All about light modifiers: Video shows off the differences between various light modifiers

posted Saturday, June 3, 2017 at 9:00 AM EDT

There are many ways to modify strobes and studio lights, including softboxes (which come in a wide array of sizes), octagons, umbrellas and more. Photographer Jay P. Morgan has made a video to help determine the differences between the various light modifiers and how they affect your subject. It’s one thing to read about different modifiers, but it’s much more helpful to see their impact in real-time.

In the test below, Morgan uses a Baja strobe light. To ensure that the video demonstrates the differences in quality of light rather than quantity, as different modifiers impact the amount of light which reaches the subject, all else equal, he measures the light on the subject with a light meter and adjusts the strobe’s power accordingly. Further, the front of the modifier will always be four feet from the subject’s face, which means Morgan will have to move the light back and forth depending on the modifier used.