Bounce or Fill Flash?
Nov 25, 2014 12:18:35 #
I was shooting fireworks a couple of years ago when a lady handholding her camera with flash gun came near and began shooting with flash. She told me not wrry because she was bouncing the flash off the clouds.
It would have been hard to say anything to her without laughing.
It would have been hard to say anything to her without laughing.
Nov 25, 2014 12:34:36 #
Do they have anyting attached to their flash? Outdoors you just step the flash down a bit, you don't point it away.
Nov 25, 2014 16:05:18 #
Bounce flash explained (to a fault):
Flash photography has been around for a long time. The technique started with flash powder (kinda like gun powder) in at troth-like T-Gun; a flint activated device that supplied an ample amount of flash fire to provide enough illumination to properly expose the sensitized plates of the day. Well, it worked but there was allot of airborne soot, a few self emolliated photographers and the occasional burned down building. Basically they were dealing with explosives and incendiaries- better used for excavating and warfare. Some folks still call their strobes and speedlights flash GUNS.
Then came the flashbulbs (one shot flash lamps)! The early ones looked like larger household light bulbs containing with metal foil, magnesium or zirconium mesh or wire that looked like steel wool- they also contained a gas- possibly argon. They were battery operated and some were designed for household current. In this concept the bulbs were inserted in a flash holder sometimes referred to as a gun, which was equipped with a reflector to thrust the light forward toward the subject. Eventually there were flashbulbs in every imaginable size, configuration, power, flash duration and color balance type. To accommodate theses lamps, there were every imaginable configuration of flash holder, reflector, size and style. The basic idea that upon synchronization with the cameras shutter, the power was sent to a filament which in turn would ignite the flammable material or gas inside the lamp which would produce the required flash of light. Theses lamps were relatively safe- the odd one would explode sending flying glass toward the subjects so plastic flash-guards were employed to prevent injuries. Remember, the lamps were one shots and had to be ejected and replaced for each shot and they were hot immediately after they were spent so there were some burned fingers. Exposure calculation was kinda difficult because there were different power outputs from different types of lamps and there were various effective light outputs depending on the design, surface finish and size of the reflector. Unlike strobes and speedlights, most flashbulbs had rather long flash durations whereby they would ignite, burn to a peak output and then decline, therefore shutter speeds had more influence over exposure than our modern electronic flash units. Of course there were no auto-flash goodies, TTL, dedicated exposure systems or flash meters to depend on so the photographer had to know his or her flashbulbs!
Although some more experienced and professional photographers used multiple flashbulb methods, off camera flash techniques in order to create more aesthetically pleasing results, for the most part, flash photography was considered strictly utilitarian- something you do when there is not enough existing light or was considered a method relegated to fill in light on sunny days- that was know as synchro-sunlight photography. During most of the 1950s and into the 60s, among portrait, art, and even news photographers; the concept of flash photograph held a stigma as being flat, having no dimensionality or mood and accompanied by ugly wall shadows, overexposed foregrounds and underexposed backgrounds and generally harsh and unrealistic. Available light was the in thing. Photographers put up with grainy films pushed to the hilt in dynamite developers rather than results with artificial looking flat light.
When the transition into electronic flash usage began to start, photographers had a much more convenient portable at-the-ready light source with many advantages over flashbulbs but the quality of the lighting in hand held/on the camera flash usage was still the same- flat, boring and without mood- the stigma among artistic photographers remained and in some circles still exists.
So why all the history? What does this have to do with bounce lighting? Lots! OK- Here goes. It seem that the doers and shakers in the archives of photography and the art-photography community noticed that those old photographs made with those nasty flash powder guns hand much better lighting- more natural than what modern shooters were achieving with single flash units mounted on the camera and aimed forward. Why? Those old T-Guns were shaped like a paint roller and the troth containing the flash powder were aimed upward toward the ceiling. The burst of flame also projected upward far enough that some of the light was projected forward toward the subjects. The result was what we now can achieve with a partial bounce technique where some of the light is reflected from the ceiling and some of it goes forward and strikes the subjects.
