Lighting help

rogerchester

I am looking to buy some portable lighting. witch is better soft box or Umbrella? I am shooting some company Christmas party's and they are giving me the option to set up a photo both if i would like. I need to get started soon so i can try to learn the light before the events come in late December. Any advice would really help. Thanks

anonymouscuban

I would say that for this specific project, I'd go with umbrellas. Umbrellas are a bit more forgiving than a softbox because the light is not as directional/focused. This will work in your favor since it will allow for more posing and group options without having to fuss with your light position each time. I will be doing a Halloween "photo booth" for the 3rd year in a row at my companies Fall Festival and I am going with umbrellas like I did the first year. Last year, I opted for a large softbox and although I got some good shots, it was a lot more work. The umbrellas are almost "set and forget" which works much better for an "assembly-line" type shoot that these tend to be.

Maybe others will disagree.

Bryce Wilson

^ ^

coolpinsky

I work with umbrellas ant to be honest I dreaming about softboxes a few of my umbrellas were broken and Im seek of them ... I ordered my 1st softbox /small one - portable /

Bryce Wilson

coolpinsky wrote: »

I work with umbrellas ant to be honest I dreaming about softboxes a few of my umbrellas were broken and Im seek of them ... I ordered my 1st softbox /small one - portable /

Softboxes are wonderful for lighting single subjects and couples. They really shine in the ability to control the light and creating different lighting patterns. For doing groups in a volume setting, without having time to fiddle with the lights between each group, umbrellas rule.

Qarik

soft box, umbrella, soft box umbrella..what are the differences?

umbrellas are easy to setup, cheap, can get very good results. drawbacks, you get a bit of light "spill" if you don't have a a backing on the umbrella. The light source is of course a curved surface as well which has a slighly different light play then a straight surface like soft box (you get touch more light wrap on the face for example with a soft box..this is not better or worse, just adifference). You can typically get a very large umbrellas like a 60in for great soft light. The softbox can be 5X the cost of the an umbrella for teh same surface area. They are typically lined with reflective surface on the inside so it is more efficient with flash power as well.