After you pick up your first speedlight, strobe, or LED panel, the best investment you can make is in some modifiers. These are tools that shape and alter the intensity of our light source. Modifiers come in all shapes and sizes based on the type of light you plan to use them on, which can make it difficult to pick one out if you are new to photography. Since each modifier comes with its own distinct look and ideal use, here is a guide to help you find what is right for you and your style.
The Staples
If you are just starting to build your lighting kit, there are a few staples of the industry that suit many uses. These are helpful to learn with, easy to use, and very effective. They come in a variety of sizes, for on-camera flash units to stand-mounted strobes.
Umbrellas
Available for relatively inexpensive prices, there is no reason to not have an umbrella or two at your disposal. These simple tools are a solid starting point for photographers by providing an added level of control over your lighting, no matter what type of flash or strobe you’re using. Depending on the style, shooters can create a range of different looks, including soft light using a shoot-through umbrella, or crisp, well-defined highlight and shadows with a reflective silver model. Umbrellas also fold down and take up very little space, meaning they can occupy a place in a closet or tucked away in the corner of a tiny even the tiniest New York City apartment.
Softbox
Thanks to its namesake soft output, the softbox is one of the most popular modifiers around, and it is loved by many because it can make almost anything look good. It will take up a bit more space than a standard umbrella, and setup isn’t always painless, but the effort is most certainly worth it. Softboxes soften light output, obviously, by making the source larger and more diffuse. These come in multiple shapes and sizes, but the most common options available are octagons and rectangles. Square and rectangular options are more conventional and do a good job of mimicking window light. A related option is a strip box, which will create a longer, and sometimes more interesting catchlight/reflection. Octa-boxes, on the other hand, can make a round catchlight that is very pleasing for portraiture. The more round the light source, the more visually pleasing the catchlight, or the reflection of the light source in your subject’s eye. Softboxes can be customized, featuring removable front panels and inner baffles to adjust light quality, and the ability to accept grids and masks with ease.
Softboxes, while designed around the strobe or moonlights can be adapted to speedlight usage. Options specially designed for speedlights can also be found, but these are often smaller and more focused on individual portraits or even macro shooting. scenarios. Larger modifiers are more versatile and cover a variety of subject matter, though they need an adapter—what’s known as a Bowens mount.
Reflectors
Usually included with studio strobes, the simple reflector can do a lot to help direct light when you are just starting out. Generally equipped with a silver interior, these modifiers will reflect light into a narrower, more focused beam, meaning more light hits your subject instead of the walls of your studio. The key to reflectors is their ability to work with or even hold other accessories—many will work with umbrellas or accept grids
Collapsible Reflectors
If we take a moment to step away, physically, from the light, we will find the collapsible reflector. This is one best and simplest tools you can have on hand in your studio. At its most basic, you can use this to bounce or reflect the light from your key into the shadows to create some fill. By using it in this way, beginners can make the most out of a one-light kit. On top of this, while white is preferred for its soft, neutral qualities, shooters can find a variety of different surface options, including silver for a crisper light; gold for a warmer tone; black, which helps cut down on reflected light; and zebra patterns that can combine the effects of two types. For those on a tighter budget, reflector board is available and has the bonus of being trimmable.
Stepping Up
Once you have a better idea of your photographic style and what type of next-level effect you want to create, here are some other tools you may want to add to your bag.
Beauty Dishes
Adored by portrait photographers, the beauty dish offers a distinct effect that is nearly impossible to mimic with another modifier. It bounces the light from a deflector plate to evenly illuminate the dish, creating a soft, yet relatively well-defined light with superb contrast. Also, since the light source is deflected, excessively bright areas known as “hot spots” are eliminated and a unique catchlight is created. This is obviously ideal for portraits—it helps smooth skin and create a natural look. There are two types of beauty dish, rigid and collapsible. Unless you’re permanently set up in a studio, the collapsible design is the way to go. These behave similarly to a traditional softbox but offer a rounder shape for a more visually pleasing catchlight in your subject’s eye.
Snoots and Barndoors
Sometimes the struggle is light hitting too much of your scene; this is where a snoot or set of barndoors will come in handy. Snoots can almost be described as funnels for light; they become progressively narrower until light can only escape through a small opening. Barndoors are a little less controlling but are more flexible, giving photographers the ability to block out light from just one side or all four sides, depending on the situation. This is great when you are trying to create an accent or hair light or want to create a slash effect.
Grids
Grids have been mentioned in relation to other modifiers, but they deserve their own mention for what they can do. They help narrow the beam angle of your light, making for a more controlled beam with sharper falloff at the edges. Multiple-degree options are usually available, allowing photographers to choose exactly how much of an effect they need.
Gels and Diffusion
If you want a fancy color splash, then you are going to want to look at gels. These are translucent colored sheets that slide in front of your light, or brand specific caps that fit over your light source and change the color to help create special effects. There are also some practical uses, as color correction gels can help balance different fixtures to match, such as a strobe to a fluorescent or daylight to tungsten. Similar in style to gels is diffusion, which is either a type of gel or fabric that will soften the output of your light.
Flags, Scrims, and Cucoloris
All used off-fixed, these options refine the way light interacts with a scene. Flags block light, as well as cut down on reflections, to increase contrast in the scene. Scrims cut down on light output without affecting the quality of light too much. And a cucoloris, or “cookie,” is a board with various shapes cut out of it. This can help break up light with a pattern to create a more natural or interesting shadows
Specialty
There are some less-common modifiers that serve very unique purposes. While these are generally not advisable for beginners, those looking to create a very specific look might find exactly what they need in this group.
Lenses and Gobos
Now, here is some cool stuff. Some lights will accept lenses, which will help focus or project the light in a specific way. This can dramatically improve the range and focus of your fixture or create a nice hard edge for the circle. On top of this, they can occasionally accept gobos, which are effectively mini cucoloris. These are filters with shapes cut out for projection, which can be mounted directly to the front of the strobe or its included reflector. They are used for very specific situations, but if you have an idea that involves projection, this is the way to do it.
Hardbox
Not the easiest to find but an interesting option for shooters looking to mimic daylight. The hardbox works by shrinking the size of your light to a single point, the exact opposite of what a softbox does. This creates very sharp shadows, as if you were standing outside on a clear day and looking at the sidewalk next to you.
As you can tell, there’s no shortage of modifiers at your disposal. While you may hope to only ever need one or two of the tools mentioned in this article, you never know when a scrim or gobo may come in handy. If you’d like to learn more about studio lighting for both photo and video, you can read all about it on the B&H Explora Page.
