Please help - Lighting/Diffuser confusion

[Gonska]

Hi all,

Apologies in advance for these very basic question - still so new to all of these exciting things!

Flash question - I have a Nikon D40X and have read that I should always use my flash for outdoors portrait pictures. I'm still studying my manual but using the "auto" setting - I don't think that I can lift up the flash unit myself. Do you recommend an addition flash such as the SB-400?

Diffuser - Should a diffuser be used in combination with the flash? Any recommendations on which ones work well with a Nikon D40X? This might be part of a question for the Nikon camera section as well - will post it there if this is not the correct side.

Thanks so much for clarying this for me!

Gonska

[GadgetRick]

This is one of the only ways to learn--by asking.

I think just about everyone will suggest an external flash for better flash photos. As to whether you should always use it for portraits outdoors, well, that is debatable. There may be times when you only want to use ambient light. But, typically, you can use a flash much more often than you may (at first) think.

As far as diffusers, that's a whole can of worms. First, you need to understand exactly what you're after when you're, "diffusing," your flash. What you're looking to do is get rid of harsh shadows. The best way to do this is to increase the size of your light source. When you see photogs using umbrellas and softboxes, this is what (effectively) they're doing with their light source(s).

What this does is get rid of those harsh shadows you (typically) get from some light sources. It diffuses the light and makes it less harsh. Giving a much softer, pleasing light. If you shoot on an overcast day, you get the same effect.

Now, as to whether those small, plastic on-flash diffusers work or not you'll get a different answer from different people. I used to use one but I don't use one anymore (for various reasons). I find I can get good lighting without one of those (when I'm not using an umbrella or softbox that is). One way of doing this is by learning to bounce your flash off different surfaces (e.g. walls, ceilings, shirts, etc.). Just keep in mind, if that surface has a color to it, you'll get that color cast in your lighting. You can correct for this in different ways (gels, etc.) but, shoot in RAW and you can (usually) correct for it in your pp software.

There's a lot more to this question than I can write about. Other, much more experienced, photogs can give you better info than I can.

Hope this helps.

[sk66]

Press the lightning bolt button on left side of camera by lens to pop up the flash. Also use that button and +/- to adjust flash brightness.

I always prefer off camera flash for anything other than very basic fill but I will also use it for bounce when necessary.

I use the plastic dome diffusers that clip on the end of the accessory flash (unless using bounce or soft box).

[OsmosisStudios]

The suggestion of flash for outdoor, daytime portraits is a simple one: it provides fill light to fill in the darker spots. It's very useful, but not necessary. A diffuser in these situations is also unnecessary, though a small diffuser isnt a terrible idea. Something akin to the Sto-Fen style diffusers that come with the SB800 and SB900 is more than enough.

[Gonska]

Awesome guys. Thank you so much for all these detailed information. Excited to have joined this wonderful forum!