Also, even back in the day, there were photographers who were studying the dynamics, behaviors and physics of light- concepts such as reflectivity, angle of incidence and the inverse square law. There were many photographers with portrait and commercial backgrounds who wanted to apply their time honored continuous studio lighting techniques to their flash photography. All of this gave rise to many new flash techniques that involved taking the flash unit off the camera. Manufacturers caught on quickly and began to create quick release brackets and clamps, coiled flash cords and other accessories to enable the photographer to easily get the flash unit off the camera and take control of his flash lighting modes in a fast and convent manner. As I recall, the press photographer were one of the first groups to adopt bounce flash techniques.
Basically, in bounce lighting, you have to make simple choices for any given photographic situation- you can use your portable lighting tool in direct or indirect modes or a combination of the two. When you aim your relatively small and harsh flash unit at a large reflective surface such as a larger expanse of a white or light wall or ceiling you are, in effect, creating a much larger light source which looks more natural in the results, covers larger areas more evenly and allows the photographer to gun and run with a minimal amount of equipment especially when there is no time for more sophisticated multiple lighting setups.
The very basic bounce light method is to simply aim your primary, on camera, light source toward a white ceiling which will fill a vast area with light, thereby defeating the black hole affect of the inverse square law while providing a softer and more realistic lighting that is intrinsic in larger light sources- the ceiling is the secondary light source but is better than the primary light source in direct configuration because if its aesthetics and efficiency of coverage. Unless this basic theory is fully understood, visualized and appreciated it is easy for an uninitiated photographer to aim his or her flash unit arbitrarily upward (to obtain a better results as per incomplete information) without considering the prerequisite reflective ceiling and /or walls. Its not silliness or stupidity- its simply a misconception and people going out with an incomplete scenario like when you want a more natural picture- just aim the light upward or at 45º! Once the complete concept is grasped the photographer will thereafter come to know that a simple ceiling bounce method will not work in a room with vaulted ceilings, a large cathedral or hall, an arena, a room with a black or dark ceiling, a grand ballroom just as it wont really work in an out-of-doors setting. Light also is reflected from walls that are in close proximity to the subject.
Now that you understand the history and the basic concept you are ready for the infinite world of indirect lighting- its amazing! Its fun and it can be expensive or cheap depending on your resourcefulness and improvisational abilities. Even most photographic rookies will soon come to know all about the vast word of light modifiers; umbrellas, soft-boxes and all manner of contraptions, reflectors, diffusion panels, gadgets and doohickeys that are on the market. This modifier thing is an industry in itself, I would guess that there are more profits for dealers selling theses accessories than in selling cameras and upscale lighting gear. Dont be confused- just about all of them are various forms or attempts at BOUNCE LIGHTING. So if any location doesn't have good ceilings and walls (or none al taal) at your disposal you simply bring your reflective device along with you. You can aim you light at or into a larger flat reflector or various sizes and shapes of parabolic umbrellas. You can choose form a large selection of soft-boxes- a more sophisticated reflection system whereby the light is bounced off one or more reflective surfaces within the box and further diffused by scrims (translucent frosted plastic or cloth panels) to create any number of effects. Most of this is till various forms of bounce lighting. Theses devices are available in a vast scope of sizes ranging from some little guys at are compact enough to fit right on your camera mounted light to units the size of a Volkswagen (including their camper model). There are specialized studios where full sized cars can be photographed and are equipped with enormous bounce light sources which are filtered through yards of sailcloth and they are all basically bounce lighting methodologies- not any kind of rocket science but good lighting science boiled down to practical techniques.
