Using SB900 with a regular umbrella or a Softlighter II?

Studio Simplicity Jenny

Hello. Has anyone used a SoftLighter II with an SB900 before? Is it worth it? Is there any difference when using just a regular umbrella? Do you have any photos to show the difference? Thanks for sharing!

ziggy53

I use several umbrellas, from 42" through 60", in both reflected and shoot-through, and I also have a 60" SoftLighter.

A reflected umbrella is single diffused and a little more focused. A shoot-through umbrella is single diffused but very omni-directional. A Softlighter is double-diffused and fairly omni-directional. The shoot-through umbrella presents a curved face towards the subject while the SoftLighter presents a flat face.

All can give very pleasing light but i do like the wrapping light of the SoftLighter best for portraiture.

This is a combination of a Softlighter camera left but just off camera, the trigger/commander flash on-camera but pointed backward and into the corner between ceiling and wall, and a reflected umbrella far camera right. The key light was the SoftLighter. All flash was Canon wireless, very similar to Nikon wireless.



The following is also 3 lights. Canon flash as master on the camera, reflected off the ceiling and with the bounce card up for fill, and 2 - Sigma flashes on the sides fired wirelessly and bounced into reflector/modifiers. I believe that the camera left flash used a DIY "scoop" modifier and the camera right was a 60" shoot-through umbrella.

divamum

Absolutely love my Softliter (45") and use it all the time for beautiful softbox-like light with my Canon speedlights (430ex and 420ex). If you're buying one definitely use with speedlights, def get the new diffuser cover with the long strip of velcro - you can use the old one, but it would be a LOT easier to setup with the new, purpose-specific design!

angevin1

Studio Simplicity Jenny wrote: »

Hello. Has anyone used a SoftLighter II with an SB900 before? Is it worth it? Is there any difference when using just a regular umbrella? Do you have any photos to show the difference? Thanks for sharing!

Actually the Softlighter, if you purchase it, is going to give you more than a simple umbrella.

Softlighter 60" will give you:

1. A Shoot thru umbrella

2. A bounce umbrella in white

3. A Bounced light source ( with Black cover) to deliver more light on your subject.

4. Add the diffuser cover and the light is bounced and directed and softer still
5. 60 Inch-er comes with a gold reflective disc to add warmth to your light.

6. 60 inch-er comes with a Silver disc to add a brighter reflective surface and hence a bit stronger light.

and The Softlighter is just so darn cool!

Me and my Crew


And my Latest use of SB600 within the Softlighter ( Hint: It's in there!)


Umbrella used here, no Softlighter

Art Scott

Have used SB900 with different types of umbrellas...my avatar is the SB900 to cam left (commander was pop up flash set for no power in commander mode) bouncing out of a gold 42 inch umbrella..........to my umbrella / flash holders I have added 2 very small Giottos ball heads so I can tilt the flashes in more and close the cover on the Brolly Boxes to stop the light from leaking out the back as much...works great.

Studio Simplicity Jenny

Thank you everyone, you really helped me understand and see how much of a difference softlighter makes. I think I want to go with the 60 inch softlighter. I plan to use it mostly on location shoot. How is the softlighter's performance outdoors? Most of your samples are shown as indoor shoots. I am just trying to find the best lighting setup for location shoots. Depending on the location of the sun and if there are no shade, I often encounter shadows on the face.

What would be the most ideal setup for this situation? Do I need one light source or two? I have a SB900 and SB600. IF those two are sufficent, I would like to know how to set up these flashes, either on or off camera. I also have two shoot through umbella, nothing fancy. Was wondering if I can work with what I have or do I need the softligther? Any tips is appreciated.

angevin1

Studio Simplicity Jenny wrote: »

Thank you everyone, you really helped me understand and see how much of a difference softlighter makes. I think I want to go with the 60 inch softlighter. I plan to use it mostly on location shoot. How is the softlighter's performance outdoors? Most of your samples are shown as indoor shoots. I am just trying to find the best lighting setup for location shoots. Depending on the location of the sun and if there are no shade, I often encounter shadows on the face.

What would be the most ideal setup for this situation? Do I need one light source or two? I have a SB900 and SB600. IF those two are sufficent, I would like to know how to set up these flashes, either on or off camera. I also have two shoot through umbella, nothing fancy. Was wondering if I can work with what I have or do I need the softligther? Any tips is appreciated.

two things come to mind.

