flash diffusor???

[RacingMike]

for my D90 and SB600

Gary Fong Lightsphere Collapsible? Soft Box?

goal is to look like natural light (duh! lol) (out and indoor) and to remove the shadows while indoor....

for what I see, the Lumiquest Soft box alone doesn't seems to be enough...am I right?
any other solution?
two flashs?

p.s. forgive my newbie question :-(

 

[Graystar]

Don’t waste your money on gadgets for your flash. None of them work.

For outdoors there’s not much you can do. You have to point the flash at the subject. The Lumiquest III softbox can work but it has to be off-camera and real close to the subject. Your D90 has a Commander built in so you can control the flash wirelessly. A lightweight tripod can hold the flash (better is a lightweight light stand.) Either will be about 2 1/2 lbs. and 20” long. Compact light stands are 40 bucks.

For indoors with a ceiling up to about 15 ft, you should bounce your flash. You should also make a bounce card from a piece of 4x6 photo paper. The purpose of the bounce card is to throw some light forward to create catch lights and for a little bit of forward fill. It works well when used with bounce flash.

Take your 4x6 and cut 3/4" off to make a 4x5 1/4”. Draw a cut line at the 4” mark. Make a cut of 1 ¼" from each side on the line. Then make short perpendicular cuts to create a tab that can slip into the SB-600's diffuser slot. That’s how I made mine and it seems to work well.

When bouncing from high ceilings and depending on your lens, you may need to zoom the flash manually to concentrate more light on the subject. Check your SB-600 display immediately after shooting, as it will tell you if it didn’t provide enough light.

.

 

[winparkman]

Getting good flash shots is a lot more than adding a gadget but, Gray, your comment that none of them work isn't true. Some work a lot better than others and I think the Gary Fongs do a pretty good job if you combine them with good flash technique.

Bounce flash works ok but it brings the light in from above, which has its own set of issues. The flimsy little cards do throw light forward but they don't create a soft light. Off-camera is better but it's not always convenient.

Don’t waste your money on gadgets for your flash. None of them work.

For outdoors there’s not much you can do. You have to point the flash at the subject. The Lumiquest III softbox can work but it has to be off-camera and real close to the subject. Your D90 has a Commander built in so you can control the flash wirelessly. A lightweight tripod can hold the flash (better is a lightweight light stand.) Either will be about 2 1/2 lbs. and 20” long. Compact light stands are 40 bucks.

For indoors with a ceiling up to about 15 ft, you should bounce your flash. You should also make a bounce card from a piece of 4x6 photo paper. The purpose of the bounce card is to throw some light forward to create catch lights and for a little bit of forward fill. It works well when used with bounce flash.

Take your 4x6 and cut 3/4" off to make a 4x5 1/4”. Draw a cut line at the 4” mark. Make a cut of 1 ¼" from each side on the line. Then make short perpendicular cuts to create a tab that can slip into the SB-600's diffuser slot. That’s how I made mine and it seems to work well.

When bouncing from high ceilings and depending on your lens, you may need to zoom the flash manually to concentrate more light on the subject. Check your SB-600 display immediately after shooting, as it will tell you if it didn’t provide enough light.

.

--
OK, not so purely a hobby.

 

[RobertLaw]

The key to having flash look natural is to make the source of the light from the subject perspective larger. Taking the sun for example, from our viewpoint it is a very bright small light source and it creates harsh shadows. If we have a light cloud cover, the suns light is diffused and from our viewpoint is larger that softer light and mild or no shadows.

You need to do the same with the flash. Why bouncing off a ceiling or wall works is that it creates a larger source of light. The potential problems with that is the power from the flash is greatly reduced and picks up the tint from the ceiling or wall, changing the light temperature. Shooting into or through an umbrella makes the source of light substantially larger and also softer. You need to experiment to see what works best. Technically, you could modify a plastic milk carton and spread the light around.

The problem with the Fong light sphere is that they send as much light behind you and to the sides as they do forward. The light sphere works in certain circumstances, but not all. As far as I know, there isn't one solution that works.

Perhaps the biggest improvement in flash photography is getting the light off of the camera. To learn more check out the strobist web site.
--
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
-- Max Ehrmann

 

[_sem_]

Bounce flash works ok but it brings the light in from above, which has its own set of issues. The flimsy little cards do throw light forward but they don't create a soft light. ...

