soft focus lenses (verito) and strobes.

**gbogatko** · 12-Jul-2010, 12:12

I'm looking into acquiring one or two strobe lights for portrait work. Here's my question.

I haven't explored all the available options in strobe equipment, and I've never owned one, so I'm looking for advice/recommendations on the best adjustable output strobe devices.

Thanks in advance.

**Armin Seeholzer** · 12-Jul-2010, 14:49

Broncolor, Briese, Profoto, Elinchrom and some more!

Cheers Armin

**Harold_4074** · 12-Jul-2010, 18:12

Any of the major brands will serve, but remember that for soft-focus portrait lenses the best light is fairly "hard" (it isn't impossible to work with softboxes, but it is not easy). The ideal would be a couple of Fresnel spots (not easy to come by, unfortunately) with the next best probably being small-ish softboxes with grids. In my personal opinion, conventional reflectors (rigid or umbrella) are the least satisfactory.

Unless you have a pretty large space to work in, you should also consider using some sort of dark "surround" (paint on the walls or dark drapes) so that you have some control over fill ratios. Soft-focus lenses seem to make good portraits more easily in high key than low, which means a lot of light on the subject. If too much bounces off of the surroundings, it is rather like using soft lighting in the first place.

One other thing---you will almost certainly want more than two lights. One key, one fill, and a hair light are the minimum for traditional portraits, and for the "classic" look you will also want one for lighting the backdrop. Skillful use of a reflector can substitute the fill light, but I've never figured out how to do this for a hair light!

**Ron Marshall** · 12-Jul-2010, 19:14

What is your budget for strobes?

There are many great options; some that are fairly pricey.

**Scott Davis** · 12-Jul-2010, 19:23

Don't discount the "Beauty dish" reflector, with a grid. you get directional, contrasty yet broad light.

As to strobe brands, I've been using Calumet (aka Bowens) strobes for quite some time. Depends on the format you're shooting as to how much you need, but I get away with a 2400 w/s pack with 2 heads shooting whole plate.

**gbogatko** · 13-Jul-2010, 10:59

Thank you ALL for this help. I agree that hard(ish) light is what's really needed for SF lenses -- sometimes I forget.

Originally Posted by Ron Marshall

What is your budget for strobes?
There are many great options; some that are fairly pricey.

Assuming I can save up enough, about 300/light max. Considering it all has to be portable, monolights are probably easier to handle.

At some point I'll probably ask for help in actually setting up the proper exposure, like: how would you go about setting strobes for a Verito at f/6 using EFKE 100 8x10.
And finally, what would you recommend for a flash meter. I have all the incident and spot meters I need, so a super-expensive flash meter is not what I'm looking for.

Thanks again,

George

**gbogatko** · 13-Jul-2010, 11:02

Here are what I've been able to do with continuous fluorescents.

and

**Harold_4074** · 13-Jul-2010, 11:56

Scott: Don't discount the "Beauty dish" reflector, with a grid. you get directional, contrasty yet broad light.

An excellent suggestion. I assume that these are available for monolights (I have one myself, but for a Norman setup). At about three or four diameters away, they work pretty well even without a grid.

George: I agree that hard(ish) light is what's really needed for SF lenses -- sometimes I forget.

Well, your two examples are a lot nicer than any low-key portraits that I have ever been able to make with a Verito

Since you are using nearly face-on lighting, you could actually use a crinkled aluminum foil reflector (spray-adhesive it to a piece of foamcore or styrofoam) to light the back of her hair, and give more "depth" to the picture. If you have an assistant, one of the collapsible silver fabric reflectors is also useful, since it can be flexed into a sort of focusing mirror. Then, one good monolight and you are in business.

At any rate----lovely examples! I hope that your subject is pleased.

**gbogatko** · 13-Jul-2010, 15:42

Thanks!

**Scott Davis** · 14-Jul-2010, 07:57

If your monolight takes a standard mounting ring, then yes, beauty dishes are available to fit - I have Calumet (Bowens) monolights as well as pack/head kits that take the Bowens S-mount bayonet accessories, so you can get 20"-30" beauty dishes with removable grids and diffusers from a variety of vendors that will fit.