Originally posted by SSGGeezer Show me a picture of what you call a beauty dish please. And where was it in relation to the pretty girl?
Yes, SG, here's one below.
A softbox or shoot through umbrella will have a 'hot spot' where the speedlight's centre is.
A beauty dish is really about the metal disc you see flagging off that bit, so the light is real even across the subject, beautiful for skin tones with much reduced blown highlights. It's not big, so the shadows are more dramatic and contrasty than an umbrella would permit, it's a very distinctive look this modifier gives a flash.
It's to Carrie's left, about a metre off the ground.