A 12-minute video tutorial from American commercial photographer Joel Grimes on two techniques for creating dramatic portraits.

In both cases, Grimes uses a minimum of equipment; in the first version, he uses only one light source, in the second he adds two side ones.

Filming is on focal length 24 mm, which emphasizes the upper body and enhances the impression of drama. For the first portrait, Grimes uses a beauty dish to focus the light on the subject and partly on the black background. This allows you to lighten the background, make it gray right behind the model, which will then be used in post-processing.

Grimes sets the ISO, aperture, and shutter speeds to what he thinks are optimal for the occasion - 100, f/7.1 and 1/200; then adjusts the height and power of its modifier to get the desired effect. By raising the beauty dish higher, he creates more shadows for a more dramatic effect. The main thing here is not to overdo it - if the light source is too high, the shadows will create ugly lines on the face.

For the second portrait, Grimes creates a different look.

This time his model is dressed in all black, and so that the character does not blend into the black background, the photographer adds two sources side light and reduces the power of the main source so as not to drown out the side light and maintain the drama of the image.

The main problem that often confronts people working in this genre is the discrepancy between the dynamic ranges of the human eye and camera sensors, in which it is much lower. To obtain a high-quality and realistic portrait, the total brightness of the frame should correspond as closely as possible to what the photographer sees. In general, the situation is reminiscent of the one when using the lens you need to convey the stereo image that we get in life, thanks to the eyes.

Theoretically, the laws of light work the same everywhere, however, when it comes to lighting in photography, our main goal is to increase the dynamic range. This is achieved by better filling the dark areas of the frame and capturing the key subject of photography at the same time in the shadows and in bright light (with the exception of the use of original lighting schemes, implemented against all the rules of photography to embody an unusual creative idea).

Many aspiring photographers feel that strictly following the rules of photography does not allow them to fully realize the available creative ideas. Undoubtedly, experiments have a positive effect on portrait photography, however, the rules were invented for a reason. Often, photographers, analyzing their mistakes, begin to understand that they would not have made them if they had followed the basic laws of working with light. Therefore, for successful portrait photography, it is important to be able to distinguish between a bold experiment and a ridiculous idea that cannot lead to anything outstanding.

Using light modifiers

Softboxes and reflectors are the most popular among portrait painters. various kinds and sizes. All other existing devices for changing the nature and direction of lighting can also significantly improve the quality of photography, provided they are used correctly. The choice of a specific light modifier depends primarily on the personal preferences of the photographer, but it is also influenced by a number of the following criteria:

• how much area you want to illuminate - the type and size of the modifier directly depends on whether you are shooting a face close-up, or make a full-length portrait;


• the skin condition of the subject of photography - if your model does not have skin problems, then the lighting can be made strong enough, which allows you to achieve interesting game light and shadow. In the case of photographing an elderly person or a person with problematic skin, the selection of a light scheme must be approached delicately. A softbox will help to hide the existing flaws, which allows you to get soft lighting;


• number of models - if you are shooting a group portrait and have not yet seen future models live, then it would be wiser to start shooting using a softbox. This will avoid problems with post-processing photos if one of the models may have problematic skin.

Those who want to shoot really high-quality portraits need to learn how to read the light schemes on other people's works, distinguish the shape of the glare in the eyes of the model, the degree of lighting hardness, and most importantly, understand which modifiers were used to obtain this or that effect.

Using a beauty dish

To obtain this photograph was used. The silver reflector made it possible to fill in deep shadows under the model's nose and chin. Her skin was almost flawless, and after the work of the makeup artist it became perfect. Due to this, the use of strong light was quite acceptable in this situation. If you've never shot with a beauty dish, now is the time to try it. Despite its simplicity, this accessory is able to change a lot in the frame for the better.

Using a softbox

The next two photos were taken using the same lighting scheme as the previous shot, but using a large softbox as the main light source. More than ten models participated in the photo shoot, and it was decided to use just such a light modifier. This made it possible to equally profitably show the hairstyles and faces of all the participants, to avoid possible difficulties with the problematic skin of one of the girls.

If you are new to using a beauty dish and softbox, you may not notice how these photos differ from the previous shot. This border is quite thin, but the more you shoot, the easier it will be for you to notice it.

As a rule, an experienced photographer can easily determine which light modifier was used to obtain a particular photo, and whether it is possible to achieve better results in the current situation. This skill helps to correctly adjust the lighting and avoid mistakes yourself. First, learn to determine the depth and degree of hardness of the shadows under the nose and chin of the model. So it will be easier for you to decide which light modifier is better to choose.

