Sto-Fen Q's
When I purchased my second Sto-fen soft box recently I read the directions for the first time and realized they want it to be used at a 45 degree bounce (oh!). Suddenly I am getting great exposures--this has improved my life considerably. But what about outdoors, or in a large room with high ceilings? Bounce still? In these situations, with the flash at 45 degrees, I am getting washed out images, I imagine because there is nothing to bounce off of and my flash (430ex) thinks the subject is a million miles away? What are others' experiences with the Sto-Fen? Is it okay to use it straight on in the above-mentioned situations--high ceilings, outdoors?
Thanks!
Thanks!
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you can aim it directly provided you are in TTL, ETTL, etc. At that point, you might just take it off for flash fill. Distance from the subject will determine how well it works as the camera meters and determines the time of flash burst. If you are using the 430EX or 530EX, you can also use the wide angle diffuser. I find indoors using the Sto-Fen straight up works great in most cases...outdoors, the flash is a fill (speaking daylight here), not the source of main lighting....the flash burst may be only 1/5000 of a sec. Experiments I've done outside....couldn't tell the difference with the Sto-Fen on or off aimed directly for flash fill, partial shading....go figure.
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The Sto-Fen (and other gadgets of its ilk) work by bouncing some of the flash off the environment. Essentially you get a ceiling bounce with some direct fill and potentially fill off other nearby objects. Outdoors there is often nothing to bounce the light off of so all you get is the direct light, just much dimmer. Even if there is a wall or something similar to bounce off of, you typically need the full power of your flash to get reasonable fill in full sunlight so the Sto-Fen is probably not a good idea.
Interestingly, I get pretty good result in bright sun light with the sto-fen at a 45 degree angle (see below). Seems to fill in the shadows in a pleasing way. However, used in this way in open shade, or flat light and the flash pointed up just over-exposes, blows out the skin tones. I guess it's just a matter of practice, practice, practice in every light imaginable until it becomes second nature?
I also read that the sto-fen does not work well head-on with ettl because the spread of the light interferes with the flash exposure; it spreads down into the flash sensor.
Here's an example of sto-fen in bright sun, angled upward:
10-D & 430ex, shot in AV
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Lighting in the shade is often quite good. You will often have very nice diffuse natural light and in the best of circumstances a good low contrast key light to boot. In many places in the shade your best option is to turn the flash off. If you have severe backlighting you might want the flash, but my first choice is usually to change my point of view for a darker background. If that isn't an option, try framing tight and overexposing the background.
The only times I use a flash in the shade are when I have it off camera. That is a tricker setup because you are balancing the flash as a main light with the ambient as fill and typically your in camera metering isn't smart enough to figure it out. It is worth it when it works; that is some of the best portrait lighting you can find.