How to Choose the Right Size Softbox
If you are planning to use a softbox for your next set-up, you should think about more than simply what shape to choose or where to put it. The size is just as important – perhaps even more so!
The larger the light source is in relation to your subject, the softer the light will be. This simple fact is one of the most important lessons to learn about light, and for this reason, choosing what size of softbox to use will be one of the most important decisions that you will make prior to a shoot.
For instance, if you choose a larger softbox, you will get a much more open, softer light that more closely resembles daylight. If, on the other hand, you go for a smaller softbox, you will get a harder light with richer contrasts, reminiscent of interior light.
Take a closer look at the next two images in this article. The first image (1) was shot with the larger Profoto RFi 4×6’ while the second image (2) was shot with the smaller Profoto RFi 1.3×2. While the first image looks almost as if a window was in the room, the second image looks more as if a lamp is turned on. The lighting also affects the overall mood of the image. The second image is undoubtedly moodier and more dramatic.
#1
#2
Note that we used only one rectangular softbox for both images. Also note that the light was standing in the same spot with exactly the same distance between our model and the softbox diffuser (when using a softbox, this is the distance that actually matters – not the distance between the model and the flash head).
In conclusion, by choosing between a large and a small softbox, we can drastically change the light and the overall mood. Needless to say, there is no right and wrong. It all boils down to deciding on what you want to achieve, and then choosing the right softbox to do the job.
Profoto
Profoto, The Light Shaping Company, is the world’s leading manufacturer of photography lighting systems. Since 1968, Profoto has been providing photographers with innovative tools to create and shape light. www.profoto.com/blog
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March 18, 2014 at 10:24 pm, Christian Bouchez said:
Thank you for sharing!
May 18, 2013 at 6:10 pm, Richard Hryckiewicz said:
Love this style of article where there are real world examples of what is being discussed.
I’d never realised the difference the size of the softbox makes !
The examples here made it obvious and mean I will now look differenty at how I set up for shoots.
Thanks 😀
May 14, 2013 at 12:33 pm, Devin Bates said:
good stuff
May 04, 2013 at 4:07 am, christian garrido said:
is it just me, or are the two comparison pictures exactly the same, except the bottom one was photoshopped to have more contrast?
May 06, 2013 at 8:48 pm, kngzero said:
It’s just you. The exposure is correct on both images. Check out the shadow falloff/softness. There’s a great difference between the center point and the edges in the smaller softbox photos. It’s not just contrast, the lighting is more even across the frame in the first photo.
May 14, 2013 at 10:14 am, Philippe Roy said:
I must admit Christian has a point. Every single fold of the pants and the short are identical. Every crease of the skin, hair strand placement is bang on the same. It’s rather spooky.
March 13, 2014 at 8:57 pm, LLamaRama said:
OMG! could it be that the photog did something dastardly such as ask the model to ‘not move!’ THE SHOCK, THE HORROR!
Maybe, just maybe, seeing all those light stands he has in his studio, he simply moved one of a pre-aligned spot and move the other one there in less than 3 seconds flat! OMFG talk about thinking outside of the box! This guy works on another level! Its amazing!
May 14, 2013 at 10:45 am, RoryC said:
Wow! I thought they were the same image too. But, if you superimpose one image over the other in Photoshop and turn one layer off and on, you can see that the model leans backward ever so slightly, her left hand moves slightly toward the camera, and her blouse moves slightly. It is kind of spooky how close the photos are to each other. The images must have been shot from a tripod and taken within a VERY short time from each other.
June 12, 2017 at 11:57 am, t0m3k said:
The contrast on bottom one is definitely higher, you can see it on the painting which is flat so it should have same exposure no matter of size of modifier. But apart from this the light itself is sharper as well, the shadow is more defined. I think they used contrast to make the effect more visible.
April 22, 2013 at 6:24 am, Pete Stone said:
Nice article, especially as i’m looking to get a larger softbox for more softer portraits……
April 22, 2013 at 5:57 am, Matt Archibald said:
Great write-up! Just picked up 2x 20″ octoboxes and they work wonders! 🙂