After spending years using mainly softboxes for my lighting, I recently added a 16″ Beauty Dish to my kit. Even though the modified light is fairly similar to what I get with my small octabox, it is just enough different to require some adjustment to my shooting.

Over the past few days I have done two studio shoots using the dish as my main light source, and I am learning what results I can achieve. Yesterday’s post of Julie was captured with the dish placed 3′ above the camera position and aimed down at the model. A hair light was positioned to the right and behind Julie.

For today’s image of new model Richard, I placed the dish at just below the model’s shoulder height and to the right of the camera. The reasoning for the placement was two-fold, first was to create a little bit of ‘sinister drama’ in the image (think “flashlight-under-your-chin”) and secondly to get the light under the cowboy hat he was wearing.

After my first two shoots with the dish, I like the initial results. I look forward to continuing to learn this modifier and work it into my regular shooting.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens – 1/160 second, f/5, ISO 100