Beginner

Softbox Distance Comparison Portrait

Lighting setup

The same medium softbox at close, far, and gridded distances on a plain headshot — teaching how source size and distance change softness, contrast, and background spill.

Lighting breakdown

1
Comparison Softbox Key
One medium softbox on a strobe camera-left — move it close, far, or add a grid while pose and framing stay locked for a fair comparison.
Medium softbox on strobe · 0.65
Softbox
2
Optional
Background Spill Control
A grid on the softbox or a flag behind the subject controls how much key light washes the seamless when the box is farther away.
Grid or black flag · 0.65
Grid

Woman in a black tee with long wavy hair on grey, soft wrap light on her face with twin rectangular catchlights in both eyes.

Base setup

Move the box, not just the power.

Top view

Complete setup · 1 light · 1 optional

Learning path

This setup appears in curated assignments — continue the sequence when you are ready.

Step 3/8Beginner portrait lighting
Move the one light you have: source size is relative to the subject, so the same box gets softer as it comes closer and falls off faster as it does.
Light Builder Next: On-Axis Soft Headshot →
Step 2/5Strobist Lighting 101
The law everything else obeys: move the box and both the shadow-edge softness and the falloff change together, with nothing else touched.
Light Builder Next: Soft Beauty Light Portrait →

Lights: 1
Contrast: 3:1 close / 6:1 far
Catchlight: Soft rectangle catchlight scaling with distance
Key position: Medium softbox 30–45° camera-left; distance is the variable
Mood: Soft / Commercial / Documentary
Quality: Soft Light / Gridded
Subject: Female Beauty
Environment: Studio / White Seamless

Mood variations

Woman in a black tee with long wavy hair on grey, soft close wrap across her face with faint chin falloff. — Close Soft Wrap
Move the softbox close for maximum wrap and the smoothest cheek transition.

Woman in a black tee with long wavy hair on grey, farther frontal light with clearer shape under nose and chin. — Farther Harder Shape
Pull the same softbox back for a harder key with more defined jaw and nose shadow.

Woman in a black tee with long wavy hair on darker grey, soft directional key from camera-right with controlled falloff at the sides. — Grid Spill Control
Add a grid on the softbox to keep the background dark while maintaining the farther, more sculpted key.

Final look

Base setup

Softness is relative: a softbox closer to the face enlarges the apparent source and smooths shadow transitions; pulled back it behaves harder with more defined jaw shape and more spill on the background. A grid tightens the beam without changing the modifier size, isolating the lesson from power changes alone.

Camera & framing

Exposure

ISO

ISO 100

Shutter

1/160 – 1/200s

Aperture

f/5.6 – f/8

Lens & framing

Lens

85 – 105mm portrait

Camera height

Eye level

Framing

Head and shoulders, full face in frame — chin, forehead, and both ears visible; comfortable headroom; no edge crop

Try these settings → Key : fill ratio →

Key notes

1Keep power adjusted so exposure stays matched — the lesson is distance and modifier, not brightness.
2Close softbox: smooth cheek transition, wider spill on background.
3Far softbox: sharper nose shadow, more defined jaw, background gets brighter spill.
4Add the grid on the far position to show spill control without moving the box again.