softbox

thumb|Two softboxes thumb|upright|Outdoor portrait photography with a softbox thumb|Photograph of fruit with (top) and without (bottom) softbox lighting

A softbox is a type of lighting modifier used in photography and videography. It belongs to the group of devices designed to produce soft light. All the various soft light types create even and diffused light by transmitting light through some scattering material, or by reflecting light off a second surface to diffuse the light. One of the best known form of reflective source is the umbrella light, where the light from the bulb is "bounced" off the inside of a metalized umbrella to create an indirect "soft" light.