Fran Loc: Northeast, United States

Hi. In situations when you have to have the flash on camera what works best?

I know there are a variety of defusers as well as flash brackets. It's difficult to decide which works best based on what I read.

Thanks.

Bill_de Loc: US

It all depends where and what you are shooting and what you are trying to achieve.

Indoors, if you have neutral colored walls and or ceilings, bouncing the flash off either can be a good choice.

Photographing people or animals, getting the flash above and to the side of the lens gives a more pleasing effect.

If you have to use a diffuser, short of a studio setup, the snap on diffusers do a pretty good job. In a pinch a handkerchief in one or two layers will help some.


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Willingz Loc: El Paso TX

Hi Fran,
Not sure how you intend to use your flash, but I have a Nikon D750 and plan to rarely shoot indoors (or need a fill flash) so I don't intend to invest in a flash system until the need arises. Since the D750 has an on-camera flash, over the holidays I used it indoors with "Prof. Kobre's Lightscoop" to diffuse the flash upwards. It was surprisingly effective and I took a number of before and after shots, just to see the real difference. It only works if you have a ceiling of typical height and if you turn the camera to portrait orientation, it must have a solid object to bounce off from the side. They give very specific settings to use, which I recommend following to get the best results. It's kind of spendy at $30 but it did the trick for me and achieved some nice, diffused lighting of people and pets for the occasional indoor shots without a lot of investment.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

:thumbup: :thumbup:

What you want to shoot and achieve is the big question.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Basically it comes down to this; flash coming from the same direction as the camera lens looks either very bad, or just blah.

If I were going to use on camera flash, I'd look to bouncing it against something so that it comes back to the subject at an angle (thereby replicating a studio flash set up)

Are you using built-in flash or a speedlight on the hotshoe?

Fran Loc: Northeast, United States

Hi. I'll be photographing people in a banquet room at a dinner. There will be situations when I can't bounce flash or set up off camera lighting. The on camera flash is so hard and I want to defuse it as much as possible. I'll be using. A speedlight in the hot shoe.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

I think that you'd be surprised at how far flash will bounce and how effective it is even with high ceilings. You don't need a wall or ceiling 15' away.

If you just want to "fill" so that folks faces aren't in shadow, then I wouldn't even bother to try and diffuse it.

Have you checked out Neil Van Neikerk's site and his "black foamy thing"?

Fran Loc: Northeast, United States

Thank you. I will check out the 'black foamy thing'. :)

Bill_de Loc: US

Flash brackets are cheap. You might need a cord depending on your equipment.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Flash-Brackets/ci/653/N/4168864826

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Fran Loc: Northeast, United States

The vello speedy camera bracket with flash cord looks like it might do the trick.

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

For the past ten years I have been using the Lite-Scoops and a Peri-Scoop from Lite Genius with awesome results. They are light (less than an ounce), and get the flash up higher than the lens in both portrait and landscape mode, much like a bracket. If you find yourself in a situation ideal for bouncing, it can be done without removing the Lite-Scoop, so no photo-ops are missed. Also since it does not depend on a surface from which to bounce , it is effective out of doors.

I am a portrait and event photographer, so lighting is key for my work and these things work!
Check them out for yourself.

http://youtu.be/wPG6UCZ7oy4

Lite-Scoop straight at subject

(Download)

Lite-Scoop bounced from corner of room

(Download)

Lite-Scoop used outside for fill

(Download)

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

IMO. forget it. This is not art, it is simple documentary photography. I do this regularly and just use a bracket to get the flash high off the lens axis to avoid the red-eye.

The ONLY thing thats softens the light is making it BIGGER. All this talk of putting a tissue or handkerchief over the flash just DISPERSES the light, but does nothing to SOFTEN the light. Dispersing means it spreads out the light - covers a greater angle - and it reduces the intensity. So all you have is a small hard, harsh light at a lower output.

The tools suggest by WeddingGuy appear to work pretty well, so those might be an option. They make the light BIGGER.

Since your distance to the subjects will never be really close, any type of real diffuser like the Lumiquest Ltp, for example, will still be pretty small and not make HUGE discernible difference. And to make it work, you need to have a bracket that get that flash/diffuser combination WAY above the lens. Incredibly unwieldy. (But it does work.)
http://store.lumiquest.com/lumiquest-softbox-ltp/

Your best bet is to check out the bracket link that Bill_de sent, get a TTL cord to fire the flash and go with that.

Edit to add: Using one of the items WeddingGuy indicated along with raising the light on a bracket is a great option.

The "Black Foamy Thing" is great, but it is not ideal in large, high-ceiling, dark-wall facilities.

Photographing people while they are eating is probably THE most unflattering environment there is. :-), so good luck!

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Of course the king of diffusers is Gary Fong
http://www.garyfong.com/

I do not usually hype products, but after Fong came to the aid of wedding photographer Nelson Tang when he was being bullied by a lawyer, I have been a huge fan!

jcboy3

Taking the flash off camera. I use two flashes, one key that's held out at arms reach (or on a stand if I can do so), and one 1-2 stops lower exposure on camera or camera bracket for fill. This avoids the flat look that on-camera flash produces.

I like Rogue flash benders or F-Stoppers for quick modifiers. If you are in a small room, the Fong modifiers work well; but I'm not fond of them in a large room.

If there is enough ambient light with consistent color temperature, then set exposure for 1-2 stops above ambient and gel your flashes with color correcting gels to match ambient light.

tradio Loc: Oxford, Ohio

Take a look at Neil Van Niekirk's tangents site, its dedicated to taming the speedlight. He's a big fan of bouncing and "off camera" and well worth the time.