As you can see, I recently evaluated all the equipment that I have in the studio. This time, I reviewed dozens of light modifiers I own and picked out my top five favorites. Surprisingly, they are a far cry from “ordinary” light shaping tools.
There are a lot of light shaping tools I have and use in the studio. If you’re looking for analytical information on each tool I have in the studio, there’s a separate article. However, in this section, I’m going to talk you through the things I love, the things I really want, and the things I take with me everywhere I can. Prices range from $3,000 to $10, and only two of the five are made by Profoto. Can you believe it? I use modifiers not made by Profoto. The most attentive and most annoyed commenters must be checking names on top now. For the others, let’s dive in.
Gel filter
This could be the most useful tool in my toolbox. While I rarely use it for things where I don’t have creative control, I always use it for personal projects. Color is one of the cornerstones of my work, as my style is characterized by a dreamlike, almost theater-like setting. One of the most common things to see in theaters is colorful lighting. It’s almost impossible that some kind of colorful light goes unused at some point. Concerts, performances, and shows are lit almost exclusively with bright, vibrant, colorful lights. I like to illuminate the background with different colors in the most unusual ways to achieve what I want. It’s not uncommon to find me also lighting the subject with a gel. I use both Profoto and other gels. A few years ago I picked up OCF I gels and found them extremely useful, as they have a pre-cut shape and show f-stop loss due to each color. For example, a blue gel will lose about four stops of light, while a yellow one will take less than one stop. Naturally, Profoto gels are expensive, especially the OCF II version. This is why I go to the nearest stage and sound store and pick up some Rosco or Lee heat-resistant gels. They are a bit pricey, but are heat resistant so I can put them on the Pro-Head and not worry about them melting. The OCF gel will melt as soon as you turn on the modeling light on your D1, D2, or any Pro-Head. 
Profoto ProFresnel Spot and Barndoors
Honestly: a year ago, I never thought I would buy this precise light shaping tool. Until I saw one for sale for nothing else (by ProFresnel standard, that is, I promise), right around Christmas, and right around paying for an upcoming job. I splurged and bought it. The reason I do it is that I know all too well how wonderful the light from it is. As a Fresnel, it focuses the beam like no other light shaping tool and throws it far away. Light can travel great distances, which means it is an excellent navigation tool. I can save battery by using Fresnel. It weighed 9 kg, and it was a nightmare to carry, but I still brought it to the venue. In the studio, this is the light modifier I use in conjunction with foil, a mirror, a magnifying glass, and as the main light. Because the beam is so strong and optically focused, it can be easily manipulated to create eye-catching reflections, shapes and patterns. Below you can see how I used the Fresnel behind the model as a border light and then reflected the beam to use as a key. 
Profoto 3 ‘Octa
this is a modifiers that you must own. Although I’m not a big fan of softbox, I use it more often than I thought. While not a fan of super soft light, and as someone who rarely gets a big octave, I quite like the soft but crisp light the 3′ delivers. Used at the right distance, it combines the diffuse but also hardy qualities of light. This softbox is mainly used with mesh, as I want to control my light spill. I’ve used it for a variety of applications, from kickers to keys and everything in between. Softboxes are great with baffles, but if you take them out, you also get a pretty interesting result. What you get is a relatively hard, fairly sharp light that is perfect for creating beauty images, as well as fashion works. It shows all the details on the face, which can be quite unflattering. However, you should try taking both baffles out of the softbox and capturing bare shadows, such as in the image below. Another idea is to take the outside out and leave only the inside.
Mirror for $10
Originally purchased to build sets, it is now used to reflect light spots on the model. It is almost like an optical viewfinder, in the sense that it reflects a very hard and direct light. For example, the square you see in the image below was created using a mirror. In essence, it’s like an additional light source that doesn’t cost money. While reflectors are cool and they can certainly provide “additional light”, they are not a substitute for a good mirror. It can also be used to reflect sunlight, which makes it a very useful thing to have around your studio. In fact, there are many mirrors that I use in the studio, sometimes, even multiple at the same time. It’s probably one of the most exciting things I’ve done in lighting. Inexpensive, it has allowed me to create images that look expensive. 
Godox paragraph 128
Go to beautify anything, This truly parabolic softbox by Godox is a good companion of mine. I have used it for both commercials and creative exercises. It is quite a versatile light modifier, with good light and light quality. One thing that stands out about para is its ability to produce a crisp yet soft light. By that, I simply mean that while it produces light that presents good detail, it does it in a very beautiful way. It is a great key as well as a fill light. There’s a reason more photographers choose a para than anything else. It is an expensive modifier but well worth the investment.
Stop thinking
As you already understood, anything can be a light modifier, as long as it interacts with light. It can be any surface, any object or anything that achieves your goal. Recently, I started experimenting with crystals, bottles, and other objects that can modify the visual appearance of an image. There is no such thing as an assessment of a person as a “light modifier”. Simply having curiosity and an open mind is willing to try anything that seems appealing. I strongly encourage you to look outside the softbox or at least experiment with the amount of diffusion within the softbox.
