A beauty dish creates a rich quality of light, and has become a staple in the work of portrait and fashion photographers alike – because of its control and versatility. Our range of beauty dishes, called Softlight Reflectors, are available in a white and a silver finish. So, which one is the right one for you? In this article, we will take a look at the differences together with fashion photographer Lindsay Adler.
White beauty dish
A White beauty dish produces a softer and smoother quality of light, with a little less contrast than the silver option. A white beauty dish is great choice when you desire more crisp shadow edges then what a Softbox 3' Octa would deliver, but still want to avoid excess specular highlights on the face/forehead.
Silver beauty dish
A Silver beauty dish produces a more specular quality of light that brings out more of the highlights and details – which ultimately results in more contrast. It also produces nearly a stop more light than the white beauty dish, due to the way it channels the light. Because of this brightness of light, the fall off is more exaggerated than with a white beauty dish. The silver beauty dish is a great choice when you want a bit more contrast and a rich ‘sweet spot’ of light, without using a hard light modifier like a Zoom Reflector (which would be much more specular and harsh on the skin).
How Lindsay Adler uses them
"When I’m shooting portraits, particularly of everyday people, a white beauty dish is far more forgiving on the skin."
The white beauty dish has a softer quality of light, which helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles or blemishes. For this same reason, the white version has become a go-to choice for beauty photographers capturing skincare or editorial beauty images.
The silver beauty dish can emphasize contrast, texture and detail. When Lindsay has photographed glitter, makeup ‘highlighter’ or when she wants highlights to glisten, she reaches for her silver beauty dish. The silver version is also her go-to when photographing athletes, since it helps emphasizing the musculature and oiled skin.
"A silver beauty dish may also be a good choice when I need more output – for example – when I’m trying to balance my strobe with sunlight on location", Lindsay says.
Which beauty dish should you buy?
There is no right or wrong, and of course it is all about choosing the tool that is right for you. Lindsay tends to use a white beauty dish more often, especially for portraits, but in her beauty/fashion work that extra contrast and sparkle of a silver beauty dish can really make the world have a different aesthetic.
Tip
If you want to smooth out highlights or harshness on either modifier, consider adding a diffuser (often called a “sock”) to your beauty dish for instantly more even, softer results. To learn about other ways to modify your beauty dish, check out this video on Lindsay's three favorite tools to change it up!
About the photographer
To see more of Lindsay Adler's images and lighting setups from previous photo shoots, visit her Share the Light profile or check out her monthly subscription platform Learn+.
