I bought a soft beauty dish (two actually) and used the egg crate grid. I couldn’t understand, at first, why I was getting such an odd pattern on the background. Looking closely, I could see a slight pattern on the subject too. I realized that the egg crate grid was causing the issue. When the dish was placed at an angle, the egg crate cast a checkerboard like shadow. I bought a hard beauty dish with a hard grid and voila, no ugly shadows/patterns. If you need/want to use a grid to control the light, the hard beauty dish and grid is the way to go.
I have used to Glow EZ Lock for a couple years. Once I got used to it I no longer use a regular softbox for the typical shooting I'm currently doing. Great video Daniel. Thanks!
Very well done Daniel - you have identified subtle differences and their affect. Thank you! Even different brands of hard beauty dishes offer different light characteristics based on the contour and size you mentioned.
Hi Daniel, FWIW, I use a Speedotron BD with white interior and adapted it to other brands by replacing the speed ring mount. It is pretty much a clone of the Mola Demi which IMO is the benchmark for BD's. By swapping out the central diffuser with an opaque, diffuse or metal mesh I can change the contrast and look.
yes, Daniel, they are the elinchrom ones, which have the "deflector set" in them, which can have silver, white, or diffused (1\2 a stop, as compared to the white's 1 stop); but it would be nice if you compared the elinchrom gear with the profoto as well, if you have had any experience with them. Also I miss marisa, you haven't done a lot with the "mentoring marisa" series lately, and love the fun and chemistry you and her have on the camera.
Thanks, Daniel. I have recently acquired a used 16" beauty dish, but haven't had the opportunity to use it yet. It's not the most flexible modifier, as the subject has to keep pretty still. I need to practice with it!
I loved the comparison... maybe next time you could add a normal parabolic soft box in the mix .. to show the other side effect. Thanks Daniel for the teaching moment.
Nice vid -- Well I greatly prefer the images from the hard dash over the rest. And yes the images taken soft dash with a diffuser look dull/flat in comparison to those from the hard dish. Hard dishes come in various sizes and unfinished and white - have you tried / compared them? Looking at profoto (others are the same) the spread varies depending on the depth of head position within the dish -- With the silver finish "Light spread: 26° at position 4 on ProHead"; whereas with the White dish "Light spread: 65° at position 4 on ProHead". Well at least according to profoto's web site that is. AND Output at 2 m with 2400Ws @ the white dish provides ISO100: f/32.4 at zoom position 4 (on ProHead); whereas the silver delivers @ ISO100: f/64.1 at zoom position 4 (on ProHead) -- reflecting the more concentration of light and higher reflectivity of the silver finish
I don't think I've ever used a beauty dish in the studio. Lots of brollies and softboxes. Must look out for one next time I visit the studio and try it.
I'm sure I'm the only one who has this position, but I just don't do beauty dishes. I don't know if it's just me or my typical style of lighting, but I just don't see the appeal of it over what I typically do. I know other photographers who swear by and rave about beauty dishes, but when I see many of the pictures that they produce with them, 9 times out of 10 my reaction is "um.... OK..." and that one time where I go "whoa" it's not necessarily because a beauty dish was used. I'm pretty sure I could spend the rest of my career never using a beauty dish and still be totally fine. That being said, there's nothing wrong with them, and if people want to use them, great, but it's just not my jam.
nice video Dan a lot of people do not realize how specific a beauty dish really is
Very true!
I bought a soft beauty dish (two actually) and used the egg crate grid. I couldn’t understand, at first, why I was getting such an odd pattern on the background. Looking closely, I could see a slight pattern on the subject too. I realized that the egg crate grid was causing the issue. When the dish was placed at an angle, the egg crate cast a checkerboard like shadow. I bought a hard beauty dish with a hard grid and voila, no ugly shadows/patterns. If you need/want to use a grid to control the light, the hard beauty dish and grid is the way to go.
Love such comparisons as they nicely (very) underline the 'look' one gets, generally with the modifier being used. Thanks, as always!
