p.1 #1 · single light modifier: silver or white beauty dish
Re-posting from the people forum:
I live on the Oregon Coast where there is a lot of constant wind, so large umbrellas and softboxes aren't the best option. I have Einstein heads and a battery, and am looking for a single portable modifier. I am looking at the Paul C Buff / Alien Bees beauty dishes..... would you recommend the silver or white beauty dish?
How about the grids? 15 or 30 degree useful? Thanks for any tips, ideas, images.
p.1 #2 · single light modifier: silver or white beauty dish
Silver can give a "snappier" look, often appropriate for outdoor shots, and you can use a white diffusion sock over it if you need something with less pop, so I'd suggest silver. YMMV.
p.1 #3 · single light modifier: silver or white beauty dish
How much versatility do you need? Are you primarily looking for a single modifier specifically for your outdoor shooting, or are you looking for something more generalized?
If the former I'd agree with Brian for the reasons he mentioned. It'll generally look great where there's sun, even when it's behind those PacNW clouds.
If the latter, the white will tend to be more versatile. White dishes have a much wider native beam spread, and the dialed back contrast of an unmodified white dish lets you use it where you wouldn't necessarily want even a socked silver. But YMMV.