the plate you place before the flash tube is called "deflector" by Elinchrom. These deflector exist as frosted light transmitting or or as a mirror bouncing the light back in silver or gold finish.
hardness or softness is related to the size of the light source and the subject, a bigger source than the subject created softer light. The difusser helps with the highlights and make the light less specular.
This is awesome!!! I love the light and the way it hits the subject. I'm currently looking into a large parabolic umbrella for my shoots. So this definitely helped a great deal.
IMHO, the best light modifier for portraits is the Elinchrom Octalight. That said, for product stuff the (much cheaper) 125 cm deep parabolic umbrella in silver is excellent as well. Thanks for the video.
Hey Mark, great Tutorial and I was amazed how the sample shot's were so clear at 1080P... I would love to have seen this in 4K so as the highlight's you were talking about in the hair was even clearer.
I purchased a 48" Glow EZLock Parabolic and a 84" octabox right before covid and I have not used either one. Your enthusiasm has inspired me gear up to use my big soft boxes. You remind me of Gavin Huey, you both show lots of enthusiasm. Thanks for the video. I will watch your light metering video as well. I see you use the R5, have you tried shooting wireless tethered? I was playing with that with DPP. I seemed pretty snappy. I don't know how long the battery lasts but I have several so it should not be an issue. I like the idea of no wires hanging off the camera.
Thanks for this comparison and explanation. I have 95 octa and 120 octa, front firing and I do get soft results but it can still get hot spots on skin, as the light is almost even but perhaps still centre biased even with double diffusion. The thing I noticed and liked about the deep parabolic you used was that the light was not centre biased, the stronger light was on the edges, which is what seems to soften those shadows so much and leaves no hot centre. I noticed you kept the standard reflector dish on with the umbrella, which caused a central hot spot or at least made for a relatively small light source, and so making it more contrasty. I wonder if you could have removed the reflector for more even spread inside the umbrella, when using the diffuser. I believe this would closer match an octabox, but perhaps still not as sleek as the parabolic. Would it cause hot spill on the outer edge? That might even match the parabolic.
I feel that by the time you double diffuse one of these deep para soft boxes they are producing light that is minimally different than a large umbrella with diffusion (but at a MUCH higher cost and more time to set up in the studio...). I do love my deep para softboxes- but with either one or no (except for the central disc to prevent the hot spot) diffusion - they create a distinctly directional and punchier light - that is where they really stand out from a large umbrella with diffusion...
How do you make the floor and wall with no transition between them. I like the look. Excellent use of the light. I have a couple huge lights and love them much more than my small lights. I like the idea of just diffusing the bare bulb to help reduce the hot spots.
ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QDYifetF7ss.html It's a cyclorama. I wouldn't recommend any less than a 5' radius for serious work. It make the infinity effect so much easier to light than the other common size of 3' radius.
The biggest problem with flat front Profoto is the lack of omnidirectional light spread in the octa. And their Glass Dome doesn't do squat. I've had 3 B1's for 5 years. I just deal with that inadequacy all the time. I think their octas are decent, just a PITA to assemble/disassemble. And yes, great video with beautiful lighting examples. Large studios with cycs are so nice to work in.
Can we use the parabolic one for baby photography. I do setups and themes also .. would like to know what you suggest.. i want to achieve natural light impact
What are the stands you're using? particularly I want that mobile laptop stand (I know it's tethertools for the top but I cant find the short stand with casters)
Things not mentioned in the video that are useful for beginners. Never buy a zoom as your first lens. Buy a zoom only if your years deep into photography. Buy umbrellas first. They’re cheap, awesome and most importantly easy to take to location shoots. Parabolics are fine for studio but are an unnecessary pain in the ass for location shooting
Another video in which we see a person who does not understand what he is talking about. Even in the reflections in the eyes of the model, 19:06 you can clearly see how the umbrella reflector limits the filling of the umbrella with light. As a result, the umbrella becomes half the size. Terrific unprofessional "teacher".
The ‘parabolic’ nature of the litemotif and any other similar shaped reflector is only at best relevant if there are no diffusers employed. A parabola has a “focus” if a ( strictly speaking) point light source is placed at the focus then the light rays emerging will be parallel, like direct sunlight. Clearly the light source for the Litemotif, and similar designs is not really anywhere near the focus utilising very little ‘in the way of ‘parabolic’ properties. Once diffusers, especially a one covering the entire front of the reflector is fitted, then the front surface of the light is the source and it matters little what shape is behind.
litemotiv's can use an accessory speedring for internal inverted flash mount what places the flash tube at the focus point. Even my older 150cm deep indirect Rotalux Octabox is delivered with both mounts.
Yet another good review Mark but to me this is not a true Parabolica i would class this more of a rice bowl A true Parabolica would be that you have a center rod that has a light source attached to the end that you can move in or out . Plus they are stupid crazy price The shoot into reflector would be my choice every time
I have a studio about 10 feet tall. The issue becomes when you want to do something like clamshell lighting or Rembrandt lighting where you place the light above the subject. The deeper boxes plus the light coming out the box can be a problem. If it was me I would measure the space and consider the height of your model before committing to this modifier.
These large modifiers are amazing, but how do you keep this quality of light when shooting on-site corporates with glasses? Many real people wear glasses, only models never wear glasses. This is my constant battle so I am forced to use a 65 parabolic or a stripbox, or ceiling bounce, to keep the reflections out of the glasses (some corrective glasses reflect very little, and some reflect everything!). I have found it impossible to avoid reflections with my 95 or 120, with restricted office spaces. The quality of the end lighting always seems a compromise as I have to turn the subject away from the large light source and use a smaller modifier as key light. Any advice or existing tutorial that can help? Thanks again.
Use the big litemotiv. Seriously blows away the 120. I know, I have both. The Litemotiv's are absolutely gorgeous. And if you want better. Use a real focusable parabolic. Briese, Bronocolor, and now the new Godox.
I loved the quality of light BOTH put out. I can take either one, honestly. The softbox edges the umbrella out by a little bit because of its versatility and the different qualities of light you can get. But only by a hair. Great vid.
Great tutorial as always Mike ! Was wondering where your focus is on shots for full body ? I notice you squat down slightly and aim the camera kind of midway on the model . Beautiful shots by the way .
@@daniel2309 at what power level? If you are at 1/16 power with a 400.... an ad200 at 1/8 would be the same, right? That AD200 is an amazing portable light
also, what is the use of a "parabolic" softbox if you cant focus the light? That "trick" 1. with both diffusers, 2. with inner diffuser, and 3. without diffusers - you can do with regular (non parabolic) softboxes.
I’m almost positive the pics shown were edited. It’s always cool when these vids show the shots out of camera so folks don’t become discouraged thinking the shots shown here were unedited and flawless out of camera, then comparing their shots out of camera. Feel me? 😎