Stupid question?

[SabrinaO]

I have two softboxes. I forget what size but one is much bigger than the other. What box should be on the main, and what one on the fill? I shot with umbrellas so im new to softboxes. I know the bigger one would produce a much softer light, but I also want some kind of depth too so If anyone can give some input id appreciate it!

 

[pixilstudio]

depends on the effect you are going for. would you tell a painter what brushes to use

 

[Big Mike]

Consider the roll of the light that the modifier is on.

Your main/key light is there to light the subject...probably from an angle that is different from the camera axis, and thus, the light will produce lit areas and shadows. The softness of the key light will determine how the lit areas transition into shadow. A softer light (larger and/or closer to the subject) will produce softer transitions.

So if your goal is to have soft light on your subject, then you'll probably want to use the larger box as your main.
If you was a slightly harder light, then use the smaller box. Or if you want to light just part of your scene/subject, then it may be easier to do that with the smaller box.

As for your fill light, the old-school method for using a fill light, is to position it as close to the camera axis as possible. That way, you give the whole scene/subject an even wash of light. It adds to the lit areas and it fills in the shadows by the same amount. So in this situation, it doesn't really matter if the fill light is soft or hard, because any shadows it may cast, will be where the lens can't see them.

Now, if you don't have your fill light on the camera axis, you run the risk of your fill light casting shadows in your photo. So it can be beneficial to have it as a softer light.

I tend to use a softbox as my main and an umbrella on my fill.


Not a stupid question, by the way.

 

[gsgary]

I would not use 2 soft boxes, put a 7" reflector and flag it for a hair light on the other opposite the large soft box and a reflector to bounce so light into the shadows, but then you do like flat lighting

 

[DiskoJoe]

depends on the effect you are going for. would you tell a painter what brushes to use

Actually paint brushes are usually designed with specific purposes in mind.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

depends on the effect you are going for. would you tell a painter what brushes to use

Actually paint brushes are usually designed with specific purposes in mind.

Softboxes aren't?

 

[Derrel]

If you want to achieve "some kind of depth", the try lighting with just the larger softbox as a main light, with the box backed away from the subjects a bit, so that there are some shadows to create the appearance of "depth". As gsgary suggested in his post, in which he said:

"I would not use 2 soft boxes, put a 7" reflector and flag it for a hair light on the other opposite the large soft box and a reflector to bounce so light into the shadows, but then you do like flat lighting"--gsgary

Well, that's actually not a bad idea. Use the big softbox on one side, then use a reflector(s) to bounce the light onto the shadowed side to create fill light, and then on the OPPOSITE side of the softbox, set up your second light with a 7 inch reflector, and put a flag (ie a light-blocker) between the light and your lens, and aim the beam of the 7 inch reflector at the subjects from the back and off to the side, which will create a small "outline" of somewhat hot light, that will illuminate the hair and perhaps the sides of the peoples' bodies. It's a popular, good-looking way to light portraiture. You do not have to use a 7 inch reflector--I prefer an 11.5 inch reflector, with a 20 degree grid on it, and then a mylar snap-on diffuser, and then instead of a flag, I use large, 2-way barndoors on the whole shebang. When you do this kind of hair/rim/separation/kicker lighting from the opposite side of the main light, you do not, I repeat, you do NOT, need a lot of power!!!! The light coming from a bare 7,11.5,16, or 20 inch parabolic reflector or dish is pretty darned "hot" compared with the diffused light coming from a softbox or an umbrella. "Bare" and un-modified light like this is much more powerful than you might think: 25 watt-seconds can be enough, while the main light is firing at 400 watt-seconds.

Speaking of which....you can also use a mostly closed-down umbrella to light the hair/outlines in a similar manner: put the flash up close to the umbrella wires, and CLOSE the umbrella DOWN so it is only about 20% open, so the light goes in,and comes back out and only spreads a fairly small distance. This technique is done with a reflecting umbrella, by the way, and it makes a decent hair/separation/rim light.