A 56cm BEAUTY DISH facing model at 45 degrees in overhead position.
Strobe: JINBEI HD 600 V (Strobe is in HSS MODE to enable me shoot large aperture )
Akosua is one of my friends from school who allowed me to use her as a “guinea pig“ (i wish i could have used another word) in my Photography Lab when i freshly begun my Photography Journey in School. How patient she was for me to make pictures of her that only ended up in the thrash on my Computer still remains a mystery till today. I am grateful God put a lot of such people in my way which really made my journey a lot lot easier till today. She now has a Thrift Store online where you can find some cool stuff to buy.
Once a while, she needs photos to market her clothes and accessories and this is where i come in as a photographer to make this possible. I had no assistant when we planned the shoot and we were going to shoot outdoor in a windy area very close to the beach. I had to find a way out. My regular modifier is a 120cm Octabox which will definitely not hold up in a windy environment without human assistance.
120cm Octabox. ( A Very Good Light Source that can serve almost all your lighting needs)
I could have used natural light which is also fantastic but the lighting condition was too harsh. it was about 3:00pm, we were in an open space with no shade and i also wanted to use a specific background.
The Beauty Dish solved the problem of the day. Its a beautiful light modifier that can withstand some wind especially if you are shooting alone, gets you some good light when controlled well and basically does the job when its in it perfect position.
JUICE
its one of the simplest lighting methods on planet earth. If you are going for a close up or medium Portrait of your model , you can get the light closer to your models face around 45 and 60 degrees to make the light soft and flattery. Position the model right around the center of the dish so that theres is an even light spill when the flash fires. The Beauty Dish is not too large a light modifier so you will need some finesse in controlling it to get amazing results. You can also keep it at some distance to create some harsh shadows if that is your intention. Harsh shadows are sometimes needed for dramatic portraits e.g portraits of sports men. Photography is an art form and very subjective to a point but the rules never change. You learn the rules before you break them.
Full figure shots are also possible with the beauty dish but if you are not a fan of shadows, you might need to fill in with a reflector or another light source to fine tune it to the results your desire.
Position the model right around the center of the dish so that theres is an even light spill when the flash fires
CAMERA SETTINGS
Do what works for you. You can go for either a shallow or deep depth of field depending on the camera and lens you are shooting with. it is about what the artist has envisioned and what he wants to create. I was shooting on a Canon 6d and 70-200 2.8 IS II. Strobe was in HSS MODE because i wanted to Shoot a Large Aperture for some creamy background blur. It was very sunny and my 1/180 sync speed couldn’t handle it. I shot F 2.8 Throughout.
RESULTS BELOW
1/400 sec; f/2.8; ISO 160
1/400 sec; f/2.8; ISO 160
1/320 sec; f/2.8; ISO 160
Changed Costume and Background
I took advantage of the Sun Flares
1/1000 sec; f/2.8; ISO 160
1/640 sec; f/2.8; ISO 160
1/400 sec; f/2.8; ISO 160
1/400 sec; f/2.8; ISO 160
1/320 sec; f/2.8; ISO 160
1/500 sec; f/2.8; ISO 200
1/500 sec; f/2.8; ISO 200
1/500 sec; f/2.8; ISO 200
There are a thousand and one ways to use the beauty dish. This is just one of the ways you can use it. Its all about the artist and what he wants to achieve at the end of the day.
TILL THEN …….
KEEP SHOOTING …….. :-)