Try folding matte translucent foil around the flash head and fix with an elastic. Works a bit better than the little white card (at relatively short distances); you get about as much front fill but from a larger surface so the light is a bit softer. Almost free, and flat to pack.

Put on a simple straight bracket to the side if you think the fill is coming from too high.

 

[showstoppers]

Don’t waste your money on gadgets for your flash. None of them work.

Oh they work, but flash diffusors are sooooooo last week.

Seriously, hard lighting is in now but if you do want to diffuse the flash get the tried and true old Stoffen Omni bounce. It's the only thing you'll see pros using, or a small white bounce card.

I've tried Fongs and Lumiquest and everythign else and sold them all for a simple 3x5 white card and omnibounce.

 

[darock]

The best advice that anyone gave me for getting flash to not look like flash was on this website

http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/

This guy is one of the masters of on-camera flash. I tried all kinds of diffusers, store bought and homemade, and I won't say they did not work for certain situations, but I would have saved a lot of money that could have gone to better things for my hobby, like better lenses and more flashes, which would have helped even more with getting flash to not look like flash. Check it out

for my D90 and SB600

Gary Fong Lightsphere Collapsible? Soft Box?

goal is to look like natural light (duh! lol) (out and indoor) and to remove the shadows while indoor....

for what I see, the Lumiquest Soft box alone doesn't seems to be enough...am I right?
any other solution?
two flashs?

p.s. forgive my newbie question :-(

 

[Graystar]

Some work a lot better than others and I think the Gary Fongs do a pretty good job if you combine them with good flash technique.

And I think it's the "good flash technique" that's doing a pretty good job...not any attachment you might have.

It's simple physics. You cannot give light a quality of "soft". The soft-light effect is produced by diffused light from a large area. That's why bounce from the ceiling works. All flash attachments represent a tiny area in comparison to even a small umbrella. Any light that a LightSphere is going to throw forward is exactly the same as light from a "flimsy card" or any other attachment.

.

 

[showstoppers]

The best advice that anyone gave me for getting flash to not look like flash was on this website

http://neilvn.com/tangents/flash-photography-techniques/

This guy is one of the masters of on-camera flash.

I don't think I'd go that far. Most of his "natural flash" shots look under-exposed by about half a stop.

It's ok for flash to look like artificial light, just not 2 dimensional light.

 

[Graystar]

Don’t waste your money on gadgets for your flash. None of them work.

Oh they work, but flash diffusors are sooooooo last week.

They don't work. They can't...it's physics.

Both Fong and Sto-Fen say the same thing...that their attachments creates a "bare-bulb effect." I have no idea what that means! Have you ever seen the light from a bare bulb? It's terrible! Try to light your house with bare bulbs...after a while you'll gain a new appreciation for lamp shades.

.

 

[Patco]

Some work a lot better than others and I think the Gary Fongs do a pretty good job if you combine them with good flash technique.

And I think it's the "good flash technique" that's doing a pretty good job...not any attachment you might have.

It's simple physics. You cannot give light a quality of "soft". The soft-light effect is produced by diffused light from a large area. That's why bounce from the ceiling works. All flash attachments represent a tiny area in comparison to even a small umbrella. Any light that a LightSphere is going to throw forward is exactly the same as light from a "flimsy card" or any other attachment.

Allow me to modify one of your sentences by adding a word:

"The soft-light effect is produced by diffused light from a relatively large area."
The Lumiquest SoftBox I use for close-ups of small objects works very well.

For any distance, I use bounced flash, with a small white card (built-in on my SB-800).

Many use the Sto-Fen as a diffuser, but it's purpose is to scatter light as a bounce aid; it's simply too small to act as a diffuser. Sto-Fen doesn't even refer to it a"diffuser", but rather an "Omni-Bounce", and shows it's use here.

--
Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels

 

[Graystar]

Some work a lot better than others and I think the Gary Fongs do a pretty good job if you combine them with good flash technique.

And I think it's the "good flash technique" that's doing a pretty good job...not any attachment you might have.

It's simple physics. You cannot give light a quality of "soft". The soft-light effect is produced by diffused light from a large area. That's why bounce from the ceiling works. All flash attachments represent a tiny area in comparison to even a small umbrella. Any light that a LightSphere is going to throw forward is exactly the same as light from a "flimsy card" or any other attachment.

Allow me to modify one of your sentences by adding a word:

"The soft-light effect is produced by diffused light from a relatively large area."
The Lumiquest SoftBox I use for close-ups of small objects works very well.

