How to Use a Brolly Box

Studio photographers have several choices when it comes to lighting equipment. Brolly boxes are similar to soft boxes in many way, at a fraction of the cost. Using a brolly box will give your portraits a soft, diffused light, similar to a soft box. However, using a brolly box does differ from a soft box.

Things You'll Need

• Brolly box
• Light stand
• Studio strobes

Instructions

1. 

   Carefully open your brolly box. Simply pop it up like an umbrella. When your brolly box is not in use, it can collapse like an umbrella and be stored in a very small amount of space.

2. 

   Take your brolly box over to your studio strobe that is already secured on a light stand. Line up the metal pole on the brolly box, with the hole on your strobe clamp or light stand. Thread the pole through just until the brolly box starts to touch the strobe reflector.

3. 

   Make sure the loose fabric around the base of the brolly box is hanging to the outside of the brolly box. You will notice a draw string and a zipper on the base of the brolly box. Make sure those are at the bottom, facing the floor.

4. 

   Carefully pull the brolly box over the head of the strobe. Now, cinch up the drawstring, and close the zipper, so they are snug around the base of the strobe, but over the reflector.

5. 

   Turn on your strobe and make sure the fan is cooling your light head. If you are not using fan-cooled heads, a brolly box , soft box or any accessory that touches the light head is not recommended, since it can get very hot.

6. 

   Adjust the position of the brolly box with reference to your subject matter. Try to be more accurate with the positioning of your lights when using a brolly box.

Tips & Warnings

• Some photographers notice a loss of light around the curved edges of the brolly box. To maximize the light output, be sure to position the brolly box carefully with reference to your subject. Brolly boxes are less forgiving than soft boxes and need to be positioned exactly where you want the light.

• The first time you use your brolly box, make sure it is not getting too hot around the base near your strobes. If you use fan-cooled heads, there shouldn’t be a problem. If it seems to be getting too warm, adjust the brolly box so there is more ventilation around the strobe, or discontinue use.