Once yall get the feel for it, you can invest in some expensive gadgetry or get out the matte knife, buy some Cor-Plast or Foam-Cor boards, some white glue and gutter tape and make you own stuff. My favorite source of diffusion material is from my local dollar store- $3.00 white translucent shower curtains. Oh- dont forget the roll of wide aluminum foil from the supermarket! The dollar store white umbrellas aint half bad either- just snap of the handles or wait for a rainstorm and they fall off all by themselves. You can also line any old umbrella with aluminum foil- either the matte or glossy side- just crush it- re expand it and glue, tape or staple it in place. If you simply bounce you light off the ceiling, just tape a teaspoon to the unit so that it throws a wink of light into the eye sockets to create some catch-lights and more shadow detail in the subjects eyes and prevent dead eyes or raccoon eye sockets that sometimes accompany straight ceiling bounce. You can also make bounce cards and reflectors form cake boards that are available from baking supply stores and some supermarkets- cheap and dirty- well clean- the ARE made for food service and the are very efficient!
OK- so I do own some expensive stuff but still make things for one-off kinda jobs. When I opened my first commercial studio I was reluctant to allow any of the big-shot buyers and art directors into my studio- the place looked like a do-it-yourselfers nightmare; there were equipment hangin form old venetian blind pulleys, soft boxes made out old crates and wires and cables everywhere- visitors would fear electrocution. My biggest fear was that once they saw my joint they would refuse to pay my fees but my portfolio was in good shape!
So As you can see- I kinda like to write long articles and tutorials and I like to teach some professional stuff. I also realize there are some top pros and advanced workers here as well as a goodly population of new folks, that is, new to photography. Oftentimes too much techno-babble and advanced photo slang is scary to the new folks. Like I might use the term kicker which pertains to a specific lighting placement in a studio setup but some folks may think that means a guy on a football team- but thats OK- not to worry! So if you are an experienced pro- you can sometimes just ignore me, if your are an aspiring pro or a serious amateur- you can listen up if you wish and if you just wanna have fun with your photography you can just add some of my stuff to you bag of tricks and consider it fun!
If you think I am an idiot or a crazy person- just say so- tell me- I am used to it; I have my lovely wife of 45 years, two adult kids, 3 teenage grandkids and an 8 year old one, a whole bunch of in-laws, out-laws and X-laws, a staff at work and a raft of clients who would agree with you! I am a great trouble shooter and sometimes an inept troublemaker but I promise to behave myself here on the forum. Anyone can ask me any question about photography- I never talk down at anyone, every question deserves an answer and the only bad mistakes in photography are the ones that dont teach us lessons and make us strive for better results next time.
Ed
:thumbup: :thumbup:
Flash photography has been around for a long time. The technique started with flash powder (kinda like gun powder) in at troth-like T-Gun; a flint activated device that supplied an ample amount of flash fire to provide enough illumination to properly expose the sensitized plates of the day. Well, it worked but there was allot of airborne soot, a few self emolliated photographers and the occasional burned down building. Basically they were dealing with explosives and incendiaries- better used for excavating and warfare. Some folks still call their strobes and speedlights flash GUNS.
Then came the flashbulbs (one shot flash lamps)! The early ones looked like larger household light bulbs containing with metal foil, magnesium or zirconium mesh or wire that looked like steel wool- they also contained a gas- possibly argon. They were battery operated and some were designed for household current. In this concept the bulbs were inserted in a flash holder sometimes referred to as a gun, which was equipped with a reflector to thrust the light forward toward the subject. Eventually there were flashbulbs in every imaginable size, configuration, power, flash duration and color balance type. To accommodate theses lamps, there were every imaginable configuration of flash holder, reflector, size and style. The basic idea that upon synchronization with the cameras shutter, the power was sent to a filament which in turn would ignite the flammable material or gas inside the lamp which would produce the required flash of light. Theses lamps were relatively safe- the odd one would explode sending flying glass toward the subjects so plastic flash-guards were employed to prevent injuries. Remember, the lamps were one shots and had to be ejected and replaced for each shot and they were hot immediately after they were spent so there were some burned fingers. Exposure calculation was kinda difficult because there were different power outputs from different types of lamps and there were various effective light outputs depending on the design, surface finish and size of the reflector. Unlike strobes and speedlights, most flashbulbs had rather long flash durations whereby they would ignite, burn to a peak output and then decline, therefore shutter speeds had more influence over exposure than our modern electronic flash units. Of course there were no auto-flash goodies, TTL, dedicated exposure systems or flash meters to depend on so the photographer had to know his or her flashbulbs!
