Umbrellas or Soft Boxes?

[N'Kolor]

Which do you perfer for portraits?

 

[Johnboy2978]

I prefer a large softbox personally. It gives a nice soft directional light and makes nice catchlights. Just my .02

 

[Double H]

Softboxes give you better contrast. I have several, but I like my homemade one the best.

example result

 

[cameramike]

care to share how you made it?

 

[SpeedTrap]

My Vote is for the soft boxes, I have both and I use the softboxes way more often, the umbrellas are nice but much softer light with the boxes

 

[luis_relampago]

Definitely Soft Boxes, they are better distributing the light all around with a softer touch than umbrellas.

 

[Mike Jordan]

It depends on what you are trying to achive. You have more control of the light with a softbox over an umbrella, but you can get a better spread of light over a larger area with an umbrella. Getting a wider spread of light can be very usefull when shooting a large group of people or going for full length or when you have an active kid or two moving around and you can't be changing your lights every minute or two.

A softbox can give you softer more diffused light, but sometimes you want light that is a bit stronger or harsher because of your subject. Umbrellas are also cheaper (in most cases). You can get a 60" umbrella a lot cheaper than a 60" softbox. On the other hand, a 60" umbrella takes up a lot more room than a softbox (realitively speaking when you consider the spread of the umbrella).

To throw something else into the mix, for soft light and something that is very cheap to make, a light panel is even better than a softbox. You can make a two panel 6' tall by 4' wide light panel out of PVC and white nylon (I like sport nylon over rip stop nylon) for one panel and black nylon for the other panel (to block the light towards the camera) that is free standing for about $30. With PVC you can make it different sizes as well and make it so it breaks down easy for storage and transport. That is a very large diffused light source. To get the same size light with a softbox would be very expensive.

I find that both umbrellas and softboxes (and light panels) have their place in the tool kit. They get along very well together.

Mike

 

[Double H]

care to share how you made it?

Sure. I used matte board, masking tape, an old bracket for a smaller softbox, and some vellum paper. I'll see if I have time later to make another, and show the actual steps.

 

[N'Kolor]

Thanks guys! I currently use soft boxes at work but was interested in your thoughts on umbrellas. Looks like I will be getting a set of soft boxes for my home.

 

[Digital Matt]

It depends on what you are trying to achive. You have more control of the light with a softbox over an umbrella, but you can get a better spread of light over a larger area with an umbrella. Getting a wider spread of light can be very usefull when shooting a large group of people or going for full length or when you have an active kid or two moving around and you can't be changing your lights every minute or two.

A softbox can give you softer more diffused light, but sometimes you want light that is a bit stronger or harsher because of your subject. Umbrellas are also cheaper (in most cases). You can get a 60" umbrella a lot cheaper than a 60" softbox. On the other hand, a 60" umbrella takes up a lot more room than a softbox (realitively speaking when you consider the spread of the umbrella).

To throw something else into the mix, for soft light and something that is very cheap to make, a light panel is even better than a softbox. You can make a two panel 6' tall by 4' wide light panel out of PVC and white nylon (I like sport nylon over rip stop nylon) for one panel and black nylon for the other panel (to block the light towards the camera) that is free standing for about $30. With PVC you can make it different sizes as well and make it so it breaks down easy for storage and transport. That is a very large diffused light source. To get the same size light with a softbox would be very expensive.

I find that both umbrellas and softboxes (and light panels) have their place in the tool kit. They get along very well together.

Mike

:thumbup: I agree. I use both, as well as light panels and bounce cards. You use what you need to get the desired effect.

 

[nikonkev]

As people have already mentioned above, it really depends on what you're going for.

I personally prefer softboxes, as they give a more diffused lighting and less harsh on the subject(s). Then to give it more dynamic range, I put a hardlight in behind the subject(s).

If you're shooting large groups, you're going to find that umbrellas will work better to spread the lighting more evenly.

 

[RacePhoto]

But, if you are on the move, and using slave flashes, where there's no electricity, then umbrellas are a winner. Also since I shoot portable, on location, I decided on umbrellas. Oh, I need to add, I don't shoot portraits!

I was amused. One reply said Softboxes give you better contrast., a couple of message down, said much softer light with the boxes and better distributing the light all around with a softer touch than umbrellas ? HUH?

HELP! Now I'm confused.

 

[Mike Jordan]

A softbox usually has 2 (rarely there will be 3) panels that diffuse the light as it goes through them. Add in that the light is bouncing around at the same time (think of light as arrows) and this will create a softer diffused light.

The usual umbrella on the other hand, if you shoot through it, you have one layer of material to diffuse the light and there is no bouncing around. If you reflect out of it, you get a bit of bounce but no diffusion. So the light that hits the subject is a bit harder (more of the tips of the arrows instead of the sides and back end).

Of course a lot depends on how you set up your lights... if you put your umbrella right up to your subject and your softbox way back (assuming relatively same size light output) the umbrella is going to be softer because it's a bigger light source than the softbox. THe further away the light the smaller the light source and the harsher the light is.

This is why a light panel does a good job of difflusion even though it is usually one layer of material... it's such a big light source that it is softer light... it creates softer shadows than a smaller light would.

Another thing I use is 7'x5' white cardboard. This stuff is great for bookend reflectors or as giant reflectors. You can get the large sheets of cardboard at places that make custom boxes for a few dollars a sheet. They can be bent into different shapes as well.

Mike

 

[Big Mike]

One thing I don't like about using umbrellas is the light spill. They tend to throw light all over the place, which may be a problem if, for example, you are shooting in a confined space and trying to shoot something low key.

 

[Mike Jordan]

What I've done in a case like that, Mike, and I have no other option like a softbox or barn doors is to close my umbrella down if I'm bouncing back out of it. I've shot with my umbrella almost completely closed a few times so I could limit the light to a specific area. I had to watch the shape as it closed down so I didn't get a odd pattern, but it worked under the conditions I was shooting in.

With softboxes you can cut out masks for the front if you need to control the light more and don't have a grid or side panels for it. Where there's a need, there's a way to control it.

Mike