Need beauty dish tips - Glamour 1™ Putting the Glamour Back in Photography!

**photoefx** · 04-23-2008, 09:30 PM

I just started using an AB beauty dish. I like it, but would really like to hear from other photographers that use beauty dishes, about the types of set ups used. Like for portraits and head shots, do you use just the beauty dish alone or combine it with softboxes? Any tips on set ups would be great. Thanks.

**Jagdoc** · 04-24-2008, 05:32 AM

For strickly face shots, I use mine very close and slightly above model, with a reflector below to bounce some light under her chin.

For not so tight headshots, I like to use a gridded hair light from slightly behind the model.

Vic

**photoefx** · 04-25-2008, 01:50 PM

Vic, how close is " very close " ? I have been putting it about 3 ft, is that too far away? also do you use the diffuion sock?

isaiahbrink · 04-26-2008, 02:08 AM

Using a beauty dish? Isn't that a dish used to place in front of your face when looking at an ugly woman? Ok, just kidding, I know what they are and what they are used for. But I've just used a strobe, and while at times depending at the angle, have I had a problem with shadows. Just my two cents, see what you can come up with without it to kind of remind yourself what it's like without it. I'm a bit biased though, I'm not much of a fan of using tons of light on evey inch of the model just to avoid one of those sacary shadows. (side note - I love using shadow to enhance depth perception.)

Mal at Hidden Creek Photo · 07-21-2008, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoefx

Vic, how close is " very close " ? I have been putting it about 3 ft, is that too far away? also do you use the diffuion sock?

I routinely set my 24" beauty dish at 48" from the model's head...that seems to be it's sweet spot. How do I know its 48" everytime - a piece of nylon string. Why: some old axiom about placing light twice the diagonal of the softbox size from the model.

But if it hasn't been said enough - beauty dish requires face with good complexion and probably on the young side. With clients in the 35 yr plus bracket a nice 36" octodome helps hide complexion flaws.

**RobArtLyn** · 07-21-2008, 05:58 PM

A beauty dish can also be used for full length shots. One Hensel beauty dish with the center removed on an AB1600:

**stevenD** · 07-22-2008, 10:29 PM

I use my Hensel Beauty Dish just like I would my Softbox,

I used my Hensel Beauty Dish on some White Lightnings and it did not work anywhere near as well as it does with Hensel lights!

And number two, I just bought a second Hensel Beauty Dish today to use on my backgrounds...

**jimmyd** · 07-23-2008, 12:47 PM

I have used my Mola 33.5" beauty dish quite extensively and I've written about it often enough on my blog.

Here's a link to one of my beauty dish articles, I think it's the first one I ever wrote: http://prettygirlshooter.blogspot.co...ve-affair.html

You can also use the "search" function on my blog to see everything I've written about (or where I've mentioned) beauty dishes.