Although some more experienced and professional photographers used multiple flashbulb methods, off camera flash techniques in order to create more aesthetically pleasing results, for the most part, flash photography was considered strictly utilitarian- something you do when there is not enough existing light or was considered a method relegated to fill in light on sunny days- that was know as synchro-sunlight photography. During most of the 1950s and into the 60s, among portrait, art, and even news photographers; the concept of flash photograph held a stigma as being flat, having no dimensionality or mood and accompanied by ugly wall shadows, overexposed foregrounds and underexposed backgrounds and generally harsh and unrealistic. Available light was the in thing. Photographers put up with grainy films pushed to the hilt in dynamite developers rather than results with artificial looking flat light.
When the transition into electronic flash usage began to start, photographers had a much more convenient portable at-the-ready light source with many advantages over flashbulbs but the quality of the lighting in hand held/on the camera flash usage was still the same- flat, boring and without mood- the stigma among artistic photographers remained and in some circles still exists.
So why all the history? What does this have to do with bounce lighting? Lots! OK- Here goes. It seem that the doers and shakers in the archives of photography and the art-photography community noticed that those old photographs made with those nasty flash powder guns hand much better lighting- more natural than what modern shooters were achieving with single flash units mounted on the camera and aimed forward. Why? Those old T-Guns were shaped like a paint roller and the troth containing the flash powder were aimed upward toward the ceiling. The burst of flame also projected upward far enough that some of the light was projected forward toward the subjects. The result was what we now can achieve with a partial bounce technique where some of the light is reflected from the ceiling and some of it goes forward and strikes the subjects.
Also, even back in the day, there were photographers who were studying the dynamics, behaviors and physics of light- concepts such as reflectivity, angle of incidence and the inverse square law. There were many photographers with portrait and commercial backgrounds who wanted to apply their time honored continuous studio lighting techniques to their flash photography. All of this gave rise to many new flash techniques that involved taking the flash unit off the camera. Manufacturers caught on quickly and began to create quick release brackets and clamps, coiled flash cords and other accessories to enable the photographer to easily get the flash unit off the camera and take control of his flash lighting modes in a fast and convent manner. As I recall, the press photographer were one of the first groups to adopt bounce flash techniques.
Basically, in bounce lighting, you have to make simple choices for any given photographic situation- you can use your portable lighting tool in direct or indirect modes or a combination of the two. When you aim your relatively small and harsh flash unit at a large reflective surface such as a larger expanse of a white or light wall or ceiling you are, in effect, creating a much larger light source which looks more natural in the results, covers larger areas more evenly and allows the photographer to gun and run with a minimal amount of equipment especially when there is no time for more sophisticated multiple lighting setups.
The very basic bounce light method is to simply aim your primary, on camera, light source toward a white ceiling which will fill a vast area with light, thereby defeating the black hole affect of the inverse square law while providing a softer and more realistic lighting that is intrinsic in larger light sources- the ceiling is the secondary light source but is better than the primary light source in direct configuration because if its aesthetics and efficiency of coverage. Unless this basic theory is fully understood, visualized and appreciated it is easy for an uninitiated photographer to aim his or her flash unit arbitrarily upward (to obtain a better results as per incomplete information) without considering the prerequisite reflective ceiling and /or walls. Its not silliness or stupidity- its simply a misconception and people going out with an incomplete scenario like when you want a more natural picture- just aim the light upward or at 45º! Once the complete concept is grasped the photographer will thereafter come to know that a simple ceiling bounce method will not work in a room with vaulted ceilings, a large cathedral or hall, an arena, a room with a black or dark ceiling, a grand ballroom just as it wont really work in an out-of-doors setting. Light also is reflected from walls that are in close proximity to the subject.
