Can you light a full fashion shoot using nothing but softboxes? Fashion photographer Abdulai Sesay (@absesay_photo) shows that you can, and that the results can range from clean and simple to bold and dramatic. In this first episode of the Godox UL Softbox Series, AB starts with a single softbox and builds, step by step, into a complete multi-light setup.
The point is not to make lighting complicated. It is to show how softbox size, direction, fill, background light, accent light, and colour each change a portrait, while the light itself stays soft and controlled. It is one of the clearest lessons in building a lighting setup we have seen.
Shop the Godox UL-Box RangeWatch: Softbox-Only Fashion Lighting
Photographer: Abdulai Sesay, @absesay_photo · Model: @julie.festival
TL;DR
AB builds a fashion portrait using only Godox UL softboxes, lit by the Godox LA600Bi and LA600R. He starts with one softbox as the key light, compares the 60cm and 180cm Octa boxes to show how size changes contrast and softness, then adds fill, background, and accent light, keeping everything tidy with grids and edge masks. Finally, coloured gels take the image from clean studio portrait to dramatic fashion look, while the softboxes keep the light flattering. The lesson: start with one light, make it work, and give every extra light a clear job.
Step 1: Start With One Softbox
The setup begins with a single UL softbox as the key light. It gives AB a clean base to build on before any other light is added. The challenge at this stage is getting the balance right: if the light is too flat, the face, shoulders, and dress lose their shape, but if it is too harsh, the fashion look stops feeling polished.
The fix is all about placement. Position the softbox so it gives the portrait clear direction, then adjust the angle until the light shapes the face and dress without making the shadows too heavy. It is a simple step, but it decides how every later light will behave.
Starting with a single UL softbox as the key light
Quick tip: Start with one light and make it work first. Every light you add after that should have a clear job.
A clean, controlled starting point
How a softbox diffuses and shapes light, per Softbox, Wikipedia.
Step 2: Compare the 60cm and 180cm Octa Softboxes
Next, AB swaps between the UL-Box Octa60 and the much larger UL-Box 180 from the same light position, which makes the difference in size easy to see. The 60cm octabox produces stronger contrast and more defined shadows, adding punch and structure to the portrait. The 180cm octabox spreads the light over a far wider area, so shadows become smoother and the light wraps more softly around the subject.
The reason comes down to the size of the source relative to the subject. A larger source lights the subject from more angles at once, filling in shadows and softening their edges, while a smaller source behaves more like a point of light, giving crisper shadows and more contrast. Neither is better. They simply produce different looks.
60cm Octa
Stronger contrast and more defined shadows
180cm Octa
Smoother shadows and softer, wrapping light
Quick tip: Choose the 60cm softbox when you want more contrast and definition, and the 180cm softbox for a softer, full-body fashion look.
Why larger light sources produce softer shadows, per Soft light, Wikipedia.
Step 3: Build the Full Softbox Setup
Once the one-light portrait works, it needs more control over shadow detail, background tone, and the separation between the model and the backdrop. AB builds this in stages: one softbox stays as the main light, then fill, background light, and accent light are added only where they are needed. The slim UL-Box 30x90 is a natural fit for edge and accent light, where a long, narrow source traces the outline of the figure.
Control is what keeps a multi-light softbox setup from turning messy. The UL Series grids and edge masks stop the light from spreading everywhere, so each source stays on its own job. That keeps the final image clean even as more lights are added, which is exactly where many multi-light setups go wrong.
The full softbox-only setup, with every light given a clear job
More shape and separation, with the light still soft
Step 4: Add Colour for a Dramatic Finish
For the final look, AB moves from a clean studio portrait to a bolder fashion image by adding gelled light. The colour brings mood and atmosphere, while the softboxes keep the light controlled and flattering. The result feels far more dramatic, yet the light still looks soft, which shows how the same UL Softbox Series can carry you from simple portraits to strong creative work.
It is also a reminder that dramatic does not have to mean hard light. Colour, contrast between sources, and careful control of spill can do the heavy lifting, so you keep the polish that softboxes give on skin and fabric.
