Comparing different flash modifiers can be a very tedious job. German photographer Michael Quack with Visual Pursuit has created a significant resource for photographers. Now you can very quickly and easily see how various shapes and sizes of modifier change how light falls on our subject without moving an inch.

Quack used lighting equipment produced by the Germany company Hensel, but the lighting setups and principles can be applied to any brand that you use for your gear.

Quack used a gray backdrop in his studio with a model standing 5 feet in front of the backdrop. Each light is then placed 8 feet away with the center of the light at the height of the model’s forehead. Except for the ring flash units, each modifier is shown in the same position for every shot.

Five photographs are taken for each example, at different angles to show different meter readings with different setups. For each setup, Quack documented (1) the effect of the light on the model’s face, (2) the look of the light on the model’s body, (3) what the setup looks like from above, (4) what the set looks like from the side, (5) the same lighting setup with extra light bounced off the ceiling, (6) and details of the light and modifier.

Whether you’re planning to pick up a beauty dish or a softbox this will obviously help you to know how it’s going to work on your subject in advance.

Quack created two massive PDFs packed with these pages. The first contains around 80 different modifiers and the second contains a further 40.

You can also download these PDFs here.

• Hensel modifier comparison Part 1
• Hensel modifier comparison Part 2

There’s also a web hosted version of Part 1 available in German, here.

(via DIYPhotography)