pros with their bounce flashes

rutt

When I went to take pictures of the first same sex marriage licenses being issued, I noticed that the pros seemed to be doing something I didn't understand with their flashes.:



See how he has the built in defuser (or whatever it's called) partially pulled out? It isn't snapped in over the flash and it isn't pushed into the flash. Is this on purpose and does it do something? Here is another example:



See the leftmost photographer?

zero-zero

I can't see your pics right now (Smugmug maintenance), but it sounds like a variation of the white card trick. If it is, its purpose is to bounce some light back towards the subject for fill, as bounced flash at close range tends to throw shadows in the eyes and under nose and chin. This way, most light goes to the ceiling to be bounced, but some is redirected forward. Very good trick - I seldom bounce without at least a bit of direct fill.

I'll drop by later to check the pics and confirm I'm not talking out of my butt.

pathfinder

zero-zero wrote:

I can't see your pics right now (Smugmug maintenance), but it sounds like a variation of the white card trick. If it is, its purpose is to bounce some light back towards the subject for fill, as bounced flash at close range tends to throw shadows in the eyes and under nose and chin. This way, most light goes to the ceiling to be bounced, but some is redirected forward. Very good trick - I seldom bounce without at least a bit of direct fill.

I'll drop by later to check the pics and confirm I'm not talking out of my butt.

Some folks tape a white 3x5card to the top of their bounce flash head to create catchlights in the eyes also! I think Z-Z is correct here.

cletus

Z-Z and PF have it right.

zero-zero

I see them now. Yep, they show what I thought they would.

Bryan

This leads me to my next purchase...
I know I want a good flash, but I know nothing about them.

I am looking at the Canon Spedlite ex-420 for $175. http://www.adorama.com/CA420EXU.html

What do I need to know about Flanshes when considering the purchase?

pathfinder

Bryan wrote:

I know I want a good flash, but I know nothing about them.

I am looking at the Canon Spedlite ex-420 for $175. http://www.adorama.com/CA420EXU.html

What do I need to know about Flanshes when considering the purchase?

My first Canon Flash was a 420EX - I did not want to ponyup for the 550EX. But the 420 is not nearly as potent as the 550EX and lacks some features that the 550EX has. Suffice it to say the 550EX is my main unit now, and I use the 420EX only as a slave to the 550EX almost exclusively now. Get a Stofen diffuser as well - they very useful and cheap.

Just my two cents worth. Knowing what I know now, I would get the 550EX first rather than the 420EX. You can always dial down the power, but cannot turn up what you do not have in the first place.

lynnma

pathfinder wrote:

My first Canon Flash was a 420EX - I did not want to ponyup for the 550EX. But the 420 is not nearly as potent as the 550EX and lacks some features that the 550EX has. Suffice it to say the 550EX is my main unit now, and I use the 420EX only as a slave to the 550EX almost exclusively now. Get a Stofen diffuser as well - they very useful and cheap.

Just my two cents worth. Knowing what I know now, I would get the 550EX first rather than the 420EX. You can always dial down the power, but cannot turn up what you do not have in the first place.

Hi Path,
I just bought a Canon speedlite 420ex (figured if I got good enough to need to upgrade I'd be thrilled) So let me just get this right... I should be pointing the flash mostly up to the ceiling and if I tape a white card to the back as in the pics it will throw some fill into the eyes? I also bought a Lumiquest ultrasoft but have'nt really used it much as I can't honestly see any improvement in the shot when I use it (obviously don't know how). I go round in circles with this light thing and could do with some flash help please.
Thanks
Lynn

rutt

lynnma wrote:

Hi Path,
I just bought a Canon speedlite 420ex (figured if I got good enough to need to upgrade I'd be thrilled) So let me just get this right... I should be pointing the flash mostly up to the ceiling and if I tape a white card to the back as in the pics it will throw some fill into the eyes? I also bought a Lumiquest ultrasoft but have'nt really used it much as I can't honestly see any improvement in the shot when I use it (obviously don't know how). I go round in circles with this light thing and could do with some flash help please.
Thanks
Lynn

That's about right; point the thing at the ceiling and maybe use a card. BUT that only works if there is a ceiling and it's something under say 50 feet high and white. When I frst started to use a bounce flash I made the mistake of using it at a party in a place with a wooden ceiling and all the shots came out brown. The lumiquest is great for all kinds of things, but one of the most easy to understand is that it frees you from the ceiling issues. I used one at a garden party recently:

lynnma

rutt wrote:

That's about right; point the thing at the ceiling and maybe use a card. BUT that only works if there is a ceiling and it's something under say 50 feet high and white. When I frst started to use a bounce flash I made the mistake of using it at a party in a place with a wooden ceiling and all the shots came out brown. The lumiquest is great for all kinds of things, but one of the most easy to understand is that it frees you from the ceiling issues. I used one at a garden party recently:

I'm most interested not only in getting rid of shadows under eyes etc but also I want key lights in the eyes... I'd need a card for that right? or can you have keylights from a lumiquest.

pathfinder

lynnma wrote:

Hi Path,
I just bought a Canon speedlite 420ex (figured if I got good enough to need to upgrade I'd be thrilled) So let me just get this right... I should be pointing the flash mostly up to the ceiling and if I tape a white card to the back as in the pics it will throw some fill into the eyes? I also bought a Lumiquest ultrasoft but have'nt really used it much as I can't honestly see any improvement in the shot when I use it (obviously don't know how). I go round in circles with this light thing and could do with some flash help please.
Thanks
Lynn

Like Rutt says - you want to bounce the light off a ceiling or a wall if they are less than 8 feet away and are white or a reasonable facsimile therof. The 420ex head cal be raised to 45, or 60, or 90 degrees by pressing the knob on the side of the flash head. It can also be roatated around its vertical axis by pressing the knob on the back of the flashhead.
In addition to this I use a Stofen diffuser ( Google it!!) It looks like a polyethylene box that fits over the flash tube light and gives nice even light and catch lights at the same time.
This image was shot at a family gathering at Christmas - the background has been cloned so ignore that - but check the catchlights and the appearance for on-camera hot shoe strobe lighting. It is not a soft box or a window light, but for hot shoe on camera strobe it is not too bad.......

rutt

lynnma wrote:

I'm most interested not only in getting rid of shadows under eyes etc but also I want key lights in the eyes... I'd need a card for that right? or can you have keylights from a lumiquest.

You can judge for yourself. These were with a Lumiquest. Enough for you? Experiment. There really is no other way. There are all shapes, colors, and sizes of Lumiquests.

DewrGleision

... Im assuming a "lumiquest" is a type of external flas, correct? Im not much of a flash guy (the built in one on my f828 has been sufficient for when Im forced to use it), but Ive noticed Id like to start playing with the different light casting tecniques you guys are speaking of... I used a hot-shoe flash on my old film SLR and I used the bounce thing on several occasions, but I hadnt thought of the whole card thing... Sounds like a great idea! I guess if pathfinder finds the 420EX to be hardly sufficient for his needs, then I believe it would suite me nicely, since I dont think I need the ultimate flash and all that jazz... right?...

Well, those are great pics, and thanks for having this disccusion; its been eating at my mind for a little while now!

wxwax

Lumiquest is a reflector.

This is a link.