LESSON 4

Size Matters

In the photo on the left the beauty dish was approx 10 feet from the subject. 

In the photo on the right the Octabank was approx 3 feet from the subject. 

As an attempt to make the light and shadows on Carla's face as similar as possible between the two photos, I moved the beauty dish far away from, and Octabank closer to, the subject. 

Why?

Because the more distance between the light and subject is relative to the size / diameter of the light source. Thus, in order to compensate for the greater diameter of the Octabank I shortened the distance to the subject, and did the reverse with the beauty dish. 

But . . . 

If I did this exercise again I would move Carla farther away from the background in the photo on the left, so that her shadow on the backdrop was more diffused like the photo on the right. I would also add in a reflector in the photo on the right, positioned to fill out the left side of her face.