Striplight & Octabox

[helloimkev]

Hello,

Just seeking some advice before making a purchase. I am a bit of a lighting rookie with just a softbox & umbrellas to my name.

I'm planning some shots for a wedding I'm shooting next month which will have a lot of opportunity for nice indoor shots. I've been looking at getting an Octabox for some time and will be getting one, my query is whether a narrow strip light (120cm x 30cm) would be suitable paired with an Octabox?

My thinking is the Octabox slightly above to the side & then the striplight to the side just to fill in the shadows. Does that sound like a workable lighting setup?

Thanks!

 

[Garry Edwards]

I'm assuming that these would be lit by studio flash? Far from ideal if using hotshoe flashes...

An Octabox is just a softbox, like any other. If it's a big one, then the limitation is the same as with any other softbox, i.e. you would typically use it high, which requires a high ceiling.

Like any other light shaper, a strip softbox can be used either on its own or in conjunction with any other type of light shaper. Strip softboxes were actually designed for lighting wine bottles (to create a diffused specular highlight along the length of the bottle) but they are typically used as a rimlight or a backlight, to define shape and to separate the subject from the background, usually with a honeycomb grid fitted, to prevent flare. Using one to fill shadows is sort of possible, but of course would create its own, conflicting shadows. Typically, fill lights are placed on axis, i.e. where the camera is. If the subject isn't pointing towards the camera then the fill can be in line with where the subject actually is pointing.

120 x 30cm isn't ideal for lighting full length. 140 x 30cm is much better.

 

[helloimkev]

Thanks Garry, I will be using with studio lighting yes, meant to point that out. Just thinking up some practical ideas as the last time I did indoor shots at a wedding I just used the 1 softbox (80cm x 60cm) with a grid housing a flashgun and everything was a bit one directional.

I'm taking studio lights this time and the octabox is on my shopping list already so wondered if anybody had used a combo of the two before. I've seen strip lights used in full length fashion / portraits to good effect. Think I may pick one up as I have other uses for it & just do a few testers beforehand and see what works best.

Thanks for the advice.