The Softbox: An Introduction

A softbox is an enclosure designed to fit around an artificial light source, such as a flash tube or halogen lamp. Its reflective interior intensifies the light output and projects it through its only means of escape—the front diffusion screen. This creates a quality of light long appreciated by photographers and videographers, which resembles the softer light one might find streaming through a window. It also creates square or rectangular highlights in the reflective surfaces of your subjects. The "soft" name stuck because of the quality of light this type of modifier emits.
Early softboxes were made of hard materials such as plywood, unlike today's lightweight materials, such as polyester and nylon. However, the concept is the same—light is contained as it bounces inside an enclosure and is diffused through a translucent white panel.

Softboxes vs. Umbrellas

Since many photographers "step up" from the old diffusion standby, umbrellas, let's briefly explore the differences between umbrellas and softboxes.
An umbrella is incredibly easy to set up—no question about that, although softbox manufacturers like Chimera keep coming up with speed rings with jointed mounting holes that snap into place un-tensioned. Then there are also softboxes from companies such as Westcott, with umbrella-type action, so we at least have some partial parity here.

Westcott Apollo Deep Umbrella

One of the few benefits of umbrellas is the round catchlights they create in a portrait subject's eyes—rectangular reflections just don't look as natural (unless you’re trying to replicate window light). Of course, you can use a circular mask over a square or rectangular softbox, but that's another step in setup. Then again, you could also purchase an octagonal softbox, but more about that later.