A studio light is an artificial light source used to illuminate a scene when photographing or shooting video. Unlike a conventional lamp, it provides significantly higher output and allows precise control over its characteristics. There are two basic types of studio lights. The first are studio flashes, which produce a very brief and intense flash synchronized with the camera. The second type are continuous lights that shine continuously, which is especially useful for video or for situations where the filmmaker wants to see the lighting of a scene in real time. The studio light itself, without accessories, emits a harsh and hard light that creates distinctive shadows. This is why so-called "light modifiers" are most often applied to it to modify its character. The softbox is just one of these modifiers. Its job is to diffuse and soften the light from the source. The result is even and soft lighting that creates smooth transitions between light and shadow and is often used in portrait photography, for example. The studio light is therefore the core of the whole system that creates the light, while the softbox is the attachment that shapes and softens this light.