I have used to Glow EZ Lock for a couple years. Once I got used to it I no longer use a regular softbox for the typical shooting I'm currently doing. Great video Daniel. Thanks!
Very well done Daniel - you have identified subtle differences and their affect. Thank you! Even different brands of hard beauty dishes offer different light characteristics based on the contour and size you mentioned.
Awesome!! Great content. If I had a business, I would consider the foldable beauty dish.
Hmm, yeah, I agree 100%. Both do a good job with subtle differences. I like them both. Very helpful. Thanks Daniel.
I love the mettle beauty dish Work great I got the Adorama one with 3 grids and a sock Love using it!
You always teach us valuable lessons. Good job👍
If I can I will take my solid beauty dish on location, just can not beat the look they give.
21.6" white and silver versions with grids.
Could you clarify how the shallow dish shape affects the light quality compared to a regular Softbox.
Hi Daniel, FWIW, I use a Speedotron BD with white interior and adapted it to other brands by replacing the speed ring mount. It is pretty much a clone of the Mola Demi which IMO is the benchmark for BD's. By swapping out the central diffuser with an opaque, diffuse or metal mesh I can change the contrast and look.
Ur videos are always helpful... thank you
yes, Daniel, they are the elinchrom ones, which have the "deflector set" in them, which can have silver, white, or diffused (1\2 a stop, as compared to the white's 1 stop); but it would be nice if you compared the elinchrom gear with the profoto as well, if you have had any experience with them.
Also I miss marisa, you haven't done a lot with the "mentoring marisa" series lately, and love the fun and chemistry you and her have on the camera.
Thanks, Daniel. I have recently acquired a used 16" beauty dish, but haven't had the opportunity to use it yet. It's not the most flexible modifier, as the subject has to keep pretty still. I need to practice with it!
I loved the comparison... maybe next time you could add a normal parabolic soft box in the mix .. to show the other side effect. Thanks Daniel for the teaching moment.
But a dish makes every model smile 5:40 😂
Thanks for the comparison. It could be another tool in the LX toolbox
Nice vid -- Well I greatly prefer the images from the hard dash over the rest. And yes the images taken soft dash with a diffuser look dull/flat in comparison to those from the hard dish.
Hard dishes come in various sizes and unfinished and white - have you tried / compared them? Looking at profoto (others are the same) the spread varies depending on the depth of head position within the dish -- With the silver finish "Light spread: 26° at position 4 on ProHead"; whereas with the White dish "Light spread: 65° at position 4 on ProHead". Well at least according to profoto's web site that is. AND Output at 2 m with 2400Ws @ the white dish provides ISO100: f/32.4 at zoom position 4 (on ProHead); whereas the silver delivers @ ISO100: f/64.1 at zoom position 4 (on ProHead) -- reflecting the more concentration of light and higher reflectivity of the silver finish
Does it matter that the Profoto B10 has a flat front compared to other makes which use a ‘bare bulb’ front in a beauty dish?
I don't think I've ever used a beauty dish in the studio. Lots of brollies and softboxes. Must look out for one next time I visit the studio and try it.
also with the soft beauty dish would you add 1\2 to 1 stop more power to the light, to boost the face exposure, to the same luminance as the hard one?
Not using a pro head hurts my soul
There was no link to Cadence that I could see
Why is it called a "beauty dish?"
I'm sure I'm the only one who has this position, but I just don't do beauty dishes. I don't know if it's just me or my typical style of lighting, but I just don't see the appeal of it over what I typically do. I know other photographers who swear by and rave about beauty dishes, but when I see many of the pictures that they produce with them, 9 times out of 10 my reaction is "um.... OK..." and that one time where I go "whoa" it's not necessarily because a beauty dish was used. I'm pretty sure I could spend the rest of my career never using a beauty dish and still be totally fine. That being said, there's nothing wrong with them, and if people want to use them, great, but it's just not my jam.
Well, I guess the same could be said about every light modifier out there. ;)
I don't get these globes, but love my Mola Setti...
Is a baseball sized dent required to properly light the model? 🤣
Yes, yes it is. When you use gear, it gets used 😊
The most overrated of all modifiers Imho