Now that you understand the history and the basic concept you are ready for the infinite world of indirect lighting- its amazing! Its fun and it can be expensive or cheap depending on your resourcefulness and improvisational abilities. Even most photographic rookies will soon come to know all about the vast word of light modifiers; umbrellas, soft-boxes and all manner of contraptions, reflectors, diffusion panels, gadgets and doohickeys that are on the market. This modifier thing is an industry in itself, I would guess that there are more profits for dealers selling theses accessories than in selling cameras and upscale lighting gear. Dont be confused- just about all of them are various forms or attempts at BOUNCE LIGHTING. So if any location doesn't have good ceilings and walls (or none al taal) at your disposal you simply bring your reflective device along with you. You can aim you light at or into a larger flat reflector or various sizes and shapes of parabolic umbrellas. You can choose form a large selection of soft-boxes- a more sophisticated reflection system whereby the light is bounced off one or more reflective surfaces within the box and further diffused by scrims (translucent frosted plastic or cloth panels) to create any number of effects. Most of this is till various forms of bounce lighting. Theses devices are available in a vast scope of sizes ranging from some little guys at are compact enough to fit right on your camera mounted light to units the size of a Volkswagen (including their camper model). There are specialized studios where full sized cars can be photographed and are equipped with enormous bounce light sources which are filtered through yards of sailcloth and they are all basically bounce lighting methodologies- not any kind of rocket science but good lighting science boiled down to practical techniques.
Once yall get the feel for it, you can invest in some expensive gadgetry or get out the matte knife, buy some Cor-Plast or Foam-Cor boards, some white glue and gutter tape and make you own stuff. My favorite source of diffusion material is from my local dollar store- $3.00 white translucent shower curtains. Oh- dont forget the roll of wide aluminum foil from the supermarket! The dollar store white umbrellas aint half bad either- just snap of the handles or wait for a rainstorm and they fall off all by themselves. You can also line any old umbrella with aluminum foil- either the matte or glossy side- just crush it- re expand it and glue, tape or staple it in place. If you simply bounce you light off the ceiling, just tape a teaspoon to the unit so that it throws a wink of light into the eye sockets to create some catch-lights and more shadow detail in the subjects eyes and prevent dead eyes or raccoon eye sockets that sometimes accompany straight ceiling bounce. You can also make bounce cards and reflectors form cake boards that are available from baking supply stores and some supermarkets- cheap and dirty- well clean- the ARE made for food service and the are very efficient!
OK- so I do own some expensive stuff but still make things for one-off kinda jobs. When I opened my first commercial studio I was reluctant to allow any of the big-shot buyers and art directors into my studio- the place looked like a do-it-yourselfers nightmare; there were equipment hangin form old venetian blind pulleys, soft boxes made out old crates and wires and cables everywhere- visitors would fear electrocution. My biggest fear was that once they saw my joint they would refuse to pay my fees but my portfolio was in good shape!
So As you can see- I kinda like to write long articles and tutorials and I like to teach some professional stuff. I also realize there are some top pros and advanced workers here as well as a goodly population of new folks, that is, new to photography. Oftentimes too much techno-babble and advanced photo slang is scary to the new folks. Like I might use the term kicker which pertains to a specific lighting placement in a studio setup but some folks may think that means a guy on a football team- but thats OK- not to worry! So if you are an experienced pro- you can sometimes just ignore me, if your are an aspiring pro or a serious amateur- you can listen up if you wish and if you just wanna have fun with your photography you can just add some of my stuff to you bag of tricks and consider it fun!
If you think I am an idiot or a crazy person- just say so- tell me- I am used to it; I have my lovely wife of 45 years, two adult kids, 3 teenage grandkids and an 8 year old one, a whole bunch of in-laws, out-laws and X-laws, a staff at work and a raft of clients who would agree with you! I am a great trouble shooter and sometimes an inept troublemaker but I promise to behave myself here on the forum. Anyone can ask me any question about photography- I never talk down at anyone, every question deserves an answer and the only bad mistakes in photography are the ones that dont teach us lessons and make us strive for better results next time.
