Portrait workshop - Jordyn - Beauty Dish vs Softbox

[PiroStitch]

From memory, these were the two lighting scenarios and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. The first one was a beauty dish and the second was lit through a softbox.

Excuse the white balance difference (that was my muckup and laziness to correct it)

Using a strobe with a Beauty Dish


Using a strobe with a Softbox

[Alpha_7]

For the uninformed Wayne can you explain what a beauty dish is ? I haven't heard of this term before, and as far as critique I prefer the lighting in the second shot.

[PiroStitch]

Sorry Craig...got away with trying to remember and workout what was using what

A pic of a beauty dish can be found here

It looks like a deep and very big wok There was a diffuser placed in front of it, at least that's what I thought it was. Need a bit of help here guys

[Oz_Beachside]

hi,

the "big wok" is a bowens sunlight reflector (white paint inside) with difuser panels.

However, pic one looks like harder light, like that from a reflector only (just a can with silver paint inside).

See from the harsh shadow under Jordyn's chin

Oz

[PiroStitch]

You're probably right Oz. I couldn't remember whether the diffuser panel was taken off or not.

[beetleboy]

Put simply a beauty dish is a round softbox. It tends to give slightly harder (than a softbox) but very flattering light and is most commonly used in fashion. A lot of photographers prefer the round catchlights in the eyes created by a beauty dish (or "rondo") and I've found shooting full length fashion without the diffuser panel to give a very modern and clean result.
We use a bowens one in the studio (I think!!).