Comments on: Hold the presses!! Update to the Beauty Dish http://lightandpixels.com/2008/11/16/hold-the-presses-update-to-the-beauty-dish/ Computer geek by day, Photographer when I'm awake. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:54:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Tom http://lightandpixels.com/2008/11/16/hold-the-presses-update-to-the-beauty-dish/comment-page-1/#comment-328 Tom Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:25:44 +0000 http://lpblog.lightandpixels.com/?p=346#comment-328 Shane, It has been a while since I did the photos and I really can't remember what the camera settings were on. I'm pretty confident that they were not all the same because they were taken over a period of time. It would have been smart to do so, but I'd bet they weren't. There is a loss of light but probably not as much as you might think. You are correct moving the mirror around changes the quantity and quality of light. the point for me is that it can be changed/adjusted. I am happy with the results. The dish was a fun project and I've gotten lots of requests to make them for folks that don't have the time, tools, or know how to do it themselves. When the weather warms a bit I'm going to try a few for folks and see if they like them too. If I can help out someone and make a buck or two to pay for some camera gear we're all winners! Thanks for watching LightandPixels.com. Be sure to visit often. I've just posted my first videos - a review of the RadioPopper PX system. Cheers, Tom Shane,

It has been a while since I did the photos and I really can’t remember what the camera settings were on. I’m pretty confident that they were not all the same because they were taken over a period of time. It would have been smart to do so, but I’d bet they weren’t.

There is a loss of light but probably not as much as you might think. You are correct moving the mirror around changes the quantity and quality of light. the point for me is that it can be changed/adjusted.

I am happy with the results. The dish was a fun project and I’ve gotten lots of requests to make them for folks that don’t have the time, tools, or know how to do it themselves. When the weather warms a bit I’m going to try a few for folks and see if they like them too. If I can help out someone and make a buck or two to pay for some camera gear we’re all winners!

Thanks for watching LightandPixels.com. Be sure to visit often. I’ve just posted my first videos – a review of the RadioPopper PX system.

Cheers,

Tom

]]> By: Shane http://lightandpixels.com/2008/11/16/hold-the-presses-update-to-the-beauty-dish/comment-page-1/#comment-327 Shane Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:25:13 +0000 http://lpblog.lightandpixels.com/?p=346#comment-327 Hey Tom, Nice work on the BD. My observation (without knowing the settings that you used on your test shots) is that you now have a nice even light with no dead spot, but yu appear to have lost a lot of light between pictures 2 and 3. Is this true? And if so, have you tried different combinations of zoom setting and mirro distance? And one more observation, your light source now seems to have more spread / spill. Are you happy with your results? Cheers, Shane Hey Tom,

Nice work on the BD. My observation (without knowing the settings that you used on your test shots) is that you now have a nice even light with no dead spot, but yu appear to have lost a lot of light between pictures 2 and 3.

Is this true? And if so, have you tried different combinations of zoom setting and mirro distance?

And one more observation, your light source now seems to have more spread / spill. Are you happy with your results?

Cheers,

Shane

]]> By: Garth Wunsch http://lightandpixels.com/2008/11/16/hold-the-presses-update-to-the-beauty-dish/comment-page-1/#comment-283 Garth Wunsch Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:48:46 +0000 http://lpblog.lightandpixels.com/?p=346#comment-283 Hello all. This "Beauty Dish" is wonderful (and beautiful). I used white Sterilite bowls (made in USA) so I didn't have to paint anything. The color balance seems really nice for portraits. There were four in the pack so I can make a big light and a small light. Trimming the inner bowl is a lot easier and neater if you have a large band saw (or your friend has) and a tall fence. Anyway, I'm really writing about the reflector. Unless I'm missing something from another post, I found a way to use the CD case and still make the reflector (a CD) adjustable without having to use the three mounting bolts. I drilled a hole through the center of the inner reflective dish and then through the center of the CD case. Install the bolt from outside through the inner dish and the CD case, slip on a washer and then a nut and tighten up a bit. Then do as Tom did... on with a nut, then a washer, then the CD, another washer and another nut. The bolt obviously has to be long enough to allow for whatever adjustment you might need. I put the CD about 1.25 inches from the flash and tested it on a black cloth. Beautiful soft light side to side. From the land of the great Canuck Thanks again everyone :-) Hello all.
This “Beauty Dish” is wonderful (and beautiful). I used white Sterilite bowls (made in USA) so I didn’t have to paint anything. The color balance seems really nice for portraits. There were four in the pack so I can make a big light and a small light. Trimming the inner bowl is a lot easier and neater if you have a large band saw (or your friend has) and a tall fence.
Anyway, I’m really writing about the reflector. Unless I’m missing something from another post, I found a way to use the CD case and still make the reflector (a CD) adjustable without having to use the three mounting bolts. I drilled a hole through the center of the inner reflective dish and then through the center of the CD case. Install the bolt from outside through the inner dish and the CD case, slip on a washer and then a nut and tighten up a bit. Then do as Tom did… on with a nut, then a washer, then the CD, another washer and another nut. The bolt obviously has to be long enough to allow for whatever adjustment you might need. I put the CD about 1.25 inches from the flash and tested it on a black cloth. Beautiful soft light side to side.

