When I Can't Bounce My Flash

[sarahdavis]

So I have a problem ~ I'm extremely happy with how I'm progressing with my natural light photography, and I'm pretty confident there. But it seems whenever I need to use my external flash, it's in a place that's either not well lit or has high ceilings (usually both!) or I have to stand farther back to get more people in combined with using a smaller aperature to get them all in focus.

And even using ISO 1600 (really hate going higher than that, even with my 50D) it's not enough light. So with the equipment I have now, I'm not bouncing it which is of course resulting in horrible shadows.

Are you really able to bounce your flash in most situations? Because if so, I'm doing something way wrong!

Thanks!
Sarah

[candleman]

no, its pretty common to not be able to bounce.

in that case you're doing the right thing.
slowest shuterspeed, highest ISO, max aperture.. and try to give just a lick of light from the flash.

you could also try a GaryFong Lightsphere ....it does produce slightly softer light when bouncing isnt possible.

can i make a suggesion?
looking at your website you arent gelling your flash.. it makes a HUGE difference.. you wont be getting any more orange colour casts on the white dresses.
http://neilvn.com/tangents/2008/06/2...sten-lighting/

[oldwolf]

Get a bounce card or make one with some foam board.

You can also bounce off the walls.

I like the Lumiquest Quik Bounce when shooting events/weddings if I can't bounce off ceilings or walls.

LumiQuest Quik Bounce Light Modifier f/ Shoe Mount LQ-122 - B&H

[GadgetRick]

Originally Posted by sarahdavis

And even using ISO 1600 (really hate going higher than that, even with my 50D) it's not enough light. So with the equipment I have now, I'm not bouncing it which is of course resulting in horrible shadows.

Honestly, if you're not bouncing, you should be getting more than enough light without having to go to 1600 ISO. I've shot in almost total darkness without bouncing using a 50D and a 580EX II and it provides plenty of light.

The only thing I can think of is you're too far away? Maybe you're aiming the flash incorrectly?

[LeeR]

I'm with oldwolf on this one. The Lumiquest system is like carrying your own low ceiling with you so you can bounce anywhere, even outdoors. It's not a perfect solution, you may still get some shadows behind your subject if you are near a wall, but the shadows will be more diffuse and a good deal more natural looking. Years ago I used to shoot weddings with a small umbrella attached to my flash. The light was fabulous but the rig was heavy and I got a lot of ribbing about the lack of rain indoors. I personally have not used the Gary Fong system but have watched the videos and they seem to have a lot to recommend them. I would also suggest you use experiment with some household items. I have seen homemade rigs made from bubble wrap, old milk bottles and paper plates that produced some fabulous results. You may find that even if you get a commercial system a bit of tweaking will make it even better; kind of like having the umbrella without all the jokes.



LumiQuest
Gary Fong
Print your own free bounce card
Home made Demb diffusor

[Swisstony10]

I have two modified Sto-Fen Omnibounce caps for my 580 EXII. One of them only has a minor mod, in that I've taken a piece of reflective silver sheet and taped it across the back side of it so that light isn't spilled backwards, but is reflected forwards instead. I find that if I use that with the flash angled to about 45 degrees, it produces a pretty pleasing amount of soft fill light.

The second Omnibounce is the same as the first, but I've cut a square hole out of the top (I picked up the tip from chatting to the official photog when I was a guest at a friend's wedding). I use it when I'm in a place with a high ceiling, and it allows unhindered light from the flash to be bounced, while the side and front of the diffuser lets some softened light spill forwards onto the subject. It's pretty useful.

I also have an A4 sheet of white neoprene which I use with an elastic band to make a big bounce card, and a black sheet which acts like a snoot or a flag (depending on how I strap it to the flash).

[GadgetRick]

I've used the Gary Fong, it's a waste of money. Will sell mine cheap.

[sarahdavis]

Thank you for all the replies, really appreciate it!!! I'm definitely going to get the Lumiquest and research gelling my flash also.

[inkista]

Short answer: no, you can't always bounce with a speedlight. That's why a lot of folks use off-camera speedlights and/or monolights.

You need to understand what's going on here.

Three things are eating your light:

1) Spread. The wider the angle you need to cover, the shorter the distance the light will travel. That's why the "zoom" setting is important.

2) Distance. The farther away you are, the more your light gets eaten. This is why bouncing is incredibly wasteful of light--not only does a lot of get thrown away in the diffusion, but you're also increasing the distance the light has to travel. Remember: inverse square law. Doubling the distance quarters your light. Tripling the distance cuts your light down to 1/9. Distance is a killer. This is why an off-camera solution might work better: the light can be directly thrown onto your subject, and be nearer to the subject than the camera is.

3) Power. A speedlight is powered by four AAs. And you have the smaller, less powerful 430EX (the 580EX will give you a stop more light).

Now, using an on-camera diffuser, like an Omnibounce/Lightsphere might help, but it's not radically increasing your light source size, so the diffusion gain isn't large. And a lot of light is going to be wasted by being thrown out in all directions, vs. the one you want. These are bare-bulb lighting: the diffusion happens by throwing the light off in all directions and then bouncing off all the surfaces back. This eats light more than simple bouncing, if you're using it as intended. And if you're using it with direct flash, you're just not getting a whole lot of diffusion.

The Lumiquest is more efficient, in that it directs the light more towards your subject, and gives more diffusion, but again, it's not large enough to diffuse well, it still eats power, and it's definitely giving you on-axis light.

A couple things folks have mentioned: you don't have to bounce off the ceiling. Bouncing off a reflector, a floor, a wall---these all do well as bounce surfaces, too. The flash head swivels and tilts for a reason--standing in front of a wall, and bouncing light behind you works. Straight ahead/45° is not a mandate. Hone your bankshot skills. It's all about playing the angles.

Secondly, you can let the ambient do a lot of the heavy lifting. The closer you get to fill flash, the more you can light. Do not fear the high ISOs, but don't underexpose, either. And stay below your X-sync speed. High-speed sync eats power like nobody's business. Learn how to use noise reduction software.

One more thing--before buying a Lumiquest, I'd recommend playing around with craft foam, spray adhesive, velcro, and elastic, first. It'll cost a lot less, and you can experiment a bit more. I'd read up on Neil van Niekerk's black foam thingie, and comb through his website/blog for information on using on-camera flash.

[scootermcq]

If you want to save a few bucks, this DIY verson works really well and costs about 5 bucks to make....

DIY Reflector-Diffuser