The hard truth about softboxes! Which modifiers I use in each role during photoshoots and why

Main Video Camera
Shot in RAW with a Canon EOS C200 https://amzn.to/3g3lPug
Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Canon https://amzn.to/36svfKw

Slider
Kessler Philip Bloom Signature Series Pocket Dolly
Kessler Crane Second Shooter Bundle (3-Axis) https://amzn.to/32DwohJ

LED Lighting
Aputure 120D lights https://amzn.to/32T3I6F
Mola Setti 28″ Softlight https://amzn.to/3jCeZOF
Plume Wafer 75 Softbox

Gear:
Elinchrom Indirect Litemotiv 33x175cm (EL28003)
https://amzn.to/2V0SBD5

Elinchrom Rotalux Stripbox 35x90cm
https://amzn.to/2UYjveN

Plume Wafer 75 Softbox 55x75cm
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/42654-REG/Plume_W75_Wafer_75_Softbox_for.html

Chimera Softbox, Large – 54x72in
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GF48XO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000GF48XO&linkCode=as2&tag=john0d1-20&linkId=ef541341f5f8aee8864df3981d571214

Elinchrom Rotalux Deep Octabox 70cm
https://amzn.to/3dUGb8A

Elinchrom Rotalux Deep Octabox 100cm
https://amzn.to/2UEwvas

Elinchrom Indirect Litemotiv Octabox 190cm / 74-Inch
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009XVMY/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00009XVMY&linkCode=as2&tag=john0d1-20&linkId=d3d6a5adb83038dcf9caeb540531e6aa

Elinchrom Rotalux 135cm Octabox
https://amzn.to/2wg4E6Y

Elinchrom Litemotiv 120cm Parabolic Softbox
https://amzn.to/39FJ5e1

Softboxes increase the surface area of your lights and the larger the light source relative to your subject, the softer the light. As light bounces around inside of them it becomes more even corner to corner. As it then passes through 1-3 layers of diffusion fabric, it spreads more evenly, warmer and softer with each layer.

There are four different types of softboxes — strip softboxes, rectangular softboxes, octaboxes and deep parabolic softboxes. You can use these modifiers for a main light, a kicker / edge light, a hair light or even a background. Which one you chose for which role is up to you. However, the following will describe how I typically employ my 14 softboxes.

Elinchrom Indirect Litemotiv 33x175cm (EL28003)
This narrow faced modifier is used to edge subjects' bodies, provide a hair light for groups, for fill and in rare cases a main light. With this particular softbox, the flash points away from the subject and into a silver lined modifier. If you remove the outer white fabric, you can create a large light with a hard edge.

Elinchrom Rotalux Stripbox 35x90cm
I own three of these and they are perfect for creating edge lights for half body or tighter, under camera fill, a hair light or as a key for headshots. I also have a hooded diffuser for one of them that restricts the light so it is more directional, which I use for my hair light 95% of the time.

Plume Wafer 75 Softbox 55x75cm
I have two of these that I use when lighting videos, because they can be easily adapted to my Bowens mount LED lights.

Chimera Softbox, Large – 54x72in
I have used these large modifiers for backgrounds and I have used two of them in tandem to create a 6×9′ main light. I have also used one of them for fill, but they don’t have multiple layers of diffusion, so I don’t regard them to be of top quality.

Elinchrom Rotalux Deep Octabox 70cm
The parabolic shaped deep modifier produces deep shadows and contrast, while maintaining the softness of an octabox and it’s extremely even edge to edge. This has been my go-to octa on location when I need light similar to the light I get from a beauty dish, which is to say directional focused light, that is great for headshots.

Elinchrom Rotalux Deep Octabox 100cm
This one is similar to the 70cm version, but bigger. If I could only own one softbox, this would be the one, based on the quality of the light and its versatility, since it’s good for everything from headshots to 3/4 length portraits.

Elinchrom Indirect Litemotiv Octabox 190cm / 74-Inch
This large octabox is perfect in almost every way — super even and soft. It is the closet thing I have found to a modifier that replicates light from a large window. The flash head points away from the subject too, so you can remove the outer fabric produce harder light.

Elinchrom Rotalux 135cm Octabox
It produces light that is nice, but not as good as the 74” Elinchrom octa. It does however fold up smaller and won’t catch as much wind outside, so I use it on location outdoors and indoors when space is at a premium.

Elinchrom Litemotiv 120cm Parabolic Softbox
This is the deep parabolic that I use. It produces light that is like a 74” Elinchrom octabox, but it is extremely directional. Turning the modifier even a few degrees can be the difference between lighting your subject, or lighting your subject and the background.
Read More: https://johngress.com/the-hard-truth-about-softboxes

Music: Evolution & Straight by Bensound http://bensound.com/

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