mono lights and modifiers

i remember when everyone here called umbrellas and softboxes Brollys'...

so for those of you with mono lights or studio strobes and are actively involved in studio work (whether full time or part time or seriously hobbyists) have you got softboxes for all of your lights? do you have the same size for each light you have? say 3 heads/lights and 3 24x36 softboxes? or have you got a softbox and a shoot through umbrella? or a reflective umbrella and a shoot through umbrella?

im just curious. the things one thinks of when sitting around with nothing to do or people to talk to (wife goes to bed way earlier than i do for earlier than me work schedule)

i really dont know anyone with a studio i could ask...

I very rarely use softboxes—any of my three. Similarly for my umbrellas (white, silver interiors) except on location because they are easy to port. In studio, I almost exclusively deploy panels of various kinds: reflectors, scrims, diffusers, flags. I am standardized on the 2'x3' size.

I generally use all sorts of different sizes of softboxes as well as a few other modifiers.

I think right now at my studio I have 1 4x6' softbox, 2 10x36" with grids, 2 14x60" with grids, 1 24x36", 1 60" octabox, 1 36" octabox and a couple of Broncolor Para reflectors, the 222 and the 88mm versions.

I also have some silver parabolic umbrellas that are 86" and 64" but they don't get used all that often.

It's nice to have options.

Broncolor Para 133

Photo from ImageMaker...'s gallery.
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What lights are you using Lt.
Canon 600 EX-RT’s?

I've got monolights both godox and some alien bees and white lightnings that I don't use much anymore. I have a wide variety of modifiers including a couple of 24x36 square softboxes, a few round/octo boxes in various sizes. A couple westcott 7ft umbrellas and an 86 para from Paul buff. I have a couple of hard beauty dishes.

Some.of these overlap in purpose but for the most part I chose the modifier for the effect I want.. bigger for softer, smaller for harder. For the big 7ft umbrellas one is white interior, the other soft silver. The silver is a bit more efficient and gives some specular highlights.

You don't need all this stuff. I've been lucky to get things I wanted from studio closures and overwhelmed hobbiests. But it doesn't hurt to have one really large light source for fill or to light big groups.

Nick5 wrote in post #19522877
What lights are you using Lt.
Canon 600 EX-RT’s?

right NOW. but with the funky flukey gremlins ive had with them, im thinking of something else. nothing definitive because i have so many other things i NEED to spend my coin of the realm on.

gonzogolf wrote in post #19522889
I've got monolights both godox and some alien bees and white lightnings that I don't use much anymore. I have a wide variety of modifiers including a couple of 24x36 square softboxes, a few round/octo boxes in various sizes. A couple westcott 7ft umbrellas and an 86 para from Paul buff. I have a couple of hard beauty dishes.

Some.of these overlap in purpose but for the most part I chose the modifier for the effect I want.. bigger for softer, smaller for harder. For the big 7ft umbrellas one is white interior, the other soft silver. The silver is a bit more efficient and gives some specular highlights.

You don't need all this stuff. I've been lucky to get things I wanted from studio closures and overwhelmed hobbiests. But it doesn't hurt to have one really large light source for fill or to light big groups.

i DO have a 6' silver reflector but i sold my triple threat speedlite head so its currently sitting in its bag, in the corner of my loving wife's living room lol

I built a home studio a bit more than a year ago and am still exploring lighting. I'm just an amateur. I collaborate with pros though, and would like good results.

I started out with two Godox flashes, the AD200 and AD600, both with softboxes (32" and 28"). I hung a TT685 from the ceiling as a hair light. My studio is small so space is limited. But with those, I found I could do a lot. More recently I added a Godox MS300 plus some modifier stuff. Those plugin units are much cheaper and work great. That's the way to go if you have access to an outlet. The additional light adds versatility and saves time because I don't have to change modifiers as much.

I will add stuff as needs become apparent.

'It depends!'...

1. Softboxes offer much better control of light reducing unwanted reflected light from ceiling and walls, but are slower to put together and take down.
   
2. Umbrellas are fast to set up and take down, but can create issues with uncontrolled bouncing light from adjacent walls and ceiling.

• Some environments hane large source (big windows) and soft bounce from walls to provide Fill.
  
• Other environments have hard souce (sun) and bounce from ground to serve as Fill
  

In 2012 with the introduction of the 600 EX-RT Speedlites, I started with a Westcott Apollo Medium 28” softbox. Built on Umbrella Frame, then with metal, now with Fibreglass ribs, this allowed the radio Transmission without any needs for cords. A great feature way back in 2012.
I have the entire line of Apollo modifiers that I built up over the wears. Easy to set up and carry in a bag if need for location work.
A soft box with a recessed panel allows you to control the light more than others with a flat front surface or a rounded box, like the Apollo Orb. A Grid is also available for more control for most of the Apollo line.
Regarding the Tilting of the Apollo line which many people bring up, but Westcott never defends and markets well is a simple solution, the Illuminator Arm Extreme.
Like lenses, light modifiers multiply quickly.
It more which do I start with first.
A great read on lighting is Syl Arena’s Speedliter’s Handbook Volume 2.
Simple to read with great illustrations in set up and explanations. I have it in both Real book and electronic on iPad, iMac and iPhone

https://www.fjwestcott​.com …apollo-umbrella-softboxes.

I also use Westcott Apollo softboxes. They have the advantage of controllable light direction like softboxes, but also fold as compactly and deploy as quickly as umbrellas. The only disadvantage is the problem of getting much downward deflection.

However, I use the 50-inch Apollo JS generally horizontally or close to it, emulating a window.

I also use the original cage-style Paul C. Buff PLM in 84-inch super silver, with or without the diffusion cover. I use that primarily for groups. The Buff PLM is a true parabolic; without the diffusion cover, it casts a beam. But at 84-inches, it's a broad beam. It acts like a group-sized gridded light.

I've got smaller Buff PLMs that I also use for some purposes. Also a metal 22-inch beauty dish that I hardly use.

And a whole bunch of Larson Relectasol square umbrellas that don't seem to find much use at all anymore.

RDKirk wrote in post #19523111
I also use Westcott Apollo softboxes. They have the advantage of controllable light direction like softboxes, but also fold as compactly and deploy as quickly as umbrellas. The only disadvantage is the problem of getting much downward deflection.

However, I use the 50-inch Apollo JS generally horizontally or close to it, emulating a window.

I also use the original cage-style Paul C. Buff PLM in 84-inch super silver, with or without the diffusion cover. I use that primarily for groups. The Buff PLM is a true parabolic; without the diffusion cover, it casts a beam. But at 84-inches, it's a broad beam. It acts like a group-sized gridded light.

I've got smaller Buff PLMs that I also use for some purposes. Also a metal 22-inch beauty dish that I hardly use.

And a whole bunch of Larson Relectasol square umbrellas that don't seem to find much use at all anymore.

RD and Lt.

Here is the solution for Tilting the Apollo Line that Westcott buries in their marketing and does not include in a Supreme package, at a higher cost which is justified. Yes it’s a bit pricey. Why they don’t have a unit without the Reflector clamps is beyond me. People have been moaning for years about lack of tilt of the Apollo line. It’s their job to quash it. And numerous calls to them about it. But I did finally get my wider X-Drop which I am happy with.
As a young drummer in the 70’s, we wanted to mount our Cymbals up and above our kit…. The solution… a Boom Cymbal stand.
https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …inator_reflecto​r_arm.html

Here is a less expensive option

https://www.bhphotovid​eo.com …lector_Holder.h​tml?sts=pi