Why beauty Dish?

markib · May 24, 2018

Hello Everyone,

I have a question regarding the use of beauty dish.

As per my knowledge beauty dish is suppose to use for very close portrait due it its very peculiar light quality. BD is very technical stuff to use unlike other light modifiers, coz we need to consider the size of beauty dish accordingly with the distance of subject. Most pro photographer says BD has to be placed at approximate of its diameter from the subject, Which is true.

For that peculiar light quality which sculpts face with highlights and shadows beautifully you have to place BD from the subject at particular distance, ie, its diameter.

Now, what I dont understand is why lots of photographer use BD for outdoor shoot placing BD at 5 feet or 6 feet away from the subject. When we do like that the essence of beauty dish is lost, the purpose and THAT BD light quality is lost. It becomes another hard flash light.

Please shed some light on this with your experience and expertise.

Thank you.

SquarePeg · May 25, 2018

I guess you’d need to ask the photographers that you’re referring to about this.

Jeff15 · May 25, 2018

All sounds very complicated to me.....

Braineack · May 25, 2018

that diagram is lol.

tirediron · May 25, 2018

The beauty dish is an extremely versatile modifier; it's best known for its quality of light when used fairly near the subject; I typically have it within 3-4' in studio, and even closer when using a clamshell-type lighting. That said, I also use it outside for two reasons (1) because it's made of metal, and is significantly smaller than most of my other modifiers and therefore is much more wind-resistant; and (2) it provides a unique harsher than a softbox, softer than bare-tube sort of light which often works well when shooting in high contrast ambient lighting. At the end of the day, it's just another modifier and there are an unlimited number of ways in which it can be employed.

smoke665 · May 25, 2018

markib said:
Most pro photographer says BD has to be placed at approximate of its diameter from the subject, Which is true.

Who says, and it what scenario?????????????? After a lot of research on the subject I got a beauty dish. Glad I did because it is a fantastic modifier, as John says above, it's strength is in it's versatility, not it's suitability for any single use. Granted a beauty dish can be used up close in the manner you described to decrease the shadows/blemishes, but it doesn't stop there. It can be used as John described outside, or inside as a key. Used high, gridded, and further back in studio as a key it can create very dramatic lighting effect on a man. It can serve as fill, a backlight or slap a gel on it for even more effect. I find new uses everyday.

tirediron · May 25, 2018

markib said:
Most pro photographer says BD has to be placed at approximate of its diameter from the subject, Which is true.

Missed this on first reading... complete hogwash! There is a general rule of thumb which states that for optimal soft light, placing the modifier a distance of 1 - 1.5x times its size (ie, a 24" BD would be placed 24-36" away) away from the model is appropriate, HOWEVER... often (frequently?) we don't want optimal soft light. If I'm lighting football players or a CEO, I'm going to want something with a bit of drama.

The only absolute in photography is that there are NO absolutes!

mrca · May 29, 2018

Tirediron is absolutely right. Like in Pirates of the Carribean, they aren't rules, they are guidelines. And rules and guidelines are meant to be broken. As Smoke says, there are many ways to use a bd. It can be used as main, fill, kicker. Depends what you are trying to achieve. Personally, I use sputnik(that's mine with a sock under a grid all held in by A clamps 2/3 around the dish making it look like sputnik) in tight. There it bridges the gap of hardness between no modifier and 3' octa. It is my "cheekbone" light for folks with decent skin and good cheekbones. Mine is also a bit warm without the sock grid and I have used it to warm foreground object(a 2 milliion dollar jet) to make it advance and used a cool white light on subject behind it to make her recede to add depth to the photo.

smoke665 · May 29, 2018

mrca said:
Mine is also a bit warm without the sock grid and I have used it to warm foreground object(a 2 milliion dollar jet) to make it advance and used a cool white light on subject behind it to make her recede to add depth to the photo.

Thank you for adding this, to many forget about how primary colors and warm colors advance, cool recedes when composing the shot. I opted for a silver reflector over the white. So far I'm happy with it as it seems to lessen the red in those with ruddy faces.

mrca · May 29, 2018

Smoke, the bd is a great tool, keep experimenting and you will settle on how and when you use it. It's just another brush in your artist tool box. Keep us posted on how you like to use it.

chuasam · Jun 6, 2018

My friend rented a Mola Setti beauty dish.
I just about crapped myself in envy.
I all but threw my money down and bought one on the spot.
Is the Mola Setti the King of Beauty Dishes?

JBPhotog · Jun 8, 2018

+1 on the diagram being LOL. Note, all BD's are not created equally.

As for the distance to subject = to BD diameter, there are no "rules". But for the BD look, i.e. crisp clean softness with contrast, I choose 1.5x diameter for my 22" Speedotron BD, essentially a Mola Demi. I often use the diffusion sock to knock down the contrast with experienced skin and the grid is handy if dramatic effects are required.

The main difference in a true BD over a large reflector are how it distributes light, that's why they are not a simple dish, any BD that is a simple dish is just a big reflector. Unless you are shooting teenage models with paid hair and makeup white interior BD's are the preferred workhorse for beauty lighting.