Just about every portable flash unit that you mount on a camera via a hot shoe projects light the same way: a rectangle, horizontally oriented to roughly match the shape of the image you’re shooting.
Unadorned, light projected by shoe-mounted flash is harsh and creates deep shadows. Fortunately, you can improve upon this light. Fortunately, a new generation of sophisticated light modifiers have been introduced recently to help you control and shape the light that comes out of your portable flash. Let's take a look at how they can help you improve your flash photography.
A new approach to light modification
Until fairly recently, light modifiers for portable flashes were essentially one-trick ponies. They could bounce or reflect or soften but likely couldn’t do more than one of these light-modifications. The new generation of light modifiers are more flexible, and none that we’ve seen is as flexible as the new Presslite Vertex Light Modifier.
The concept behind the Vertex is that it can steer and shape light, creating multi-flash effects from a single flash. To do this, the Vertex uses two panels that swivel in several directions. These panels can be individually changed from white reflector to translucent material to highly-reflective mirror surfaces. While one bounces light, for example, another can point the light towards the ceiling for bounce, creating a bounce/fill light ratio that can be controlled via a simple thumb shift mechanism,
This portrait, shot in a narrow hallway, is a challenge to light well from a single source. Using the Vertex, the flash head is rotated and mirrored panels twisted to bounce light off both the right wall and ceiling, producing soft, directional lighting.
One of the advantages of the reflective surface is that it intensifies the light that’s bounced against a wall or ceiling. For wedding photographers and photojournalists who need to work fast, the VerteX offers unprecedented light output control.
While the Vertex can be used with on-camera flash, it offers even more versatility when used with multiple-flash set-ups.
Q marks the spot
Adorama has just come out with its own lineup of flash modifiers via its house brand, Flashpoint. The Flashpoint Q Series includes a 6-inch Beauty Dish Reflector, which attaches via fabric fastener to most popular shoe-mount flash models, including the Canon 480EX, 420EX, Nikon SB800 and SB600, as well as Olympus and Sony models. Using a diffuser and reflecter, the Beauty Dish widens the flash point of origin, providing a larger, more diffused light source that’s well suited for portraits.
The Q Series also includes a Diffuser Dome, which attaches to a strobe and gives an all-around even glow that’s similar to a bare-bulb flash. A Snoot will direct and narrow the light beam from a flash, concentrating it on a small area. Other attachements include a honeycomb pattern which further directs light with minimal spill-off, as well as colored gels.
The different Flashpoint Q Series modifiers can be bought separately or in a kit. Look for a full review of the Q Series on the Adorama Learning Center in the near future.
This photo was shot using a bare-bulb flash; the Flashpoint Q Series Diffuser Dome on a standard rotating flash will produce similar lighting. Photo by James Bailey.
Ring Flash That Goes Beyond Macro
So, you’ve seen the shadow-eliminating effect of a ring flash and would like to try it yourself…but not necessarily on macro subjects, which is what ring flashes are primarily used for. Enter the ExpoImaging Ray Flash Adapter, which takes light output from specific flash units and redistributes it through a system of prisms, reflectors and light shapers so the light is distributed evenly around the lens.
Because it shapes the light of powerful flash units with lots of light output--the Nikon SB800 and Canon 580EX II—the Ray Flash Adapter throws much more light and therefore lets you shoot more distant, non-macro subjects. Fashion and weddings and can get the same shadowless images as you can get photographing flowers with a regular ringlight. You simply can’t get this kind of output from a traditional ringlight flash, which is designed only for close work.
The powerful flash light coming from all around the lens creates a unique, shadowless effect that can be used for stunning portraits or fashion shots. Photos courtesy ExpoImaging.
The ExpoImaging Ray Flash adapter is available for several camera/flash combinations:
Canon 580EX flash on Digital Rebel DSLRs
Canon 580EX flash on EOS 5D, 40D, 30D, 20D and 10D DSLRs
Canon 580EX flash on EOS 1D, 1Ds and 1V DSLRs
Nikon SB900 flash with Nikon D1, D2 or D3 DSLRs
Nikon SB900 flash with Nikon D300, D200, D70, D80, D50 and D40 DSLRs.
Honl Flash Modifier Kits
Photographer David Honl has developed an impressive lineup of inexpensive portable strobe light modifiers. A starter kit costing around $125 includes a Gobo/Bounce Card, an 8-inch Snoot Reflector which serves to both narrow light or to give it a wider bounce area for a more diffused look—depending on how you attach it to the flash—straps to attach it, a Honeycomb-pattern Speed Grid, which focuses and narrows the light coming out of the flash and prevents flare-producing light spill-off, and straps to hold it all to the flash unit. Filter kits, different snoot sizes and other accessories are available.
Because some Honl accessories are made of flexible material, photographers have greater control molding the shape of the light coming out of the flash. Furthermore, you don't need to buy versions for specific flash models, because the fabric fastener straps can be quickly adapted to any flash shape, as long as the flash has a rotating head. Read our product review for more about Honl modifiers.
Shape shifters: Samples of the kind light effects you can create using Honl flash modifiers with off-camera hot-shoe flash units.
Professor Kobre’s Lightscoop
Many a photojournalist started out with a dog-eared edition of Professor Ken Kobre’s classic tome, Photojournalism: The Professional’s Approach. Now, any on-the-go photographer can benefit from Professor Kobre’s latest project, the Lightscoop. This control isn’t mean for any fancy add-on flash but instead works directly with the little pop-up flash on your starter or hobbyist-level DSLR. (Pros wouldn’t be caught dead with such a puny flash, so most pro DSLRs don’t have a pop-up flash although it can be useful in certain situations—but that’s another story!)
Normally, the little flashes project a bit of direct, harsh light and when used with the wrong subject or lens, could create red-eye. The Lightscoop redirects the light and diffuses it, creating a more natural lighting effect. And it’s been an instant hit: American Photo magazine gave it the Editor’s Choice award in 2008 for innovation and utility.
To use Professor Kobre’s Lightscoop, simply slip it into your camera’s hot shoe, pop up the little flash, and shoot away. Be sure to adjust the ISO to 800 so you will have a good, natural balance between the flash and ambient light.
Softer: Harsh light from on-camera flash (left) is softened by Professor Kobre’s Lightscoop. Photos courtesy Lightscoop.
No, you won’t be able to light up a huge room with it, but it’s great for photographing the kids in the playroom from a few feet away and getting natural-looking lighting. And that’s great for family photojournalists.
Gary Fong Lightsphere-2 Pro System
One of the classic ways to produce more natural lighting from a single flash is to use a bare bulb. That means there’s no reflector behind the flash tube. While bare-bulb flash models do exist, you can emulate the effect very well with Gary Fong’s Lightsphere-2 Pro System.
The sort-of-bulb-shaped attachment goes over your flash head, which is pointing up, and is attached with fabric fastener. The light is redirected in all directions via either the translucent coating (when using the “cloud” cover) or through ridges etched in the plastic sides of the Clear version. The Cloud tends to warm up the light, making it better suited for portraits, while the light the Clear generates is more like daylight in its color balance. The Clear also tends to transmit more light while the Cloud allows about 1 stop less through. Use this with the ChromeDome, which snaps onto the Clear and uses mirrors to reflect and further intensify the light output.
An example of the kind of photo you can get with the Gary Fong Lightsphere system.
Add on the warm-colored dome to warm up the light even more and use it with the Cloud Lightsphere for flattering portrait and wedding photojournalism.
