Softbox or BD for models

[pressureworld]

I own a ABR Ringflash to shoot fashion and models. I plan to shoot in a small home studio I wanted to ask opinions on diffusers. Im going to order a AB800 today, should I get a large softbox or a boom and BD? my third light will be my 540EZ.

[sdipirro]

I suspect that no one has answered this yet because the answer most likely will be, "It depends!" Both are useful modifiers, and it really depends on what you like and your style of shooting. If you're shooting full-length, a large softbox might be better. If you're shooting headshots, either one will work, and since you can put a sock on your BD to make it behave more like a softbox and buy softboxes like the deep octa that can behave like BD, it becomes blurred. You didn't really say what you plan to shoot in the home studio or what sort of look you prefer.

[TMR Design]

Exactly. It would be great if you could give us more information about what you want to shoot, the space, type of subjects, preferences for quality of light, etc.

There are so many styles and preferences and rarely is there just one simple answer.

[pressureworld]

Thank you both for the responses, I should have been more clear I will be shooting in a small space 10 x 11 until I can get a bigger area. I want to be able to shoot adult models. I notice that most of my shots are from the waist up but it would be nice to shoot full body and beauty shots too. I plan to purchase both a BD and a large softbox eventually but at the moment it's one or the other. At the moment I have a ABR 800 ringflash and a AB800 (no diffuser) and a 540ez with an umbrella.

[TMR Design]

As much as I love the higher contrast lighting of a beauty dish (which can be softened a bit with a sock), it doesn't offer the versatility that a large softbox does in terms of doing 3/4 and full length shots. At close range the falloff is too great and coverage not great enough. When distanced more from the subject a beauty dish doesn't exhibit any of the qualities normally associated with a beauty dish and you might as well just use a large umbrella, which by the way, isn't a bad idea to have a large umbrella in your kit.

A large softbox with a silver interior and 2 layers of diffusion will let you create a wide variety of qualities of light and shoot anything from tight head shots to full length. Some softboxes offer masks or you can make your own to change the shape of your catch light to a round one or to simulate a strip light.

If you were working primarily on head shots, head and shoulder and half body, and preferred the higher contrast light of the dish then it might be a good choice but personally I would add the dish after working with a softbox and let the two modifiers complement one another.