Nightclub/Club photography - Gary Fong Diffuser versus simple light diffuser

mteicher

On weekends, most of my evenings are spent providing night club coverage of rockbands at the two nightclubs I work at. I have used both several different Nikon bodies, various combinations of speedlights (Nikon Sb-400, Sb-600, Sb-800) with diffusers and a Gary Fong diffuser. To date, the Gary Fong Diffuser is a very piece of equipment to have for weddings, outside shots, but after a few trial and errors, I have fond just using a diffuser cap at the end of the SB-800, keeps the light affect and improves the color of the skin.

I have also received several opinions from wannabe photographers or photographers who shoot models come up to me and say:" Definitely you have the wrong equipment, you have to point the flash upwards to get the bounce" I simply say, thank you very much for the suggestion, why not you try to shoot a bounce flash shot in the middle of a nightclub against a turning mirrored ball. It doesn't work in the particular environment.

www.body-bumpers.com/rockbands is where one can check out the results

I found that with the Nikon D40, 40x, and Nikon D60, the skin tone is just about right after futzing with the adjustments.

So what are the various subscribers opinion on gary fong versus cheap light diffuser cap ??

thanks

/mark

geospatial_junkie

I have never used a Gary Fong diffuser, but I have used a Lumiquest pocket bouncer with pleasing results on occasion. I find the Fong diffuser is dramatically overpriced... and I am cheap.

I viewed your images and they look good considering how tough it is to shoot in those types of conditions. Some people don't understand that you don't have synced flashes like at a rock concert or sports event. Sometimes you can't make apple pie out a poor situation either.

I found quite a few photographers are in love with the Fong diffuser as well. If it works for them, great! But very few photographers should tell you that you are using the wrong equipment when it comes to lighting as that is subjective and creative.

What type of lens are you using? Because I've found that sometimes I get better results not using a flash and using software to increase lighting in some areas?!

mteicher

Night club photographer
I have the pocket bouncer also, it doesn't have the strength one really needs in a club, not light wise, but crowd pushing resistance.
I use the Gary Fong diffuser for very dark churches or temples, but that is a totally different photo situation.

I have several Nikkor lens, can't have enough lens for the various situations.
Lately, I have been using a Tamron 18mm-200mm 3.5 HSM II for Nikon, the results are pretty good, except it jams every once in a while, it likes to motor when the camera isn't. It is great for outside shooting, but when it comes to nightclubs, I am still experimenting with the light settings and camera angles especially when getting jammed with a person at the club, while attempting to capture the singer or guitar player or effect..

The Kiss Tribute band so far seemed to be hard to duplicate..

thanks for the reply

geospatial_junkie wrote:

I have never used a Gary Fong diffuser, but I have used a Lumiquest pocket bouncer with pleasing results on occasion. I find the Fong diffuser is dramatically overpriced... and I am cheap.

I viewed your images and they look good considering how tough it is to shoot in those types of conditions. Some people don't understand that you don't have synced flashes like at a rock concert or sports event. Sometimes you can't make apple pie out a poor situation either.

I found quite a few photographers are in love with the Fong diffuser as well. If it works for them, great! But very few photographers should tell you that you are using the wrong equipment when it comes to lighting as that is subjective and creative.

What type of lens are you using? Because I've found that sometimes I get better results not using a flash and using software to increase lighting in some areas?!

geospatial_junkie

Not to downplay the virtues of a zoom lens, but have you tried a simple 50mm f/1.8. Great little lens and fits in your pocket.

mteicher

'Nightclub/Club photography - Gary Fong Diffuser versus simple light diffuser'
Yes, I have over 20 lens in my cache. from 50mm to 400mm, the issue with a simple 50mm f/1.8 lens is that it is good for shots that are close but those do not happen that often, or if let's patrons are on the bar or a rockband is singing, some nights, switching lens is not a wise idea in a room full of beer.

but thanks for the suggestion.

geospatial_junkie wrote:

Not to downplay the virtues of a zoom lens, but have you tried a simple 50mm f/1.8. Great little lens and fits in your pocket.

geospatial_junkie

I see your point.

mteicher

Gary Fong Diffuser versus cheap flash diffuser
Unlike typical studio photography, where it is most likely the photographer, a lighting person and the model with no one else around. nightclub photography has lots of people drinking alcohol, smoking, people on the bar dancing or doing some sort of odd behavior, and then a night act could be a rockband, could be a bunch of people who want to strut their stuff on stage.

I started the thread with the Gary Fong, since I do have several different types, but the results are ok, better results when use in the right environment (i.e. weddings, dark chapels, dark tunnels , etc)

I have looked at other people's nightclub photos, and compare mine to them as on par, not bad, but not the greatest either, either due to eye positioning, look and/or position.

switching lens in an environment is not a good thing, who knows what could fall into the body of the camera.. a 50mm 1/8 is good for being able to be close, but a 18-200 is ok, but a 70-300mm, if you get 2 feet of space to back up in, one's lucky

geospatial_junkie wrote:

I see your point.