softbox lighting question.

[DIRT]

would a 250 watt light body be appropriate for a soft box or do you need more power? mainly for portraits and headshots.

 

[Rob]

The power or brightness of a light is going to affect quite a few things like colour temperature and possible distance required to illuminate the subject. The brighter the lighting, the faster the exposure can be and hopefully, the sharper the picture (especially if you can use really low ISO). I would think 250W would be fine with an additional reflector or other low light source to cancel shadows (unless you want shadows!) as you are going to be working with quite a tight frame to compose a head-shot. It might be a little under-powered for a seated / standing portrait - I believe most of the quickie studios in the UK use twin 500 or 1000W umbrellas.

As with anything, your best bet is to try the setup with a melon or a pumpkin or something vaguely head-sized first to avoid unnecessary delays with your model.

Good luck