FLASHGUN DIFFUSER

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Permalink Reply by nathan mccreery on February 2, 2012 at 6:11pm

I am almost always against the purchase of gadgets.  This falls into that category.  One of the principles of light is that diffuse light is created by having a large light source.  Unless the diffuser makes the source of light larger the only real effect will be to take several stops of light off the lights output.  You probably can get a similar result by placing a white cloth or paper towel in front of the flash.  Unless the diffuser, which this is, can be moved enough distance from the flash to get a larger lighting surface I doubt the gadget will do a lot to soften the quality of light.

That said, having a flash to add light to outdoor portraits is a great thing.  It just has to be managed.

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Permalink Reply by CameraClicker on February 2, 2012 at 7:39pm

You can get a small softbox that fits a speedlight: http://www.henrys.com/58495-WESTCOTT-APOLLO-MICRO-2200.aspx

The reflector in your video did not seem to come with purchase instructions! 

Your options vary by location, number of helpers and available hardware. Also by how handy you are at making/scrounging things.

The center of a 5 in 1 reflector is translucent.  If you can get the flash off the camera, you can aim it at the scrim which will block some light but also turn into a larger light source for your subject. 

You can get a 50 foot roll of double sided Velcro from Home Depot for a couple of dollars.  Put a wide elastic band from the local produce market around the flash, then wrap some of the Velcro around it an you have a way of attaching all sorts of accessories.

You can wrap a sheet of photo paper, or even photocopy paper part way around your flash and it will do the same thing as the reflector in your movie.  I find Velcro more manageable but you can just use elastic bands.  Don't expect great results out doors, there is no ceiling to bounce the light off of, it just goes straight up.  It may work reasonably well aimed at 45 degrees though.  If you want it to be a little more substantial, you can glue the shiny side of tin foil to photocopy paper.  Try out both sides toward the light, you will get different results.

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Permalink Reply by Max Kalkman on February 3, 2012 at 12:48pm

You never "need" to invest in this kind of gear in my opinion. Also, a LOT of flash diffusers are severely lacking in my opinion. There is a huge difference between something working, and it working well when it comes to flash. The real trick to it is learning your light types and utilizing them.

If you have your heart set on getting a simple, easy to use flash diffuser that produces good results the vast majority of the time, I recommend getting a fong diffuser.

However, if you want really nice soft light, there are better ways to get it. One really nice source of diffuse light is placing a model near a north or south facing window while the sun is high overhead. Play with moving your model closer or farther away. If you need a stop more exposure, move the model half of the way towards the window, and if you need less, double the distance from the model to the window.

Also try open shade. Placing a model completely in open shade can create nice light if there is full sunlight nearby that is able to bounce in.

These 2 shots are downsized but not toned or otherwise edited.

Window light:Open shade:

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Permalink Reply by Fred on February 3, 2012 at 10:52pm

You could try searching for your answer on www.strobist.com, the one stop place to answer most lighting questions and you could also read the manual for your camera and flash unit and have the flash in manual so that you control the amount of flash you are going to use instead of relying on TTL control.

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Permalink Reply by Brigette Lamb on February 14, 2012 at 1:12am

I would like to thank you all to d lovely advice/ tips  u hv given me ... Thank u for being so helpful. Love this PS network , lovely people around the world  

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Leis on February 14, 2012 at 2:33pm

Just a thought... how about trying this out...

http://www.photographymasterclass.com/how-to-shoot-in-natural-light...

Not having seen any of your photos, that would be my general view on your question...

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Permalink Reply by Brigette Lamb on February 15, 2012 at 12:55am

Thank u Daniel , the vid is great ... I put a book mark in my comp to remind me whenever I go outdoor shooting .. :)

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