Paul Buff Beauty Dish

The 22-inch High Output Silver Beauty Dish creates a bright, highly-efficient light source with a narrow 45° beam spread. When used close to the subject, the narrow beam spread allows a more selective area of coverage. With about six times the efficiency of a white dish, the silver dish can be used to light subjects from greater distances as well, even with low power flash units.

The reflector arrives with an optional direct-light blocker. Direct light from the flashtube is blocked, allowing only bounced light from the reflector to fall on the subject. This reduces the degree of reflections from shiny “specular” objects.

Because of its geometry, the Silver Beauty Dish provides a somewhat higher degree of shadow softening and the finish allows more specularity than the White Dish. Even more specular response can be achieved by using the Beauty Dish without the included direct-light blocker. The result is a small center light source (the flashtube) surrounded by a 22-inch circle of reflected light that enhances reflections from shiny objects such as sequins, jewelry, etc., and achieves maximum pop.

The reflector additionally arrives with a translucent white diffusion sock that converts the Silver Beauty Dish into the equivalent of a round softbox with very even coverage and outstanding evenness across the face of the diffusion fabric. This widens the angle of coverage to about 150° and lowers the output by about 1 to 1-1/2 f-stops. It also minimizes the specularity and results in approximately the same photographic result as a conventional white beauty dish with diffusion sock.

Works with Alien Bees and Einstein flash units