EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FLASH
Shape the light
Renowned portrait photographer Rory Lewis explains how to make best use of lighting modifiers
Rory Lewis
Pictured
Stephen Graham, 2022
This shot of actor Stephen Graham was captured using one Octa Softbox at f/7.1, ISO 100 and 1/100sec
© Rory Lewis
Octagonal softboxes are a great lighting accessory to improve your flash-lit portraits, but what exactly is an octabox, and how can you use one to achieve stunning results? An octabox is a lighting modifier with eight sides. It can be attached to the front of a speedlight, studio flash, or continuous lighting source, depending on the mounting compatibility.
Creating quintessential diffused lighting effects, this look is my go-to lighting style for simple and effective portraiture. Note that octaboxes come in many different sizes, from small to very large, the latter often being used for large product photography and full-body portraits. I prefer small softboxes such as the Profoto OCF, which direct all of the light onto the faces of my subjects. rorylewis.studio