The Elinchrom Rotalux 100cm Octabox is one of my favourite light shapers. It’s also one of the most versatile tools in my lighting arsenal – you can use with and without diffusers, soft grid and Elinchrom Deflector plates.
I was so excited to receive the grid for my Rotalux 100cm Octa. I had to put it to work right away and see what I could create with it as my key light. I decided to incorporate it into a lighting workshop I was teaching and planned for 3 setups to light and shoot.
I used Elinchrom ELC Pro HD 500 strobes and Transmitter Pro.
Stylist Adrianna Fulop came on board to bring some really fun wardrobe to the shoot. We had Anjali S model for us. Lisa K from Revprint Studio 205 assisted with our lighting. Read on to see our setups and some of the results!
Two Light Setup
Rotalux 100cm with Silver Deflector with front diffuser and grid, no mid diffuser, . My ELC Pro HD 500 is placed above and to the left of Anjali (approximately 1.5 ft away). Anjali is 7 ft from Background. Our fill light is a 60cm Rotalux Octa to the right of Anajli at about 3 ft away, flagged off the gray paper background with Cinefoil.
I aimed the Octa so some light would spill on the background, to create a lighter spot on the background so Anjali wouldn’t disappear into the grey. The light from the 100cm Octabox is soft and precise – you can see details in her wardrobe that a harder light would overpower. The soft fill adds a touch of light to her hair and right side to further separate Anjali from the background.
Four Light Setup
Rotalux 100 cm with Silver Deflector and grid – no mid diffuser OR front diffuser, above and to the left of Anjali (approx 3 ft away). Anjali is 6 ft from Background. Our fill light is a 60cm Rotalux Octa below our key light, 3 ft away from Anjali.
For edge lighting this image, I added two 7” Elinchrom reflectors with 30-degree grids. This creates an outline of our subject on the black paper background.
This time, I angled the Octabox with grid so no light would spill on the background. This directional main light really highlights the hair and wardrobe – you can see the texture in both. To ensure Anjali didn’t disappear into the darkness, the two edge lights create separation. The edge light on the left falls down Anjali’s entire right side whilst the edge light on the right side was positioned to mainly affect her hair. The fill light, almost on the same angle as the key light, subtly softens some shadows whilst maintaining the character of the portrait.
Clamshell Setup
Rotalux 100 cm with front diffuser and grid, no post, no mid diffuser, above and centred to Anjali (approximately 2 ft away). Anjali is 5 ft from Background. My fill light is a 60cm Rotalux Octa below our key light directly in front of Anjali and aimed up towards her chin.
A classic beauty lighting pattern, this time with an Octabox instead of a beauty dish. The Octabox main light is much softer than a Beauty Dish while keeping the clamshell characteristics of nice shadows under the brow-line and nose – it sculpts Anjali’s face. The fill light from below really accentuates the beautiful colours in her irises and the poppies around her neck.
Buy the Elinchrom Rotalux Deep Octa Softbox and get the Rotagrid for FREE!
Discussed Items
About Phil Sutherland and WTPG
Phil Sutherland is the founder and director of WTPG and has been organizing lighting workshops and photography workshops in the GTA for 15 years. He is the owner of Revprint Studio 205 (www.revprint.com) – Toronto’s premier facilitated rental Photography studio and a professional commercial photographer for 25 years.
A self-described “lighting nut”, he has produced public Light Art for the Amsterdam Light Festival and teaches photography internationally.
The West Toronto Photography Group is a not-for-profit arts group created in 2011 to help artists access photography and digital arts studio spaces, workshops and to help the general community through arts and fundraising.
If you enjoy photography and are looking to shoot in studio and on location and share your enthusiasm with our community of artists of all levels. We offer our workshops at our cost to allow everyone to participate in our events, our professional instructors are sharing their time and expertise to help inspire and contribute back to the community. We hire local and international talent to work with our group (models and MUA / hair stylists).
Please come join us for a workshop! We look forward to shooting and sharing with you!
Come set your creativity free! Photography Workshops | West Toronto Photography Group | Toronto (wtpg.ngo)
I have worked with Phil a number of times he is amazing & his studio is as impeccable as his knowledge and talent👌