Ed
:thumbup: :thumbup:
Nov 25, 2014 16:12:24 #
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
Bounce flash explained (to a fault)
Yike Ed!! Thanks for taking the time to collect and post all this info. I haven't read it completely yet, but when I have more time I will.
Nov 25, 2014 17:08:50 #
rpavich wrote:
Feathering a softbox is a LOT different than having a flash pointed straight up and not bouncing off of anything.
How so Bob? I thought..."light is light".
Nov 25, 2014 18:36:40 #
Nice explanation. I've seen lots of people aim their flashes into nothingness just because they see pros aim upwards. Your suggestions about home made reflectors is spot on & useful outdoors in many cases when there is harsh lighting. Crumple that tinfoil!!!
When you can bounce off sidewalls it often gives faces interesting modeling & avoids the raccoon eyes, but one has to be aware of the color of the side walls.
When you can bounce off sidewalls it often gives faces interesting modeling & avoids the raccoon eyes, but one has to be aware of the color of the side walls.
Nov 25, 2014 21:56:56 #
Some tips on feathering:
Feathering of the lights, especially in classic portraiture is a time honored technique among many master photographic portraitists. It terms for the days when most photographers used raw parabolic lights and Fresnel spotlights. The light beams from those kinds of lighting apparatus have two main components the hot spot in the center of the beam known as the umbra and the surrounding area and the edges of the beam, of softer light, knows as the Penumbra.
The basic idea of feathering is to use the edges of the beam rather that the center. It s done by placing and aiming the lights using the hot spot portion of the beam as to your desired lighting pattern or configuration you want and the rotating the light toward the camera position so that the edge of the beam takes over where the center of the beam was dominant. This will give you better and more even lighting across the mask of the face, render texture perfectly and create excellent specular highlights that just pop off the page. All exposure and ratio issues should be calculated or metered with the light in their aesthetic position, that is, after fathering is in place. In the attached (black and white) image all the lights; the main, fill, hair and accent lights were all rotated as described.
One can also feather the main light downward at the same time. This is great for executive portraiture where you want to avoid hot spots on the subjects forehead (a common problem) and at the same time the hot post lands on the dark clothing and maximized shadow detail in the clothing.
Technically speaking, when using white umbrellas, soft boxes, and beauty lights the effect of feathering is not all that pronounced in that most of those modifiers do not have very pronounced hot spots. Beauty lights have a baffle covering the photoflood lamp or flash tube so that negates the hot spot. Silver umbrellas may have a bit of a hot spot but white ones usually do not have a significant hot spot. Soft boxes usually produce very even light beams because we are dealing with internal bouncing of the light being further softened by scrims or at least the front panel. Feathering with theses modified lights do have some good effects as to rendition of texture and evenness of lighting.
There is, however, another feathering technique that works especially well with a single soft box. It is a one light system entailing 1 soft box equipped single light source and a simple silver type reflector. In the diagram below, you can see how feathering the soft box so that some of the light strikes the subject and some of the light strikes the reflector. This is a great system for working on location or shootin wedding formals portraits with a minimal of equipment and still coming up with studio quality lighting. Feathering the soft-box light slightly upward will cause a pleasant falloff of light thereby creating a soft vignette.
I hop this helps!
Ed
Feathering of the lights, especially in classic portraiture is a time honored technique among many master photographic portraitists. It terms for the days when most photographers used raw parabolic lights and Fresnel spotlights. The light beams from those kinds of lighting apparatus have two main components the hot spot in the center of the beam known as the umbra and the surrounding area and the edges of the beam, of softer light, knows as the Penumbra.
The basic idea of feathering is to use the edges of the beam rather that the center. It s done by placing and aiming the lights using the hot spot portion of the beam as to your desired lighting pattern or configuration you want and the rotating the light toward the camera position so that the edge of the beam takes over where the center of the beam was dominant. This will give you better and more even lighting across the mask of the face, render texture perfectly and create excellent specular highlights that just pop off the page. All exposure and ratio issues should be calculated or metered with the light in their aesthetic position, that is, after fathering is in place. In the attached (black and white) image all the lights; the main, fill, hair and accent lights were all rotated as described.