Application of the silver reflector

Popular among portrait photographers silver reflector. It practically does not change the shades of light, while making it straight and hard. Proper adjustment of the power of the light source and the correct location of the reflector relative to the model and background allows you to get excellent results.

If you don't have a silver reflector handy, you can quickly make one from kitchen foil glued to heavy cardboard using double-sided tape. If you are driving, you can also use the light-protective silver visor as a reflector. The use of even such simple and cheap home-made devices will bring an order of magnitude more benefit during portrait photography.

If you still can't use a reflector, aim your flash at a white wall, ceiling, or any light-colored surface behind you. The same is true for a room that has an inappropriate color or a large area for which your lighting power is not enough. The next two images clearly show the difference in dynamic range between reflectorless and reflector shots.

Using color filters

Interesting results in portrait photography can be obtained when color gel filters are used. They can significantly reduce the flash output, so when buying this accessory, you must first of all focus on the power of the available equipment. When using color filters, control the flash point. Powerful devices can damage the material of the accessory when exposed to high heat.

This shot you see was taken using orange and cyan filters mounted on flash units behind the model.

Applying other light modifiers

Although other light modifiers have gained less popularity in portrait photography They, too, can bring many benefits if used skillfully.

For example, a two-meter octobox was used to obtain this photo. The use of such a large light source made it possible to give the model as much freedom in movement as possible.

In their work, portrait painters use photographic umbrellas from time to time. The nature of the light on them is somewhat different from that which is obtained when using a softbox or a beauty dish. Although an umbrella is often not capable of providing professional-level lighting, its functionality is enough to solve many problems, and its compact dimensions and light weight make this device an indispensable assistant when working on the road.

Using a light meter

You can often hear from professionals that only amateurs need a light meter. This point of view is quite controversial. Undoubtedly, in most cases it is really easier and more useful for the photographer to determine the illumination of the scene visually - this allows you to gain irreplaceable experience and the necessary skills. But often situations arise when you need to set up the flash very quickly, or the photographer works with rented equipment that he is not used to. In this case, the luxmeter will provide invaluable assistance, so do not write off this most useful device.

Of course, there are still many light modifiers that are not so widely used in portrait photography, and their use depends, first of all, on the individual preferences of each photographer. If you become proficient with the light modeling fixtures described above, it will be much easier for you to get great portraits.

And finally, a small exam for photographers. Try to determine what light modifiers were used to make this shot.

If you're interested in advancing your portrait photography with a beauty dish but aren't sure if it's worth investing in, I'll show you how to try out the beauty dish lighting style in ten minutes and a few dollars.

All you need is a plain old 60cm softbox, available in both single light and strobe sets. Quickly and easily, this will help you decide if a $100-200 investment is worth it for you. In addition to the softbox, you will need three popsicle sticks (or garden twigs, thin dowels, etc.), aluminum foil, and a sheet of black paper the size of your softbox.

How works portrait plate

A beauty dish is a large dish with a hole that holds the flash. It is almost parabolic with a focal point that is usually located inside the dish. This focal point has a reflector that prevents direct light from hitting the subject and instead redirects it away from the inside of the dish. This reflector tends to form two patches of light on the surface of the dish; one is located directly around the reflector, and the other on the rim of the dish.

My real beauty dish, which I will use for comparison.

In this way, it can be seen that the main mechanism of the beauty dish is concentrated in the internal reflective plate, and the characteristic highlights come from it and the roundness of the dish. These two features are fairly easy to replicate. That is what I want to show you today.

Prepare the softbox

Since a beauty dish does not need to have a diffuser panel (“toe”) on top, we remove the diffuser that is usually used on a softbox. Partitions, too, if any. It is preferable to make the softbox round, but this is not so easy if you have an octagon like the Westcott Rapid Box (26") or Rapid Box Mini (20").

If you still don't have an octagon, don't worry, we'll fix this issue in the next step.

Cut out gobo

To make the softbox round, we'll make a simple round gobo ("go in between," light shaping template) and attach it in front of the softbox. It's simple enough. Cut your Whatman paper to fit the softbox; you can leave about an inch on each side if you like to eliminate light penetration, and mark the center by drawing diagonals from the corners.

The center is marked - I left the paper rectangular, which will be very useful later.

Attach a pin at the center point, tie a thread to it so that it rotates freely, and measure 11 inches. At this mark, attach a pencil to the thread. Now you can easily trace the circle, just like with a compass.

Quickly and simply draw a circle. Well, it's like a circle.

Cut out the circle and attach the paper to the softbox in any way you like. I used electrical tape.

The extra length gave me the opportunity to fit the paper inside the software. This is done for greater density.

