Trying to find the right light modifier for you can be daunting- big or small, square or rectangle, beauty dish or octabox. The way you modify your light says everything about your photography style, and there is a lot of choices out there. There is no right or wrong way to light a subject, but there are tools that will make your job a whole lot easier.
Whether you are shooting family and seniors, headshot and fashion, or editorial photography, you need light modifiers! Luckily, LumoPro has created a line of high quality, affordably priced modifiers. They have got you covered from grids to speed rings, stripboxes to octaboxes, and umbrellas to c-stands.
We all know softboxes are designed to diffuse the light, but they also shape it. That means the size and shape of your softbox has a lot of impact on the look you are going for. A very versatile modifier from LumoPro is the LumoPro 22″ inch Beauty Dish. There is so many ways to use this modifier, from straight ‘beauty” shots, to a fill light, it takes very little set up time and works for so many different looks. The round shape can give you nice specular highlights, while leaving a pleasing contrast on facial features. I bring a beauty dish to every on-location shoot because you never know when it will come in handy.
Don’t forget to grab the grid made for the beauty dish that helps really control the light and create a fast fall off on the subject. To help you stay organized, the beauty dish has an available padded carrying case that can also fit the grid beauty dish grid. If you give the shop a call, they can configure a kit with the beauty dish, grid, and carrying case with some serious savings!
The 22″ beauty dish also comes with a diffusion sock for the front, when you want the softer light. But when you really need power and portability, you can always throw the double flash bracket on it with two LP180’s. Shooting with two speedlights instead of one gives you the added benefit of shooting at lower power levels on your flashes. that means recycle times are faster and battery life is better! Not only that, but the double flash bracket acts as a speeding, allowing you to put speedlights in virtually any softbox.
LumoPro 36×48 Softbox, camera right.
When Midwest Photo decided to go for a bowling outing, it was simple to bring one Lumopro 36×48 Softbox and put a strobe in it. The larger size and rectangular shape is great for shooting full body portraits. Plus, at that size it is a big enough light source to grab a wide angle shot, without making the light too hard on the subject. There is also a built-in interior baffle in all of LumoPro’s soft boxes for maximum diffusion. The interior is dimpled silver, like other high end soft boxes, so less light is lost inside.
With couple of these in your bag you can shoot anything from group shots or high-key fashion looks, easily. When you only need or want one light, it is a great idea to have some size in your modifier, giving you lots of choices. Bring it in close to the subject for a beautiful portrait light. Move it away to mimix sunlight, or a large window. If you turn it horizontally you can light multiple faces or illuminate a wider angle of view. The possibilities are endless and you just have to shoot with these LumoPro softboxes to see how easy they can be to use.
“Normally, I hate softboxes that mount to traditional speedrings. I joke that they should be called slow rings. The reason I hate them is because they are a pain in the a$$ to set up and take down. LumoPro has solved a lot of the issues with putting a box together by installing a zipper that runs the length of the box. You unzip the box, put the ribs in the speedring, and then zip the box up. It’s genius!” – Zack Arias, DedPxl.com.
The unique zipper design really sets these modifiers apart front the rest. Not to mention that they are constructed with the same build quality as much more expensive modifiers. The fact is that there is nothing to gain by spending more on softboxes, because you will not get a better product than the LumoPro modifiers.
Don’t forget about stripboxes! These are one of the most popular modifiers with commercial, portrait, and headshot photographers. The look above is the high drama edge-lit portrait. This is a very popular look with commercial photographers, as well as portrait photographers that specialize in sports. It adds drama to any shoot that you like, so you can choose to use them for fine edge lights and they can also add cool catchlights when set up in front of the subject.
Most LumoPro soft boxes are have recessed fronts to accommodate grids. The stripboxes used as edge lights are usually used with grids to allow full control of the light, and control spill. The grids allow the highlights to be controllable to prevent detail loss, while adding contrast for drama.
Like all LumoPro products, the grids are heavy duty and made to be taken on and off repeatedly for a long time. No tearing or fraying edges. That is what I love about the modifiers from these guys- great build quality, with prices that don’t break the bank.
Keep in mind, you do not need multiple lights to make beautiful photographs. Sometimes one light and a good modifier is all you need. This shot of MPEX Experience writer Megan, is shot with a double flash bracket holding two LP180’s inside a LumoPro 16×24 Softbox.
We, as photographers, are in the business of working with and controlling light. There is nothing more important. Just by adjusting distance and angle, there is myriad possibilities of lighting looks that can be had from just one, relatively small softbox. Every time you add another modifier to your tool bag, you increase the possibilities exponentially.
The following gallery is to show the finely tuned athletes of Midwest Photo in their best competitive form. Utter seriousness and competitive vigor is on display here, with one light and the backdrop of the battlefield. Click on any photo for larger view.
For years, LumoPro has been creating best-selling speedlights, modifiers and grip equipment with high end quality for less money. Whether you are a big studio, or just starting out, LumoPro and Midwest Photo will give you the support and information you need to have peace of mind in your lighting purchases.
Give Midwest a call at 866-940-3686 or touch base here!