The final look: bold colour, still soft light
How coloured gels change the colour of a light, per Color gel, Wikipedia.
Why the UL Softbox Series Works for This
The Godox UL Softbox Series is designed to be flexible and beginner-friendly, which is exactly why it suits a build-it-in-stages approach. Each box sets up quickly with a quick-release design, and the accessory system, including a deflector, inner diffuser, outer diffuser, grid, and edge mask, lets you change how soft, how wide, and how directional the light is without swapping modifiers.
That makes the series useful for photographers and videographers alike. You can run a single octabox for clean headshots, add a stripbox for edge light, and grid everything down for a controlled, moody frame, all within one family of modifiers on a standard Bowens mount.
The Gear AB Uses
Every softbox and light from the episode, available from CameraStuff.
Softboxes
Godox UL-Box Octa60
A 60cm quick-release octabox for punchy, defined light with more contrast.
View Octa60
Godox UL-Box 180
A large 180cm quick-release octabox for soft, wrapping, full-body light.
View UL-Box 180
Godox UL-Box 30x90
A slim 30 x 90cm quick-release stripbox, ideal for edge and accent light.
View UL-Box 30x90Lights
Godox Litemons LA600Bi
A 600W bi-colour COB LED with a Bowens mount, a powerful continuous source for softboxes.
View LA600Bi
Godox Litemons LA600R
A 600W full-colour RGB COB LED, ideal for colour accents and dramatic looks.
View LA600RTutorial notes adapted from Godox Photography Solutions.
About Godox
Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China, Godox is an integrated company combining R&D, manufacturing, and sales. It provides one-stop imaging lighting solutions with a comprehensive product ecosystem for photography, videography, cinematic production, broadcasting, and other sectors within the imaging industry.
Its portfolio covers professional flashes, studio and portable lighting, LED lighting, audio equipment, cameras, photo printers, wireless control systems, and lighting accessories, supporting a wide range of creative and production needs worldwide.
Guided by its core values of innovation, integrity, rigor, pragmatism, and inclusiveness, Godox is committed to providing outstanding imaging, cinematic lighting, and audio solutions. The company continuously pursues technological breakthroughs with the goal of becoming a leading force in the industry.
CameraStuff has been an authorised Godox distributor in South Africa since 2018, backed by an official Letter of Authorization from Godox Global.
See All GodoxSoftbox Lighting FAQs
Can you light a fashion shoot with only softboxes?
Yes. As AB shows, softboxes can act as the main, fill, background, and accent light. With grids and edge masks to control spill, a softbox-only setup can produce anything from clean, simple portraits to bold, dramatic looks.
Should I choose a 60cm or 180cm octabox?
Choose the 60cm octabox for stronger contrast and more defined shadows, and the 180cm octabox for softer, wrapping light that suits full-body fashion portraits. Many photographers own both for different looks.
What do grids and edge masks do?
Grids narrow the spread of light from a softbox so it falls only where you aim it, and edge masks shape the light further. Together they stop light spilling across the set, which keeps multi-light setups clean.
Do UL softboxes work with LED lights and flashes?
Yes. The UL Softbox Series uses a standard Bowens mount, so it fits Bowens-mount LEDs like the Godox LA600Bi and LA600R used here, as well as Bowens-mount studio flashes.
Where can I buy the Godox UL Softbox Series in South Africa?
You can buy the UL-Box softboxes and Godox LA600 lights from CameraStuff, an authorised Godox distributor in South Africa since 2018. We offer 60-day returns, free delivery on orders over R1000, nationwide delivery, and a team ready to help you build your setup.
Conrad Knuist
Head of Marketing and Photography Specialist
Conrad Knuist is Head of Marketing and Photography Specialist at CameraStuff, South Africa's specialist camera and lighting retailer. With over 18 years of hands-on experience across portrait, event, and commercial photography, Conrad has personally handled hundreds of products, from speedlights and softboxes to professional studio systems. He is an authorised Godox specialist and works directly with South African photographers to match the right tools to their work.
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