How to use a beauty dish

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Eddie1

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Ed
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can anyone advise me how best to use a 20" silver beauty dish ?
What is the best distance to set it from the subject ?
Never used one before so any advice much appreciated
Thanks
 
I'm no expert and someone may correct me but as close as possible . I once read a beauty dish should be used at the distance of its diameter so in your case 20 inches from subject ideally
 
stumac said:
as close as possible
Click to expand...


Yes and no!!!

Yes, if one want to benefit the effect of the softlight.
No because one will want to adjust distance to subject
so to attenuate the effect.

The further away, the more the modifier behaves like any
ordinary reflector. Too close and it becomes evident that
a light source so close to a face cannot feel good and the
model should have almost a porcelain like skin texture!
 
Thanks but With a beauty dish what's the effect that I'm trying to get ?
The silver seems to give quite hard shadows
 
Eddie1 said:
With a beauty dish what's the effect that I'm trying to get ?
Click to expand...
The original name of the reflector is "soft light". The expected
effect is much softer that a normal reflector because much lar-
ger and crispier because of the shape of the reflected light.

Since the light source is bounced back in and again towards the
rim of the modifier, the larger surface is softer but crispier as the
rim has a circular projection width that will increase with the dis-
tance to the subject.
Eddie1 said:
The silver seems to give quite hard shadows
Click to expand...
I only use silver reflectors / modifiers.

No, not harder shadows because of the larger surface but crispier
edges and details
 
Ok thanks
So to start with would u suggest setting the light at 20" distance ?
 
Eddie1 said:
Thanks but With a beauty dish what's the effect that I'm trying to get ?
The silver seems to give quite hard shadows
Click to expand...
Beauty dishes can do all sorts of things but for me they have two main uses
  1. sculpting cheekbones and giving relief to lips - ideal for use with young attractive women, not so much elsewhere
  2. with a grid and from the side of a subject to show texture
Silver does give hard shadows and sparkly highlights. Again, good for fashion and drama but not always flattering. White is more versatile but less dramatic.
 
juggler said:
Beauty dishes can do all sorts of things but for me they have two main uses
  1. sculpting cheekbones and giving relief to lips - ideal for use with young attractive women, not so much elsewhere
  2. with a grid and from the side of a subject to show texture
Silver does give hard shadows and sparkly highlights. Again, good for fashion and drama but not always flattering. White is more versatile but less dramatic.
Click to expand...
As above, position and the right subject is everything.

Please see these turorials on the Lencarta lighting blog
https://www.lencarta.com/studio-lig...-sexy-woman-using-a-beauty-dish/#.Vjx1Eysl-hE
https://www.lencarta.com/studio-lig...-the-ultimate-dramatic-lighting/#.Vjx1Risl-hE
 
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