How big of a softbox/umbrella for portraits of <4 people?

[iwong]

I am a beginner in "serious" portrait shots (i.e. advancing past the

stage where you blast your subjects directly with that small on-

camera flash) and would like some advice on how big a

softbox/umbrella to get, when using a "normal" lens (~50mm in 135,

~80mm in 645 format) and shooting no more than 4 people, i.e. no big

group shots and just a typical family size. Yes I will still be using

small electronic flashes but will mount them off camera, and will be

using up to two of them and adding a reflector for fill. I have a

light meter so I can determine correct exposure and ratios.

 

My question is, if I want soft and diffused lighting, what size of

softbox/umbrella is needed for a typical portrait distance of 2-5

meters? I am leaning towards an umbrella for its speed of setup. Does

the recommended size change if I use it reflected vs. shoot-through?

Does a softbox provide more diffused light on the same equivalent

size because its internal sides are reflective? The Photoflex X-small

softbox sounds interesting but looks to be too small for the distance

I intend to shoot in.

 

Please advice.

[garry edwards]

Isaac,

 

It depends on the effect you want to achieve and on how large your subject is, i.e. on how close they are to each other.

 

If you want the light to be really soft and diffused, and if you can place the light very close indeed to your subject, a light source about equal to the size of the subject (or to the size of the head if you are photographing only the head) will do.

 

If the light is further away then it will need to be much larger, because as the distance increases the relative size becomes less, and it's the relative size that determines the softness of the light.

 

Softboxes are convenient and there is much less risk of flare than with most umbrellas because no light spills back towards the camera.

 

Reflective umbrellas typically produce a much harder light than shoot-throughs because they often have a silver reflective surface. And, because they point the 'wrong way' they are necessarily much further from the subject and this both increases the harshness of the light and the need for a larger umbrella.

 

Assuming that you do in fact want to be able to produce soft lighting, I very much doubt whether the type of flashguns you have in mind will produce enough power. This is one of the reasons why people use studio flash.

 

You may find helpful info in the Lighting Themes archived under 'Administration' in the Lighting Forum.

 

The focal length of your lens and your shooting distance is irrelevant.

 

Hope this helps.

[twmeyer]

as big as you can afford. At 5 meters, try the Lasto-lite 60 inch umbrella, $180 at B&H:<p>http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=254459&is=REG<p>... t