Light Quality Basics and Softboxes for More than Action

[APhotoSchool]

Softboxes and action generally don't mix very well, and there are a few reasons for that. First of all, most of them are bulky and no one wants to carry them to the top of the mountain. On top of that, they eat a lot of light, and you need powerful flashes so the light can reach your athletes. The third reason is that action sports photography is all about showing the action with edgy photos so we don't really need soft, even light...just the other way around. But if you want to be a well rounded photographer you need to be able to capture good lifestyles and portraits. That's when you need to use light modifiers to get the desired look. We are going to take a look at few different solutions, that all have one thing in common, they are foldable. This makes them the perfect choice for action sports photographers.

IMG_8779 by DanielMilchev, on Flickr

Before we begin we need to take a minute and explain how light works with the different modifiers. As most of you know, there are two variables when it comes to light quality. The first one is the light source size, the second one is that size relative to the distance from your subject. The inverse-square law is the scientific explanation, but we'll try to make it simple for you.

The larger the light source relative to your subject, the softer the light. What that means is that even if you have a huge softbox and you place it 50 feet away from your subject, then it is no longer going to look soft. But if you are using a small softbox, and bring it in really close, it will be more effective than the large one that’s too far away.

Think about the sun, it is a HUGE light source, but because it is so far away from us the shadows it casts are really well defined and the light is harsh. But things change when we get a nice thick cloud cover over our heads. Thats when the sun turns in to a huge softbox, because the clouds are much closer to us and are huge compared to our size. That's why on an overcast day you can't see any shadows, and on a clear sunny day the light is really harsh.

Here are some great options to start shooting with soft light on location:

LumiQuest SoftBox III or LTp. Both of these softboxes are great for location photography, they fold flat and don't weigh anything. This makes them perfect candidates for your backpack. LTp actually stands for Laptop pocket and is designed to live in your backpack (perfect for photographers on the go). The softbox III is 8x9, and the LTp is roughly twice the size(15” diagonal). They can produce great results when used correctly. What that means for the most part is that you need to bring them close to your subject. If you are wondering how close...the closer the better. They also work really well with fill light, and that's when you have the most control over the light. We highly recommend them for any action photographer as they are inexpensive, light weight and just what you need for portraits and lifestyles on location. Check them out at the LumiQuest site here.

IMG_7833 by DanielMilchev, on Flickr

Westcott Apolo 28" softbox. This is another awesome softbox, which is significantly larger than the LumiQuest boxes. This makes it a bit harder to pack and carry, but it will give you much softer light, and can easily be used to photograph a few people. The light quality is great and the front baffle sits on the inside of the box, about 4-5 inches from the edge which helps you control spill. Keep in mind that it is pretty long(just like an umbrella), and unlike the LumiQuest softboxes it won't fit in your backpack's laptop pocket. But it still folds and is great for location photo shoots. Another benefit is that it mounts via umbrella shaft, so you can use it with both studio and hot shoe flashes.

Brian Peters by DanielMilchev, on Flickr

There are a bunch of other solutions on the net and we are sure some of them work really well. For us personally the name of the manufacturer also matters, this way we know we are backed up by warranty and they don't create weird color shifts.

To conclude we feel that what you choose should strictly depend on where you plan to shoot. If you have car access and can drive to the spot 99% of the time, then you can bring big softboxes, beauty dishes and all kinds of other extras. But if your studio is a mountain top which takes 3 hour hike to, you have to bring light and small modifiers and make the best of them. The good news is that all the small modifiers are much cheaper than the bulky studio equipment and you are still going to get some amazing results.

Authors Connor Walberg and Daniel Milchev are both published professional action photographers, and together run Action Photo School. A website dedicated to teaching all aspects of action photography. Whether you’re an established action photographer, or just starting to shoot action, Action Photo School is the place for you!

[karen_s]

Good article. I made one of those things out of black foam core and a white piece of scrap material. I made it for macro but now I see I should try it on some other things too.

TFS