Innovative ways to use softboxes

[kevin_flossner]

<p>I recently stumbled over a book solely about softboxes (Stephen Dantzig's <em>Softbox Lighting Techniques</em>) which made me realize something. I've always used softboxes for ... well.... soft light.</p>

<p>But what if 2 softboxes were the only lighting equipment you had (of course, with a strobe)? What other lighting setups can be created? For instance, a rather immediate solution, a strip light can be created by covering most of the softbox's lit area with an opaque panel.</p>

<p>I'm curious to learn other ways to use a softbox, I'm sure one day they'll be handy.</p>

<p> </p>

[Charles_Webster]

<p>Take both diffusion panels out of a large softbox and you have a large reflector. With the original SB grid, it makes a nice hard light in a more controlled manner than a regular reflector.</p>

<p><Chas></p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>Use the softbox as a high key background (assuming it's big enough) for a portrait.</p>

[kevin_delson]

<blockquote>

<p>a strip light can be created by covering most of the softbox's lit area with an opaque panel.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Or, a large SB can be masked to create a smaller SB. I use a few different sizes attached with velcro; not pretty but it works great.<br>

Going further, I have small flaps on the periphery of these various masks that act as barn doors or not.</p>

<p>There really isn't anything "Innovative" here; just reminders of how we can press a SB into other service.</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

<p>gel the softbox! This is a trick I learned fro ma playboy contract photographer. As his key light he'd use a large Chimera (54x72 inch face), across the center he had a 24" wide 1/4 CTO gel, and across the center 8 to 10 inches of that gelled strip he had laid another layer of 14 CTO. The effect was to make a feathered warming effect. You can expand on that idea of course with other gels.<br>

Other ideas: don't point the subject at your subject . point it at a wall, the floor or a ceiling instead. Or maybe at a small mirror or set of mirrors. </p>