Discover why the beauty dish remains one of the most powerful tools in a photographer’s lighting kit. In this video, I demonstrate how this affordable modifier can sculpt light for stunning beauty, fashion, and portrait shots, rivaling even more expensive options. We’ll explore behind-the-scenes setups, positioning tips, and compare it to other lighting modifiers like softboxes.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your lighting techniques, the beauty dish is a game-changer. Watch the video to learn how to master it and enhance your images!
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Comments
29 responses to “Why the Beauty Dish Still Reigns Supreme in Portrait Photography”
Hope to see more classes during the fall. Thanks.
Great information
'can get white beauty dishes too' I've always heard that BD is only white and if silver it's just called a reflector
As always, very helpful and insightful, as always, very grateful for your kindness and sharing what you have gained through the years and that you are so generous to share for free 🙂 bless your heart, may the Lord give you more power and all the beautiful things you desire 🙂
Some 2000-era work here.
Great video Karl 👍 Beautydish is one of my favorite modifiers for fashion and beauy photography. Recently, however, I have been discovering more and more the beauty of the classic Fresnel reflector. Do you ever use Fresnel?
You are wrong, this is Wok pan
Great video!
Thank you for this educational video!
Any comments about those foldable "beauty dish", can be considered as true beauty dish? Is there any differences?
Silver is under-utilized by most modern photographers. Most just use octaboxes or large umbrellas with diffusers. I think it just takes a little more skill to make silver modifiers look good. Without some good fill or bounce silver can be a bit harsher and more contrasty. But with proper fill silver just gives a nice extra pop to the highlights that makes things sparkle a little extra without getting your mid-tones overexposed.
Very very educational. Thank you
❤ great video
Is it much better to a silver ambrella ? Thank you.
Thank you Karl for your knowledge and wisdom. Also for showing examples and your set ups.
thx!
Now I'm inspired to add the silver 70cm to my 55cm in white.
This is the kind of education photographers need. No nonsense, directly to the point, and objective. Thank you Karl!
These are all static lights not flash?
i don't like the beauty dish but i love the Elinchrom 41cm maxilite with a hammered interior surface.
Thank you for sharing! I also like my beauty dish. However, I find the light at the edges sometimes too hard. When you look into the dish from an angle, you can directly see the bulb. So the light at the face might be soft, but lower on the hands it is direct light from the flash. Is there a work-around?
What a great video with tons of useful information, explanations and examples. Thank you very much 👍.
One question, would you ever use a beauty dish more from one side to get one side slightly darker for more 3 dimensionality, or doesn’t this work well?
"Karl Taylor Education" (Visual Education) was the first photography course I ever took. It was life-changing. I signed up YEARSSSS ago… I can't believe that Karl STILL, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, continues to educate us through his course and free YouTube videos. Your relentless pursuit to help others is second to none in this industry. It's so inspiring!
Always the best explanations! Thank you!
Do you ever use the beauty dish with its grid or its diffusion sock?
The undefeated Master of Ligthing🏆
Thanks for sharing the wisdom.
FANTASTIC results, per usual. I’ve never worked around paint flying; this video explains why! Love your stuff Karl- great concepts, great post work.
always a pleasure to watch and learn from you Karl.
I always look forward to refresher courses. Thanks.
Excellent video packed with tons of great info! Thank you! Question if I may? Would you ever use a beauty dish on male subjects (portraits) let’s say rugged looking or older? If not what is your favorite modifier for those situations?
А можно вопрос? … на 10:37 минуте: зачем у рыжеволосой девушки в зеленом платье эти яркие белые блики на левом и правом плечах? Очень контрастный и яркий свет!!! Смысл?
Always a pleasure.