One can also feather the main light downward at the same time. This is great for executive portraiture where you want to avoid hot spots on the subjects forehead (a common problem) and at the same time the hot post lands on the dark clothing and maximized shadow detail in the clothing.
Technically speaking, when using white umbrellas, soft boxes, and beauty lights the effect of feathering is not all that pronounced in that most of those modifiers do not have very pronounced hot spots. Beauty lights have a baffle covering the photoflood lamp or flash tube so that negates the hot spot. Silver umbrellas may have a bit of a hot spot but white ones usually do not have a significant hot spot. Soft boxes usually produce very even light beams because we are dealing with internal bouncing of the light being further softened by scrims or at least the front panel. Feathering with theses modified lights do have some good effects as to rendition of texture and evenness of lighting.
There is, however, another feathering technique that works especially well with a single soft box. It is a one light system entailing 1 soft box equipped single light source and a simple silver type reflector. In the diagram below, you can see how feathering the soft box so that some of the light strikes the subject and some of the light strikes the reflector. This is a great system for working on location or shootin wedding formals portraits with a minimal of equipment and still coming up with studio quality lighting. Feathering the soft-box light slightly upward will cause a pleasant falloff of light thereby creating a soft vignette.
I hop this helps!
Ed
Nov 26, 2014 05:39:36 #
mdorn wrote:
Was wondering... I use fill flash quite a bit outside, but my flash is always pointed directly at my subject. I've seen others pointing their flashes up into the air when outside for fill flash. I thought you'd only do that if there was something to bounce off of. Confused. Can someone set me straight? Thanks.
If they know what they are doing, they are feathering the light, if they don't they are just doing the monkey see, monkey do thing while remaining clueless as to why. The same goes for the bozos that use tupperware on their on camera flash in rooms with high ceilings or outdoors. These Gary Fong et al modifiers work best in close quarters with lower ceilings, otherwise all they do is significantly reduce flash output. Better to use a bounce card on the flash to increase the apparent size of the light for a more diffused result. And it is almost always better to take the flash off camera, either at arms length to your side, or have an assistant do that for you.
Nov 26, 2014 08:43:36 #
Hi Ed
Thanks for your posts informative and very helpful for me. With your knowledge I will be looking for your posts!!!
Thanks for your posts informative and very helpful for me. With your knowledge I will be looking for your posts!!!
Nov 26, 2014 13:24:18 #
I have been a full time professional photographer for my entire adult life- I actually started out as a teenager as a gofer/janitor/apprentice in a professional portrait and wedding studio. Besides my experience I was fortunate enough to have a pretty comprehensive technical education- OK so suffice it to say I am well credentialed. So
big deal! So
Whats with the résumé?
yall might ask. So
Get ready to laugh! Here I am; over 50 years later, still working, running (?) my own business add I am still the main janitor, gofer and not surprisingly enough, my lovely wife is the real boss- I just hang around and take pictures and still loving it. I like to share my knowledge with others of all ilks in photography- amateurs and pros alike and I enjoy teaching. On some of the other online forums there seems to be a degree of friction between the amateurs and the pros and the rookies and the advanced workers. Some of the beginners or casual hobbyists oftentimes become intimidated or angered by the more advanced enthusiasts and the pros; perhaps there is too much techno-babble and photo-slang? As far as I am concerned; I might talk about things from a professional viewpoint but rather explain things rather that criticize folks for lack of knowhow or knowledge. I dont feel that many amateur or rookie pros are stupid or necessarily inapt- its just that many of them are operating under serious misconceptions. This is especially apparent in the areas of LIGHITNG and thats why I decided to address this issue in this thread.
When folks want to learn to play a musical instrument they usually learn to play the scales, do the etudes and learn the theory. If one wants to learn how to paint in oils or water colors they learn how to mix paints and pigments, how to select papers and stretch canvases and master the use of their brushes, palette knives and other tools of the trade. What with todays technologies in photography; many newcomers become preoccupied with equipment before they take time to learn the basics. The most important areas to study about in photography is the understanding, SEEING and manipulation of LIGHT! As photographers, suffice it to say, we are painting with light!
