Nuanced lighting is one of the easiest ways to elevate your studio-based photography. From portrait photography to product photography, mastering complex lighting scenarios helps separate you from the competition.
By investing in a few key lighting modifiers, you can infinitely improve the look and artistry of your photographs.
Honeycombs & Grids
Most photographers have some experience with lighting modifiers like softboxes or reflector umbrellas, but honeycombs are equally valuable for studio lighting.
A honeycomb, also called a grid, is an accessory that traditionally mounts in the reflector dish of your lighting fixture. Honeycombs are circular discs with a collection of evenly spaced, evenly sized openings. They get their name because they look similar to a bee’s honeycomb.
How Does a Honeycomb Work?
Honeycombs soften the edges of your light beam without any loss of focus. The light that travels through the center openings in the honeycomb grid passes through without losing intensity, but the light that comes through at the edges has a slight angle to it, so it becomes slightly softer and weaker.
Common Uses for Honeycomb Lights
Many photographers rely on honeycombs when photographing a subject against a backdrop. If you want your subject evenly illuminated but you want the light to fall off before hitting the background, you need a light with a honeycomb modifier.
Honeycombs are also useful light modifiers for creating a vignette effect directly on your background. Just add a honeycomb grid to your background lighting fixture, and your background will be brighter at the center than the edges.
Adjust Beam Angle with Light Modifiers
Honeycombs can produce slightly different effects depending on the beam angle or degree used. The higher the degree number, the larger the resulting beam, and the smaller the degree number, the smaller the resulting beam.
Many honeycombs and grids come in sets with two to four grid modifiers so you can find the right accessory for each situation.
Versatility and Reliability in Honeycombs and Grids
Most honeycombs attach to your light reflectors using tension, so they work well regardless of the manufacturer of your lighting equipment. As a result, you have more brand flexibility when choosing grids.
As you shop for honeycombs, pay attention to the materials used, mounting requirements, and degree measurement to ensure you select the right lighting modifier for you. Brands like Broncolor, Flashpoint, Fotodiox, Glow, and Mole-Richardson produce highly reliable and easy-to-use lighting modifiers like honeycomb grids.
