Photoflex softbox that you have to light a larger portion of the scrim which will then light your subject.

[steve_levine]

The rule of thumb is that a light source has to be bigger than the subject,and that it should be placed less than its own diameter in distance from the subject.This is why they make big light banks and umbrellas.Turn the power down,and place the box just out of frame.

[john_murphy1]

Brooks,

That is one of the things I was considering trying, putting a Photoflex lite disc (the middle, translucent part) in front of the softbox. This is a little awkward however, requiring an additional stand to hold the scrim.

[brooks short]

John,

 

A photoflex light disc is not much bigger than the small softbox that you already have. I'd use a larger scrim, 46"x72" or a larger softbox. But you could try the lightdisc that you have and see if it's better.

[joseph_wisniewski]

Have a look at how evenly the light source is illuminating the soft box. Take some pictures of the SilverDome with both the Lowel and the Photogenic in place. You may need neutral density filters. You want to expose for the soft box (not a usual way of working) so you get it to be gray and can see light falloff in the corners. If it's being "soft" you'll see very even illumination across the face of the softbox.

 

You are mounting the softbox to the Photogenic with the proper rings (no reflector on the Photogenic) instead of trying to use a universal clap on the front of the Photogenic's reflector, right? I've seen people do things like that, and wonder why the softbox looked only lightly diffused.

[vinny_walsh]

Moving just the fixture around isn't going to make it a softer source. If you back the

fixture up and put additional diffusion very close to the subject that will soften the light.

The further the diffusion is away from the source of illumination, the softer the light will

be. Try hanging a piece of silk, bleached muslin, or Opal diffusion. Your DP light has a

textured reflector that's why it's a softer source.

[twmeyer]

get a white interior box instead of the silver, move it closer, get a bigger one... t

[jeffrey_abelson]

Ellis is right - makeup is the answer - even a baby can get some powder on the nose - if not, remove the highlight in photoshop (clone tool set on a darken blending mode at about 30 percent opacity and 50 percent flow or burn it in the darkroom). What aperture are you shooting at? I found between 5.6 and f8 gets the best soft light portrait results<div></div>

[jeffrey_abelson]

"5.6 and f8 gets the best soft light portrait resul"

 

I meant f8-8.5. I don't know why I posted other wise.