The size of a softbox and also the distance from softbox to subject determine the quality of light. Light from a softbox is not always necessarily soft, contrary to what the name suggests. Regular visitors of this blog might know that I was given the book Studio Lighting Techniques for Photography by Christopher Grey for my birthday recently. Chapter 5 of this book is called Specularity and Depth of Light with Softboxes. It shows the images taken with various softboxes – from small to large – at different distances to the model. As a reader you’re advised not to take all of this for granted, but you’re actually encouraged to experiment with it yourself. So that’s what I did. If you’re interested in the results, click here. It’s not about beauty or glamour shots, but a simple experiment. See what a change in distance does to the quality of light and specular highlights (with a small softbox).
From what I’ve read so far from the book, I really like it a lot. Theory is explained in simple words and illustrated with plenty of examples. Good stuff.