1. Out of doors: you'll be dealing with Wind, so that will require at least a sandbag or two or an assistant. if the wind is really heavy or just gusts heavy, an umbrella will be little fun to use.
So the answer may be to investigate using a simple flash modifier such as a bounce card, Demb product. They work well when used accordingly. Also using reflective buildings can help as does a White Sheet laid down in front of the client if need be. I use the Demb product to a decent result. I'd prefer to have The softlighter and so forth, but I don't always have an assistant, and for me, that'd be paramount!

2. those Sb's will work fine, but you get into line of sight issues using Nikon's CLS, which I am a HUGE fan of. Still not hard to use, but is a must-read/Must practice capability that your flashes and Camera Already have. The CLS system does work well and as designed. Indoors is hardly ever an issue, outside is definitely a line of sight use only!

I find the softlighters use outdoors splendid, if/when I can KNOW it's not windy!


Below is a result I was looking for. Softlighter was used to add Ambient light to the Mist/Fog Surrounding Model. Another Straight SB600 was at my/camera left down the board you see behind my back to add direct light into Model.

Result




Below is a Joe Demb Flip it used On an SB800 mounted On-Cam taken from Appx: 18 ft.

ziggy53

Studio Simplicity Jenny wrote: »

Thank you everyone, you really helped me understand and see how much of a difference softlighter makes. I think I want to go with the 60 inch softlighter. I plan to use it mostly on location shoot. How is the softlighter's performance outdoors? Most of your samples are shown as indoor shoots. I am just trying to find the best lighting setup for location shoots. Depending on the location of the sun and if there are no shade, I often encounter shadows on the face.

What would be the most ideal setup for this situation? Do I need one light source or two? I have a SB900 and SB600. IF those two are sufficent, I would like to know how to set up these flashes, either on or off camera. I also have two shoot through umbella, nothing fancy. Was wondering if I can work with what I have or do I need the softligther? Any tips is appreciated.

Direct sunlight is about the worst possible type of light for photographic work. Saying that you observe strong and sharp shadows just highlights the issues. Since you mention "location shoots" I believe that these are planned and staged for photography, as opposed to a wedding where the photography during the wedding is generally outside of your control.

The first rule is to avoid direct sunlight for any planned photographic session. There is really nothing to be gained.

Instead try to find "open shade" if possible. If it's not possible, or if the client insists on a particular scene that would include direct sun, provide some sort of protection using a scrim or diffuser. This complicates the setup for sure, but choosing the situation of direct sun is really the problem in the first place. The scrim or diffuser is just a means to an end.

A Softlighter really is best in controlled lighting circumstances like indoors. You will lose from 2-3 stops of light power in a double-diffusion device like a Softlighter, and that includes soft boxes and octoboxes that are double-diffused. As Tom showed you can use the Softlighter without the cover and then it is a single diffusion device just like a reflective umbrella. It really has no advantage over other umbrellas in that case.

It is possible to overpower the sun but that requires a lot of light output and I have used 2 - 1800 watt-seconds (effective) monolights into 2 - large umbrellas to do the job. Speedlights/speedlites generally don't have enough power. You may also have to use ND filters on the lens to allow narrower DOF as well since there will be so much light on the subject.

It's also possible to use FP/HSS flash mode to drop ambient light levels. When you watch these following videos just substitute "FP flash mode" for when he talks about "hypersync". He is not using the best techniques in these videos, but he is showing some valuable technique just the same. His use of portrait orientation and using his flash for fill off the side is valuable, for instance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG8tk9Aa2bw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvxrprIjVqE&feature=relmfu

Don't wait for a client shoot to start experimenting and learning what works for you. Grab a couple of friends and scout some locations that might work and then apply sound lighting principles to the process. Whether the light comes from the sun or from a flash is rather immaterial. The sun is just a large uncontrolled source that you need to gain control over or find another way. If the sun is not doing what you want, find a way to stop it, modify it or avoid it completely.

Again, open shade is pretty good light. Even better is when the clouds are just right as well to give you a wide, wrapping source. An overcast day can be punched up with your own light and late in the day can give you sweet warmth in the shot.