Interiorreflector

Now we need to make an internal reflector. To do this, take aluminum foil, mine was 12x8", fold it on all sides to get a square the size of an adapter ring. Then fold the corners to make an octagon, and then fold the resulting corners to make a circle.

Now it's time to attach it to the softbox adapter ring using the sticks you prepared. I use two popsicle sticks wrapped in duct tape and attach them to reverse side reflector so that the tip is free.

Attach the reflector to the adapter ring with the shiny side facing in and you have a great beauty dish! You can add another stick at the bottom to prevent tipping, and the folded edges help prevent sagging and kinking.

Fasten the sticks at the top and bottom. Note the circles that remain visible and this is a cheap softbox.

Time take off!

As seen above, the light output matches the beauty dish quite well (despite the mirror-like differences between the white and silver interior), so now we can start shooting!

Here are some comparison photos that I desaturated to better appreciate the lighting; I think this is a great job of simulating a penny-worthy beauty dish:

Used beauty dish.

Used softbox in its original form.

used imitated portrait plate. Not bad! The result may not be identical, but it is remarkably close to the original. (Apparently I shot above the sync speed on these frames?)

Find out if you are ready to buy

If you're hesitant about buying a beauty dish, this quick trick should help. If you're willing to sacrifice the softbox for a while, you can use this design until a beauty dish becomes available or justified. You can also use a small, shallow octagon to make a sturdy metal or plastic inner reflector and use it as a 2-in-1 system instead of carrying a beauty dish!

The most famous and widely used spherical reflector is the beauty dish.

There is no guarantee that the lamp in your particular beauty dish is in focus. How many manufacturers - so many shapes, sizes and positions of beauty dishes lamps. You yourself will be able to evaluate the available you knowing the principle.

beauty dish side - spherical shape

beauty dish without honeycombs - you can see the deflector in the center

Honeycombs. in this case, these are honeycombs for a standard reflector, but honeycombs for a beauty dish are the same, they differ only in the principle of attachment

The beauty dish differs from other reflectors, firstly, in its rather large size, and secondly, in the presence of a deflector (a separate small reflector in the center), which re-reflects part of the light in the center of the dish onto the main reflector, thereby equalizing the illumination of the light spot.

beauty dish without honeycomb

beauty dish with honeycomb and fabric diffuser

Application area

Portrait photography, mostly young people. A beauty dish with honeycombs gives a wonderful, moderately contrasting light. Not too soft, nor too hard, like elliptical reflectors. But there really are no boundaries. It can also be used to illuminate hair when elliptical reflectors are in short supply and in other cases when you need a large even spot of light. I recommend using a beauty dish with a honeycomb, otherwise the stain is too diffuse. The fabric diffuser in my opinion gives too soft light. Can be used if not available. One of the great advantages of a beauty dish is its portability. You can put it in the trunk and go to the shooting. Upon arrival, just take it out and put it on the flash. There is no loss of time to assemble the softbox, and the pictures are very contrasting and interesting.

The beauty dish may have different material surfaces: silver or matt white. Silver gives a slightly harder and more contrasting light. The surface of this material is usually pebbly (i.e. not smooth) in order for the light to come out more uniformly.

Examples of shots taken using a beauty dish

portrait using a beauty dish

using a beauty dish with honeycombs in the studio

The beauty dish gives a characteristic glare in the eyes of the model.

glare in the eyes from a beauty dish

The shape of the beauty dish depending on the manufacturer

The most famous manufacturers of photographic equipment, such as Broncolor and Profoto, produce parabolic-shaped beauty dishes. They are more difficult to manufacture, more expensive, but are designed to more accurately focus the light spot. These plates look like this...

At Broncolor The beauty dish is available in two versions: with a matte white surface called Softlight reflector P-Soft and with a silver pebbled surface called beauty dish reflector.

Company Profoto started production of beauty dish systems OCF(Off-Camera Flash). These beauty dishes are distinguished by the fact that they are foldable and lightweight.

Why you need OCF Beauty Dish

The system was devised Profoto Off-Camera Flashes(OCF) for two mobile flashes from Profoto - and . Both are revolutionary outbreaks. — a wireless system with a battery inside and a relatively high power (500 J), — light heads connected to a battery generator (power 250 J).

For comparison, I will give a classic beauty dish.

Here we will compare with it.

The fact is that the classic beauty dish is called "Beauty dish" for a reason.

It gives moderately soft light, which maintains the contrast of the image. Beauty dishes are convenient to use for photography of fashion and children, or, in other words, all young people.

But to carry a classic beauty dish with you to nature is still a hassle. It is quite large (52 cm in diameter, 15.2 cm deep) and heavy (1.25 kg).

