# Hair light - soft box suggestions



## Foxtrot_01 (Aug 5, 2013)

Hello all,
I did a shoot last week, I had been using off camera flashes for a while(285Hv) but recently bought flashpoint 320II, I also bought Flashpoint II 30x60", 76x152cm soft boxes. I have two of these 30X60 soft boxes, one is the main light and the second is the fill light, I have two more monolights 320II that I bought to blow up the white background. On my last shoot, first time using these lights, I used as a hair light a 285Hv with a DIY snoot with grid, I had problems with the model moving out of the light from the hair light. 
The other lights worked without a problem but the hairlight in my opinion was not strong enough or maybe it was the snoot, the reason I didnt use a soft box or a monolight as a hair light is that the boom that I have is not a heavy duty boom, it holds about 2kg(4lbs), I was also afraid that light from the hairlight was going to spill.

what is the ideal softbox size for the hairlight? should I stick with the 285Hv and use a soft box instead of a snoot with a grid or should I scratch the 285Hv as a hair light and consider a heavy duty boom that will hold the 320II monolight with soft box?


any assistance is much appreciated.


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## tirediron (Aug 5, 2013)

I don't think that there is an idea size; something small for sure.  99.9% of the time I use either a bare flash or a snoot on my Brownline MW3R.  I don't think I've actually diffused a hair light.  If the model is flow-posing or active, be prepared to either move the light, or set up your lighting so that you don't need to move it (high key).


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## Mike_E (Aug 5, 2013)

A small striplight works pretty well.

You could also DIY a barndoor, you actually want specular highlights so softer is not actually better.


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## Foxtrot_01 (Aug 6, 2013)

Mike_E said:


> A small striplight works pretty well.
> 
> You could also DIY a barndoor, you actually want specular highlights so softer is not actually better.



I like the striplight idea, perhaps something like this The DIY Strip Light | DIYPhotography.net


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## KmH (Aug 6, 2013)

I too favored a small, constant light with a snoot as a hair light for posed portraits.


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## Foxtrot_01 (Aug 6, 2013)

KmH said:


> I too favored a small, constant light with a snoot as a hair light for posed portraits.



Is the strip light for the hairlight supposed to be a constant light or can an off-camera flash be used for this?


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