When it comes to portrait photography, the softbox is one of the most fundamental and versatile tools you can have in your kit. If you are new to working with artificial lighting, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you how to properly place a softbox to get the best results. 

Coming to you from Daniel Norton Photographer, this helpful video tutorial will show you how to properly place a softbox for a portrait. One of the most important rules a photographer should learn is how the relative (not absolute) size of the source affects the softness of the light. In other words, a small source can create soft light if it is close and thus relatively large to your subject, and a large source can produce hard light if it is placed far away. This is the same reason the sun produces hard light; despite its massive size, being 93 million miles away, it is relatively small compared to earthbound sources. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Norton. 

If you would like to continue learning about how to light a portrait, be sure to check out “Illuminating The Face: Lighting for Headshots and Portraits With Peter Hurley!”