Alien Bee Beauty Dish users

Reply to Do you think beauty dish was used for these pics?

nobody@flickr.com (AtlantaTerry) — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 20:34:29 -0800

don't forget that a cut out pattern can be put in front of any light including a beauty dish to change the shape of it's reflection.

For example, when I bought my Photoflex softbox it came with several patterns: long narrow window blinds, a window frame "[╬]" and a circle. So someone could put a rectangular or square pattern in front of a beauty dish to change it's highlight reflection from a circle to a square or rectangle.

Reply to Do you think beauty dish was used for these pics?

nobody@flickr.com (bobbysamat) — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 15:46:43 -0800

bobbysamat posted a reply:

The catch lights that a beauty dish make are perfect circles. I'm guessing that the key light was a soft box or octagon.

That doesn't means that the photographer didn't use a beauty dish, just that it wasn't their primary light source.

Reply to All photos taken here were done with beauty dish ?

nobody@flickr.com (bobbysamat) — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 15:39:19 -0800

bobbysamat posted a reply:

They make a standard beauty dish and a high output beauty dish. One of them has a wider beam, the other has a beam that is a bit tighter.

Reply to All photos taken here were done with beauty dish ?

nobody@flickr.com (martino_papesso) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 08:08:17 -0700

martino_papesso posted a reply:

AlienBees offer two models of beauty dish ?

Reply to All photos taken here were done with beauty dish ?

nobody@flickr.com (AtlantaTerry) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 07:56:34 -0700

AtlantaTerry posted a reply:

www.paulcbuff.com/beautydishes.php

All photos taken here were done with beauty dish ?

nobody@flickr.com (martino_papesso) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 05:00:53 -0700

martino_papesso posted a new topic:

Hello, I live in Italy.
Which Alien Bee beauty dish models are currently available and on sale?
Where can I buy them?
All photos taken here were done with them?
Many thanks.Bye.
Martino.

Reply to Beauty dish size...

nobody@flickr.com (R&D Photos NYC) — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 07:08:37 -0700

R&D Photos NYC posted a reply:

thank you BOTH for the help!!..it is greatly appreciated.. I feel more confident in what i will try to achieve,and i will most certainly have sand bags..everyone seems to warn about them, it must be for a reason =)..

the soft box was always on my 'want' list, so that will definitely be next =)

once again, thank you, and hope to post images soon...

Reply to Beauty dish size...

nobody@flickr.com (AtlantaTerry) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 12:48:18 -0700

AtlantaTerry posted a reply:

wrote, "full body portraits".

Beauty dishes won't work well for full body portraits. The reason is that their light actually comes to a point due to the dish being a parabolic reflector. They are better for headshots or head to chest photos ... remember they were designed for the beauty industry, not fashion.

You can test this by turning on the modeling light then walking toward a plain white wall then walking away from it. When you do this you will see that the light actually comes to a focus at about six feet or so. (It's soft, not sharp, but it's there.)

With a high output beauty dish the sharpness is more defined.

A white sock over a beauty dish does soften that effect a lot. I shot several hundred portraits a month ago over a weekend and used my Paul Buff white beauty dish + white sock as fill for portraits sessions of individuals to groups containing as many as 18 people. My large Chimera softbox was the key light.

Your first thought about a large softbox would be more appropriate for full length portraits.

A very viable alternative to a strobe + modifier for location portraits is a reflector. The big advantage of a reflector is the white balance will be the same as your light source. Strobes will always be "daylight" balance unless you use gels.

~~~~~

Any time you are working outdoors with a beauty dish, softbox or (ick!) umbrella you MUST be careful about wind. The slightest breeze will want to grab the modifier and pull your strobe to the ground. Been there / done that. Use sandbags or sacks full of rocks or a couple children or one male adult or a small car tied to your light stand to weigh it down.

Reply to Beauty dish size...

nobody@flickr.com (dietzy2320) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 12:37:53 -0700

dietzy2320 posted a reply:

I prefer white...softer and more flexible I think. but I have the 22" from Alien Bees...wish I hadn't sold my old one though...older versions were way better made than current AB ones. Beauty dish is my absolute favorite modifier though for sure!!

Reply to Beauty dish size...

nobody@flickr.com (R&D Photos NYC) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 11:50:28 -0700

R&D Photos NYC posted a reply:

Hi, thanks for the quick reply..heres a link first...

www.adorama.com/FP2BD27W.html

and ive mainly done outdoor street, naturally lit headshots as in my stream...BUT two weeks ago i did a shoot for a friend who wanted beach shots, Although the shots were good, i really wanted a look that only could come from lighting, which got me into wanting or searching for softboxes and beauty dishes. so i decided on a beauty dish.

Naturally i went to Adorama's site since i am local, but stumbled across a vid containing Alienbee's,and i remembered the name from just generally knowing about lighting.like i said, as long as ive been shooting, ive never really went beyond shoe mount flashes.

anyhow, thats what led me to this group.as i went through the stream, i saw some GREAT work, and wanted to at least inquiry if i am on the right path ...

and i plan to do outdoor full body portraits..that would be my main reason for this setup...AND also indoor shots, portraits as well

thanks again!