I have couple of 40 x 60 cm Softboxes. How to make best use of them?

As the title says, along with 220W Studio Modeling Lamp x 3, stands etc.

I've seen very good results with people using larger soft/octaboxes but can't afford them for now. So, would appreciate any help on how can I use these guys to their full potential? I'm mostly doing portraits and trying to learn productography as well, have a 5D2 and 85mm f/1.8.

Thanks in advance =)

Experiment. Really.

Those softboxes are small, so you need to get them really close to the subject –essentially, just off the frame– to get soft shadow edges. Of course, the closer the light is to the subject, the faster the fall off.

A flagged softbox can also make a nice rim light, if you place it far away from the subject so that it's quality of light is betwixt a bowl reflector and a softbox.

Alveric wrote in post #17470803
Experiment. Really.

Those softboxes are small, so you need to get them really close to the subject –essentially, just off the frame– to get soft shadow edges. Of course, the closer the light is to the subject, the faster the fall off.

A flagged softbox can also make a nice rim light, if you place it far away from the subject so that it's quality of light is betwixt a bowl reflector and a softbox.

I see. If I remember correctly, I heard that if the light source is larger than your subject, the closer it should be (maybe I'm wrong). But I'll try.

Thanks

No. A light source appears larger (to the subject) the closer it is to the subject.

Ie: the sun is massive. But so far away that it appears small to us. You can easily block it from your view with your hand. A 40x60 cm softbox is much smaller than the sun, but place it up close and it will appear to be huge. You won't be able to block it from your view with only you hand.

That's how you create softer light. And how you control light fall off. Light falls of quicker the closer it is to the subject. Ie: you have a faster transition from light to dark versus when the light is further away and relatively smaller.

Moin wrote in post #17471437
I see. If I remember correctly, I heard that if the light source is larger than your subject, the closer it should be (maybe I'm wrong). But I'll try.

Thanks

Not necessarily. It all comes down to the look you want –i.e. how defined or fuzzy the shadow edges should be. Even a 7' octa can give you hard light, if you place it far away, thus turning it into a point light source.