Not understanding the behavior of light and how to control it is what leads to ill informed purchases and usages of equipment. When folks become disappointed with their photography, oftentimes their first instinct is go out and buy more gadgets, perhaps upgrade their lighting gear and even buy more expensive cameras. Surprisingly enough, the remedy for their woes might be in a piece of Tupperware, a roll of gutter tape and some rubber bands- Velcro for the more advanced workers! Lots of photographer makes fun of Gary Fong bur the guy is a genius in that he refined Tupperware and designed it so it wont look unprofessional and so it is not likely to fall off your flash unit while you are trying to work. I mean- when some guy comes over to you at a wedding assignment and remarks that that thing atop your camera looks like something he stores leftover sardines in to prevent stinking up is fridge and you have to tell him that you use it to prevent harsh shadows- how embarrassing is that? Meanwhile Gary is laughing all the way to his bank because all of his contraptions do work well providing you know haw and where to use them!
So Whenever I have a chance to post here, I would love to field questions about all the basics and lighting and write some articles in lighting basics such as angle of incidence, the inverse square law and others such entertaining subjects, however, I will try to keep them in the English language, have some fun with them and add some of Cheap Eddies (thats me) fly by the seat of your pants improvisational methods. I will also try to advise folks about some real neat buy from the camera store stuff that makes off camera lighting and all that good stuff easier and more convenient.
Send me some feedback! Thanks for reading! Ed
:thumbup: :mrgreen:
When folks want to learn to play a musical instrument they usually learn to play the scales, do the etudes and learn the theory. If one wants to learn how to paint in oils or water colors they learn how to mix paints and pigments, how to select papers and stretch canvases and master the use of their brushes, palette knives and other tools of the trade. What with todays technologies in photography; many newcomers become preoccupied with equipment before they take time to learn the basics. The most important areas to study about in photography is the understanding, SEEING and manipulation of LIGHT! As photographers, suffice it to say, we are painting with light!
Not understanding the behavior of light and how to control it is what leads to ill informed purchases and usages of equipment. When folks become disappointed with their photography, oftentimes their first instinct is go out and buy more gadgets, perhaps upgrade their lighting gear and even buy more expensive cameras. Surprisingly enough, the remedy for their woes might be in a piece of Tupperware, a roll of gutter tape and some rubber bands- Velcro for the more advanced workers! Lots of photographer makes fun of Gary Fong bur the guy is a genius in that he refined Tupperware and designed it so it wont look unprofessional and so it is not likely to fall off your flash unit while you are trying to work. I mean- when some guy comes over to you at a wedding assignment and remarks that that thing atop your camera looks like something he stores leftover sardines in to prevent stinking up is fridge and you have to tell him that you use it to prevent harsh shadows- how embarrassing is that? Meanwhile Gary is laughing all the way to his bank because all of his contraptions do work well providing you know haw and where to use them!
So Whenever I have a chance to post here, I would love to field questions about all the basics and lighting and write some articles in lighting basics such as angle of incidence, the inverse square law and others such entertaining subjects, however, I will try to keep them in the English language, have some fun with them and add some of Cheap Eddies (thats me) fly by the seat of your pants improvisational methods. I will also try to advise folks about some real neat buy from the camera store stuff that makes off camera lighting and all that good stuff easier and more convenient.
Send me some feedback! Thanks for reading! Ed
:thumbup: :mrgreen:
Nov 27, 2014 03:39:33 #
mdorn wrote:
Was wondering... I use fill flash quite a bit outside, but my flash is always pointed directly at my subject. I've seen others pointing their flashes up into the air when outside for fill flash. I thought you'd only do that if there was something to bounce off of. Confused. Can someone set me straight? Thanks.
You're right. Bounced flash has to have something to bounce off of. All you need to do is diffuse your flash head for fill flash and it turns out much better.
Nov 27, 2014 04:16:55 #
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