For any distance, I use bounced flash, with a small white card (built-in on my SB-800).

Many use the Sto-Fen as a diffuser, but it's purpose is to scatter light as a bounce aid; it's simply too small to act as a diffuser. Sto-Fen doesn't even refer to it a"diffuser", but rather an "Omni-Bounce", and shows it's use here.

--
Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels

 

[gtstone]

Re the Fong LightSphere, recently I photographed an open-mic concert where I would, for each act, step briefly in front of the audience to get a shot or two of the performers. The LightSphere gave me good results, but a friend in the audience said the light directed backward was annoying. Since it is not helping the photographs in any way, it would be nice to avoid it. I think Gary has an optional insert that might do this (and perhaps direct a little more light forward), so maybe I'll look into that.

 

[Patco]

Some work a lot better than others and I think the Gary Fongs do a pretty good job if you combine them with good flash technique.

And I think it's the "good flash technique" that's doing a pretty good job...not any attachment you might have.

It's simple physics. You cannot give light a quality of "soft". The soft-light effect is produced by diffused light from a large area. That's why bounce from the ceiling works. All flash attachments represent a tiny area in comparison to even a small umbrella. Any light that a LightSphere is going to throw forward is exactly the same as light from a "flimsy card" or any other attachment.

Allow me to modify one of your sentences by adding a word:

"The soft-light effect is produced by diffused light from a relatively large area."
The Lumiquest SoftBox I use for close-ups of small objects works very well.

For any distance, I use bounced flash, with a small white card (built-in on my SB-800).

Many use the Sto-Fen as a diffuser, but it's purpose is to scatter light as a bounce aid; it's simply too small to act as a diffuser. Sto-Fen doesn't even refer to it a"diffuser", but rather an "Omni-Bounce", and shows it's use here.

Oops... forgot the link for "shows it's use here":
http://www.stofen.com/info/howitworks.html

--
Patco
A photograph is more than a bunch of pixels

 

[_sem_]

Allow me to modify one of your sentences by adding a word:

"The soft-light effect is produced by diffused light from a relatively large area."
The Lumiquest SoftBox I use for close-ups of small objects works very well.

For any distance, I use bounced flash, with a small white card (built-in on my SB-800).

The relative distance to the object (considering diffuser size) is more important than the object size... There is still a considerable difference between the small white card and a 5x larger grey card (or lightsphere or such) when used as fill with ceiling bounce at 2 m distance. But some may feel ridiculous carrying it

 

[showstoppers]

Both Fong and Sto-Fen say the same thing...that their attachments creates a "bare-bulb effect."

I have no idea what that means!

^^^ Finally you speak the truth ^^^

 

[Graystar]

Oops... forgot the link for "shows it's use here":
http://www.stofen.com/info/howitworks.html

I think that's wishful thinking. Floors are rarely white, so you can't really bounce much light from them, and you wouldn't want to because you'd get a color cast. Bouncing off walls is tricky for the same reasons...you have to select your wall carefully for bouncing. But ceiling are almost always white so that's where the light should be concentrated.

.

 

[Graystar]

The relative distance to the object (considering diffuser size) is more important than the object size...

I'm not even sure what a relative distance is, but for soft light the size of the diffused source, relative to the size of the subject is the most important determinant of the softness of the light.

There is still a considerable difference between the small white card and a 5x larger grey card (or lightsphere or such) when used as fill with ceiling bounce at 2 m distance.

No, there isn't. They both act as point light sources. What they both do is to send a small amount of light forward to lift shadows a bit. That's what improves the image.

.[/U]

 

[Graystar]

Both Fong and Sto-Fen say the same thing...that their attachments creates a "bare-bulb effect."

I have no idea what that means!

^^^ Finally you speak the truth ^^^

Resorting to witless insults...a typical reaction to being unable to defend a position with science or even sound reasoning.

It was not unexpected.

.

 

[glanglois]

Tried the Stofen but it just splattered light all over. Not that helpful except in a small room with white or cream walls.

A little bounce card is still too small for me.

The Mila-grid offers quite a few more square inches of diffused light, still lets light through to bounce from the ceiling, and has an easily-removable bounce card if you want to push more light forward. It folds entirely flat in my case (taking up zero space) and is my current diffuser of choice.

And if you'd like another view, please check out the Lumiquest Promax. Good choices in that system for ratio of direct to bounce light and also for white versus silver versus gold reflected light. I will look further into that system next year.

Don't forget to drag the shutter and you'll be fine!