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Bounce flash...

Dinomania

Dinomania

Dinomania

Soldato
Joined
21 Apr 2003
Posts
4,328
...only works well if you have a handily non-high white ceiling or nearby white wall.

What tips or techniques do you otherwise use, if the low-light images alone just aren't cutting it?

Curious really!

Personally I find bouncing off a ceiling the nicest.

I've either used a piece of white card in front of the built-in flash or a second flash pointed up as a slave to the built-in flash (which I dim as far as possible, and/or diffuse with a bit of white rag).

BUT I'm stuck without a nice bounce-able wall or ceiling! I find any direct flash light too harsh, though I don't have a decent diffuser for the external flash. Maybe this is the next step?

Cheers!
 
Flash pointed up, left hand cupped behind it so you're kind of bouncing it off the palm. It warms the light up a bit too. It might not be the answer to your problem but certainly something to try, especially if you're out and have no other option.
 
What you want is a small softbox to go over the flash or even better a light stand and umbrella, please don't make the mistake that so many do and buy a a piece of white plastic that sits over the flash it does NOT diffuse any light, it just sends light everywhere, it's what people use when they want there flash to act as a bulb.
 
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@Ash, isn't that kind of the definition of diffusing light?

A stofen can help, as can setting up off camera flashes and triggering them wirelessly. The Gary Fong Lightsphere can help to get a good bulb effect but is pretty expensive for what it is. Cheap ring flash adapters like the O Ring can help as well, without costing the world.
 
i could recommend a small flash mounted softbox like the Lastolite Ezybox for speedlites. Having used one i find it diffuses the flash well as long as your not to far from the subject. The hot shoe flash can be pointed directly at your subject with it on, the only neg is the weight and size may be a hinderence if shooting all day ie weddiing etc.

Heres a shot i took of my step daughter Danni with one

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I use a stofen most of the time if im bouncing as it means its not just one surface im bouncing off! I also use a lastoblite soft box thats attached via velcro, it works well, i have a 45cm version and its big and can get in the way but the shots it produces are great.
 
Ultimate Lightbox thingy...

http://www.harbordigitaldesign.com/

Seems very good for managing bounce/diffusion in a relatively easy-to-manage... errr... box. It's pretty neat as there are little cards that can be used to line all parts of the 'box' meaning quasi-diffuser/uber-stofen/bounce card effects in as many ways as can be imagined.

I got mine for £6 off Ebay in pretty much unused condition.
 
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Thanks all, loads of great suggestions. I am also a m4/3 user, and don't like to have anything that doesn't fit into a handbag.

Sadly also my flash is a cheap thing that doesn't tilt - I have to disconnect it and use it as a slave to point any great deal of light upwards, which doesn't leave me with a hand spare to bounce a little of it forward.

I suppose I could use the plastic thingy I've made to bounce the onboard light upwards, and add a rear bounce to that... Hmmm. Complicated!
 
No need to be sarky or mildly sexist, thank you.

A cord would mean I didn't have to have it set as slave, but I would still need to hold the camera in one hand, and the flash unit in the other.
 
Dinomania said:
No need to be sarky or mildly sexist, thank you.

A cord would mean I didn't have to have it set as slave, but I would still need to hold the camera in one hand, and the flash unit in the other.
Click to expand...

If your camera has a tripod thread on the bottom , possibly look into getting a bracket that allows you to tilt/swivel your existing flash you'll also need a hotshoe cable tho.


Regards Simon
 
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