13/10/2026
One breakfast, four light shapers, four different mornings.
Karl Taylor built a single set, croissants and coffee and a newspaper on the table, and then changed nothing but the light.
Para 88, on its own. Its focusing system runs from soft and wrapping to a concentrated beam that closely resembles natural sunlight. One modifier does what the next two do together, and it is markedly more efficient than a conventional softbox.
Octabox 150 behind the set, for soft backlight. That is the overcast morning: gentle and even, with an overhead fill keeping the shadows open. A mirror reflector in front adds a touch of fill without losing the soft character.
Picolite with the Fresnel spot attachment. A focused beam of harder light onto the croissants brings the sparkle of sunlight back while the overall softness stays. The beam angle can be set precisely enough to hit only what matters.
Pulso Spot 4, and a window pattern across the table.
The last two frames show the setups: lighting above, result below.
📸 Karl Taylor for Education