Of course, you don’t want to carry such a plate on foot. Moreover, one plate is not enough, then a battery generator and a light head are needed for it.
The weight is considerable and it can only be moved by car.

That's why the whole system appeared OCF(Off-Camera Flash), where even lightweight.

The light head has also been significantly reduced.

A small octobox is very good, but its light distribution is slightly different. It has even exposure, and the beauty dish gives a darker center and brighter edges. Therefore, it is also needed in the tool kit of a traveling photographer.
In the end, everyone will choose their own.

Structurally - beauty dish OCF Beauty Dish is twice as deep as OCF Softbox 2" Octa and deflector.

What's Included

Firstly, OCF Beauty Dish includes white and silver plates. Just like the older beauty dishes.

Inside the package is a black envelope with a plate body (fabric and knitting needles), a deflector and a diffuser.

The speedring is sold separately and you need to think about it in advance.

Let's take a plate.

On the system Profoto OCF very interesting (and patented) system for assembling light modifiers. All knitting needles can be inserted halfway first, and only then go around and insert them to the end. This greatly simplifies and speeds up assembly.

Now we fix the deflector (I called it a "spider"). It is plastic and stands on a stretch of rubber bands.

Now this is a complete plate.

You have the choice to attach a diffuser or a honeycomb to it. Both together will not work according to the idea of ​​​​the manufacturer. both are fastened with Velcro to the body of the beauty dish.

The reason is the external Velcro fasteners. Both the diffuser and the honeycomb are attached in one place, on top of the dish body

But no one bothers to simply put the honeycomb over the diffuser or vice versa. More or less holding up.

However, Profoto provides OCF Beauty Dish only diffuser and honeycomb I took from octobox OCF. I found the use of honeycombs on a beauty dish even more logical than a diffuser. So we use a large beauty dish.
By itself, the plate already gives, in my opinion, optimal light rigidity, and honeycombs make the light flux more directional.

OCF Beauty Dish with Diffuser

OCF Beauty Dish Testing

To begin with, we will conduct studio testing on the training model. It's on my mind best option because it does not move and is always illuminated from the same distance.

What does a beauty dish give

Left: flash without attachment, right: flash with OCF Beauty Dish

It can be seen that the huge shadow under the model's nose immediately decreased and softened.

Regular (metal) Profoto beauty dish

Left: met. beauty dish without honeycomb, right: met. honeycomb plate

You see what a big role honeycombs play in limiting the luminous flux. In the case without the honeycomb, the light hit the background, which was two meters away and illuminated even the right side of the model's head.

Beauty Dish OCF Beauty Dish Silver

This is a beauty dish with a silver interior surface.

With diffuser

Left: beauty dish without diffuser, right: beauty dish with diffuser

There is a difference, but not that significant. The diffuser "eats" about 0.5 stops.

with honeycombs

Left: beauty dish without honeycomb, right: beauty dish with honeycomb

Honeycombs perform their function by limiting the luminous flux. As a result, the light does not fall on the background and the photo is more contrasting, with a black background. The light is getting harder. Also honeycombs eat up about 1 stop of exposure.

Just a silver beauty dish OCF Beauty Dish

Silver plate with honeycombs.

Beauty Dish OCF Beauty Dish white

This is a beauty dish with a matte white interior.

Left: beauty dish without honeycomb, right: beauty dish with honeycomb

There is a limitation of the luminous flux, and softening of the light on the model is not noticeable.
Probably the effect will be significant only in the background, behind the back of the model, if it is close.

Examples

Just a white beauty dish OCF Beauty Dish.

White OCF Beauty Dish with diffuser.

Beauty Dish OCF Beauty Dish Silver VS OCF Beauty Dish White

Left: white, right: silver

Judging by the pictures, the main difference is in the reflectivity. The silver plate will allow you to work at a lower flash output.

Classic Beauty Dish VS OCF Beauty Dish

Left: classic beauty dish without honeycomb, right: OCF Beauty Dish without honeycomb

Walking with the OCF Beauty Dish

Summary

In order not to bore the reader huge amount pictures-comparisons, I will say that OCF Beauty Dish works pretty well as a beauty dish. If a classic beauty dish just needs a honeycomb, then OCF Beauty Dish can be used without cells. I would prefer a silver plate. you can work with less flash power and the same degree of “softness” of light on the model.

For the rest, we can say that the idea itself Profoto OCF makes me very happy. The system is a mobile option that you can easily take to nature or on vacation, without denying yourself the pleasure of taking great pictures using "adult" light modifiers.

Kit and Provided Photoprocenter for which they are very grateful!

If you can afford this system, then it is great option for mobile light!