Playing Around with Light Today
Alright, so I had some time and wanted to try something specific with my gear. Been thinking about different ways to use a softbox, not just for that super soft, cloudy day look.
I grabbed my flash, you know, the regular speedlight kind, and one of my smaller square softboxes. Wasn’t looking for anything massive. Popped the flash into the softbox mount, which is always a bit fiddly, isn’t it? Then I stuck the whole setup onto a light stand.
My goal was simple: point the softbox directly at whatever I was shooting. No bouncing, no feathering the light, just straight on. I figured the softbox would soften it a bit, but the direct angle would keep some punch.
Setting Things Up
Put a simple object on a table – I think it was an old camera I had lying around. Something with some texture and shape.
Set up the light stand with the softbox maybe three feet away, aimed right at the front of the old camera. Got my camera ready, connected the flash trigger. Set the camera to manual, maybe f/5.6, ISO 100, shutter speed at the sync limit, like 1/200s.
For the flash, I started low, maybe 1/16 power. Easier to go up than down, usually.
Taking Shots and Tweaking
Okay, first shot. Looked at the back of the camera. Hmm, not bad, but maybe a little dark. And the light felt… well, direct. You could tell where it was coming from. The shadows were definitely softer than bare flash, but harder than I expected from a softbox.
Cranked the flash power up a notch to 1/8. Took another shot. Better exposure. But yeah, still quite directional. The highlights were pretty defined.
Then I started moving the light around just to see:
- Moved it closer: Light got brighter, obviously. Shadows got a little sharper again, and the light seemed ‘smaller’ even though the softbox size didn’t change.
- Moved it further back: Light got dimmer, had to bump flash power or aperture. Shadows softened up a bit more. The light seemed to wrap just a tiny bit more, but still felt direct.
- Raised it higher, pointing down: Created more distinct top highlights and shadows underneath. Still direct, just from above.
What I Think
So, using a softbox pointed straight on is interesting. It’s definitely not the same as bare direct flash – it takes the really harsh edge off. But it doesn’t give you that super soft, wrap-around light you get when you use a bigger softbox or bounce the flash.
It gives a cleaner, slightly sculpted look. You get defined shadows, but they aren’t pitch black or razor sharp. It’s kind of an in-between light.
Bottom line: It worked. It’s a specific look. Good for when you want clarity and shape, maybe for product photos or a portrait where you want a little more drama than really soft light gives you. It’s another tool in the box, I guess. Definitely different from just bouncing the flash off a ceiling. Worth messing with if you haven’t tried it.