From the land of the great Canuck
Thanks again everyone :-)

]]> By: Do it Yourself (DIY) Beauty Dish « Walid Azami [Photography & Film] http://lightandpixels.com/2008/11/16/hold-the-presses-update-to-the-beauty-dish/comment-page-1/#comment-53 Do it Yourself (DIY) Beauty Dish « Walid Azami [Photography & Film] Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:15:30 +0000 http://lpblog.lightandpixels.com/?p=346#comment-53 [...] hot spots on the face, The last statement has been proven to be a bunch of crap… please see this postto get that whole “dead spot good” thing cleared up… arghhhh - now back got to rest of the [...] [...] hot spots on the face, The last statement has been proven to be a bunch of crap… please see this postto get that whole “dead spot good” thing cleared up… arghhhh – now back got to rest of the [...]

]]> By: Jeroen http://lightandpixels.com/2008/11/16/hold-the-presses-update-to-the-beauty-dish/comment-page-1/#comment-52 Jeroen Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:36:22 +0000 http://lpblog.lightandpixels.com/?p=346#comment-52 Tom, A rule of photography - break the rules! If you want/need a blind spot in the middle you can have it! Jeroen Tom,

A rule of photography – break the rules! If you want/need a blind spot in the middle you can have it!

Jeroen

]]> By: Stargate001 http://lightandpixels.com/2008/11/16/hold-the-presses-update-to-the-beauty-dish/comment-page-1/#comment-51 Stargate001 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 06:01:41 +0000 http://lpblog.lightandpixels.com/?p=346#comment-51 Hey Tom, Congrats on the link up from Strobist blog, well deserved :) Hey Tom,
Congrats on the link up from Strobist blog, well deserved :)

]]> By: Light and Pixels - My Photography Journal » Blog Archive » How does that beauty dish adjust anyway? http://lightandpixels.com/2008/11/16/hold-the-presses-update-to-the-beauty-dish/comment-page-1/#comment-50 Light and Pixels - My Photography Journal » Blog Archive » How does that beauty dish adjust anyway? Thu, 04 Dec 2008 05:04:47 +0000 http://lpblog.lightandpixels.com/?p=346#comment-50 [...] How does that beauty dish adjust anyway?  That’s the big question and it’s the thing I did not explain it very well.  So here goes.  Really, it is just a built up mirror on three bolts that can slide in and out of the dish.  The big thing is that each dish is likely to be different and you’ll have to find the sweet spot for your mirror/dish combination by adjusting, test shooting, adjusting and test shooting until you’ve got it working the way you want. I was surprised at how close I had to move the mirror (about 1 inch / 10 cm) out was the final resting place.  I found that to be very counter intuitive.  I really wanted to move it out further, but closer in was the right answer.  You can see the results of the testing this earlier post. [...] [...] How does that beauty dish adjust anyway?  That’s the big question and it’s the thing I did not explain it very well.  So here goes.  Really, it is just a built up mirror on three bolts that can slide in and out of the dish.  The big thing is that each dish is likely to be different and you’ll have to find the sweet spot for your mirror/dish combination by adjusting, test shooting, adjusting and test shooting until you’ve got it working the way you want. I was surprised at how close I had to move the mirror (about 1 inch / 10 cm) out was the final resting place.  I found that to be very counter intuitive.  I really wanted to move it out further, but closer in was the right answer.  You can see the results of the testing this earlier post. [...]

]]> By: matt bigelow http://lightandpixels.com/2008/11/16/hold-the-presses-update-to-the-beauty-dish/comment-page-1/#comment-49 matt bigelow Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:21:08 +0000 http://lpblog.lightandpixels.com/?p=346#comment-49 Hey! Thanks for the great DIY! I'm gonna try to get this going possibly this weekend. The only thing that I'm curious on is how you made the adjustable mirror mount. I didn't quite follow that part. I guess I just do better with pictures. Any way you could send some? Or even give a description of how you did it? Thanks!! -Matt <em>@Matt - Coming right up! </em> Tom Hey!

Thanks for the great DIY! I’m gonna try to get this going possibly this weekend. The only thing that I’m curious on is how you made the adjustable mirror mount. I didn’t quite follow that part. I guess I just do better with pictures. Any way you could send some? Or even give a description of how you did it?

Thanks!!

-Matt

@Matt – Coming right up! Tom

]]> By: John http://lightandpixels.com/2008/11/16/hold-the-presses-update-to-the-beauty-dish/comment-page-1/#comment-48 John Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:32:19 +0000 http://lpblog.lightandpixels.com/?p=346#comment-48 Great article, thanks for the update! So if I'm getting this right, you're saying that if you move the mirror in closer to the light source, you get a nice fuller light? I just recently made a beauty dish but haven't tested it that thoroughly yet. <em>@John: Yeah, it was completly counter-intutive to me. I wanted to push the mirror out but it worked WAY BETTER with the mirror close in. I suspect though it depends a lot on the shape of the bowl. Test, adjust, test, adjust... </em> Tom Great article, thanks for the update! So if I’m getting this right, you’re saying that if you move the mirror in closer to the light source, you get a nice fuller light? I just recently made a beauty dish but haven’t tested it that thoroughly yet.

@John: Yeah, it was completly counter-intutive to me. I wanted to push the mirror out but it worked WAY BETTER with the mirror close in. I suspect though it depends a lot on the shape of the bowl. Test, adjust, test, adjust… Tom

]]> By: Light and Pixels - My Photography Journal » Blog Archive » Building a DIY beauty dish http://lightandpixels.com/2008/11/16/hold-the-presses-update-to-the-beauty-dish/comment-page-1/#comment-47 Light and Pixels - My Photography Journal » Blog Archive » Building a DIY beauty dish Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:18:03 +0000 http://lpblog.lightandpixels.com/?p=346#comment-47 [...] « More work with white backgrounds Hold the presses!! update to the Beauty Dish [...] [...] « More work with white backgrounds Hold the presses!! update to the Beauty Dish [...]

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