Comparison between soft box and umbrella for portrait photography

Lead: Should I use a soft box or a soft/reflective umbrella? Although their functions are very similar (soft light), there are still many differences between them. Come and have a look!

camera bellows

Soft box is an ideal light distribution tool in portrait photography, because it can control light in many ways. If shooting in a small room, the soft box can control the range of light. That is to say, you can put the subject (model or object) in soft light, and the background is rarely exposed? Pollution? . This is very useful in portrait photography, because such photos often need a dark or even all-black background. Yes, you can create an all-black background without a black background cloth.

Soft box can take satisfactory portrait photos very easily. You can use it as the main light, auxiliary light, or even light. It depends on the position and setting of the lamp.

You can buy several kinds of portable soft boxes. You can choose the largest size, and the soft light effect is the best. I use 80 now? 80cm soft box, excellent effect. It is easy to carry after folding and can be recycled in 5 minutes. In addition, it has two beehives, which can further control the light.

Flexible/reflective umbrella

The most direct advantage of umbrellas is that they are easy to carry and move. You can take several umbrellas at a time when you go out to shoot, and you won't feel inconvenient. Putting an umbrella in front of the flashlight can turn the flashlight into a big light source and provide beautiful soft light. But be careful that the umbrella will be blown away by the wind. Some of my umbrellas were damaged by this. When using an umbrella outdoors, fix the legs of the lamp holder with a camera bag and other things.

Compared with soft box, umbrella has the disadvantage of controlling light overflow. When used indoors, the light emitted by the umbrella will cover the whole room, which is not conducive to controlling the background light and shade.

There are two kinds of umbrellas. One is a soft umbrella placed in front of the lamp, which is made of white translucent material, and the light will reach the subject through the umbrella surface. The handle of the soft umbrella points in the opposite direction of the subject, and will not cause injury due to accidents. The other is a reflective umbrella, where the light is reflected by the umbrella surface and shines on the subject. The handle of this umbrella points to the main body, so don't put it too close. However, the closer the umbrella is to the subject, the softer the light is, because the relative size of the light source is larger.