Softboxes come in all shapes and sizes but when you’re looking at getting a new one there’s one question you should ask. Does the softbox come with the option of a grid? At least that’s what photographer Gavin Hoey thinks and in this video he shows you how and why he loves using softbox and grid combos when lighting portraits in his small home studio.
For Gavin there are three reasons why adding a grid is better then just a standard softbox. He uses the grid to control light bouncing off the walls in his small shooting space, he can add light to specific areas and create real vignette effects without the use of Lightroom or Photoshop. Keep watching to the end and you’ll also discover Gavin’s easy grid trick that opens up even more ways of working with grids.
Want to check out some other tips and tricks for portraiture photography and how you can include a softbox to improve the quality of your next shoot? Check out these guides on 42 West:
- Softbox vs. Umbrella: Which One Should You Use?
- Profoto Launches OCF Softboxes & Accessories for Ultimate Light Shaping Control
- How To Shoot Golden Hour Portraits with the FlashPoint XPLOR 600
- How to Control the Lighting in Portrait Photography
PRODUCTS USED:
- Glow ParaPop 28″
- Grid for ParaPop 28″
- Glow EZ Lock 12”x56” Stripbox+Grid
- Olympus E-M1 Mark ii
- Flashpont Xplor 400
- Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro
- Olympus M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.2
PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT USED:
- Olympus E-M1 Mark ii
- Olympus M. Zuiko Digital 17mm f/1.8
- Olympus LS-P4 Audio Recorder
- Sennheiser Wireless Lavalier Microphone System
- Godox 100W LED light
