Professional and amateur photographers alike need light sources that offer a pure and soft quality of radiance that diffuses shadows and reduces harshness, so many use portable softboxes and light reflecting panels to highlight their subjects. Lastolite is a manufacturer of collapsible reflectors and diffusers for the photo, video and cinema industries. While the small Lastolite reflectors are as easy to fold up as a dashboard protector, learning fold a Lastolite HiLite Softbox after use can be quite a challenge.
Instructions
Fold a Lastolite HiLite Softbox
1. When fully operational, a Lastolite HiLite is shaped like a big piece of inflatable Texas toast. Place the Lastolite HiLite flat on the floor.
2. Unfasten all the zippers around the entire body of the Lastolite HiLite, which will allow the air inside to be released. Reach inside and remove all of the support bars that give the necessary tension to keep the HiLite rigid.
3. Once the top panel of the Lastolite HiLite collapses onto the bottom panel, tuck in all the side panels so they do not protrude.
4. Grab one of the corners and press it into your torso at about belt level, lean over and place your hands as far along either side of the Lastolite HiLite as you can reach. Slowly bring the sides up until they are pointed toward the ceiling. The corner opposite you should flop down and point at the floor, which gives the Lastolite HiLite a shape reminiscent of a Pringles potato chip.
5. Allow the corner opposite you to curl underneath and point back toward you. Bring each side you are holding together to overlap and form a tube. Keep curling the side together and they should collapse into each other to form a basically circular shape. Jiggle the side of the hoops together to even them up. It should now look exactly like the compact package with which you started.
Tags: Lastolite HiLite, corner opposite, Fold Lastolite, HiLite Softbox, Lastolite HiLite Softbox