Ok So I'm not an event photographer but I am doing a favor for a friend. I'm planning on dragging the shutter and shooting High iso to keep the ambient and feel of the venue and using my speed-light on camera. Since I can't do off camera lighting due to being a crowded event and I cannot bounce flash off walls because they are black and ceilings are extremely high. I'm wondering what is best modifier to soften my light a mini lumiquest box or a Gary Fong lightsphere or is there something else out in the market that you can suggest.
Just posted this in the other thread on diffusers:
IMHO those stofen and fong diffusers aren't the way to go. They cut your light output draining your batteries and then spray light in every direction. It's better to bounce off a white or light surface. If that's not possible because the walls/ceilings are dark or you're outside then you can rubber band a white 3X5 to the top of the flash and angle it up. The other key is pulling in as much ambient as possible so you aren't necessarily blasting your subject. Unless you want that hard direct light look...and in that case you shouldn't be diffusing the light source.
-Ira wrote: Just posted this in the other thread on diffusers:
IMHO those stofen and fong diffusers aren't the way to go. They cut your light output draining your batteries and then spray light in every direction. It's better to bounce off a white or light surface. If that's not possible because the walls/ceilings are dark or you're outside then you can rubber band a white 3X5 to the top of the flash and angle it up. The other key is pulling in as much ambient as possible so you aren't necessarily blasting your subject. Unless you want that hard direct light look...and in that case you shouldn't be diffusing the light source.
If you balance the flash and ambient appropriately, then you won't be blasting your subjects.
A Sto-Fen isn't very useful because it's designed to emulate a barebulb, and to bounce off all nearby sources.
If you do want to soften the light, an on-flash softbox will help some, but you are limited by weight and portability. I personally use a DIY diffuser that makes the light about 4"x6". It cuts about a stop of light from the flash, and is only really useful up to a few feet away, but for event shots of small groups of people, it works well enough to soften shadows.
-Ira wrote: You could also put your flash on a bracket or hand hold it attached with a eTTL cable which enables you to get a different angle on the light.
That is my preferred method also. If you can bring the ambient light up with higher iso or f-stop the flash in ettl will only fill avoiding the harsh lighting patterns. And I always use a diffuser to soften the light further
I shoot a lot in crowded sport venues. The most convenient is on camera with a flashbender from rogue. It is best to take off and carry along when not used.
For events like dinners where there will be mainly portraits OK take the lastoliyte bracket and the lastolite soft box for speedlight. It does get heavy, is not discreet. It has a look like the cameras in the 50s
I 'll be honest... sometimes this feature is worth every penny.
It's not that I don't know how to do it manually... it's just that this mode seems to do a pretty damn good job if your event requires changing distances and ambient lighting differences every time you move to a different spot. It's made my candid jobs easier on many occasions.
(combined with an e-ttl flash)
I've got some of the light diffusers, but they seem to have unpredictable exposure results.
I use these sometimes, but it's still a bit erratic in e-ttl mode, but does produce nice light.
Star wrote: A half second shutter, straight on flash, hit the shutter then immediately pull the camera to the side. Lovely light streaks and the feel of movement.
...but practically guaranteed to have light streaking right though the subject. I'd advise using this technique sparingly. 1/2 sec is a loooooooog time. Even a 1/4 second is long enough to cause trouble. You really have to be aware of room lights in relation to your subjects eyes.
It's not the easiest technique to master (random internet hotlinks)-
-Ira wrote: Just posted this in the other thread on diffusers:
IMHO those stofen and fong diffusers aren't the way to go. They cut your light output draining your batteries and then spray light in every direction. It's better to bounce off a white or light surface. If that's not possible because the walls/ceilings are dark or you're outside then you can rubber band a white 3X5 to the top of the flash and angle it up. The other key is pulling in as much ambient as possible so you aren't necessarily blasting your subject. Unless you want that hard direct light look...and in that case you shouldn't be diffusing the light source.
I agree with this, and there is something that helps fix that with the Lightsphere collapsible, it's the Chrome Dome. That will direct more light towards the subject rather than at an entire 360 degree area.
I made my own diffuser for less than $5 and it worked brilliantly for a range of events I shot two weeks ago.
Message me privately if you want to know.
I don't recommend dragging your shutter for more than 1/15 of a second. If you're just shooting the event, they may want it documented. Not your artistic take on things.
Just simply run your ISO up until you can shoot to capture a little ambient while not taxing your flash and blowing through batteries. You're not creating art. You're covering an event.
Not sure which camera system your using but one technique that works well for events using Stofen diffuser and standard zooms (24-70mm, 24-105mm, etc).
ISO 1600 as starting point, TV setting 1/60th if you have steady hands or go 1/100-1/200th if you don't compensate with more ISO(only if your camera has good high ISO capabilities else can get too much noise). Point the stofen backwards. It will reflect from any object/people behind you and give a nice soft shadowless light on the subject. If you feel you need more light then point diagonal back.
i've had trouble with motion blur because of dragging the shutter, even when using flash. i guess it depends on the amount of ambient vs. flash. but like with the cake cutting at weddings i get blur at 1/100s. but i'm usually out of ISO at that point so i can't go to 1/200s.
I've got a hotshoe flash diffuser and up close it does okay. But you lose close to 2 stops with the one I have and I desperately need something a little more forgiving.
for the dancing at weddings i like to use rear-curtain sync and shutter speeds like 1/30s. i also hold the camera up over my head and zoom fast with a slower shutter speed to get some zoom blur out of my 17-40. but i guess you don't want the entire album full of that sort of thing.
Star wrote: A half second shutter, straight on flash, hit the shutter then immediately pull the camera to the side. Lovely light streaks and the feel of movement.
I really like the Rogue Flashbender. You can bend it around all you want to direct the light in different directions, or use it as a flag when you can bounce. It folds up and fits in your bag a lot easier than one of those tupperware thingies too.
The flashbender rocks. (There are cheaper knockoffs.) And like the previous poster noted, they work as flags; and make a great snoot. I shot a talent show from a balcony and wanted to avoid blinding people with my flash, so I wrapped the flash bender around the flash body. I got enough light to have shots from 60+ feet away and no motion blur. On and off in 5 seconds, and super portable. At events where I don't want to carry a camera bag I've put the velcro tab though my pants belt loop, always there.
I use a diffuser plus one layer of ND gel and two layers of 1/2 CTO to match the ambient. I set the ISO at 3200 or 6400 and try to keep the shutter above 1/60th and shoot the flash straight forward.
The images being discussed are from Nikola Tamindzic. Back a few years he was THE party photographer in the NYC Lower East Side scene. Shot for Gawker etc etc. Check out his archive at http://ambrel.net/
...but practically guaranteed to have light streaking right though the subject. I'd advise using this technique sparingly. 1/2 sec is a loooooooog time. Even a 1/4 second is long enough to cause trouble. You really have to be aware of room lights in relation to your subjects eyes.
It's not the easiest technique to master (random internet hotlinks)-
It's not all that hard though, but takes a bit of time to get a hang of things.
I shoot a ton of corporate events. If you have high ceilings and black walls, chances are, unless it's a decent size small softbox, and the subjects are close enough, nothing will help. Most are designed to be used in conjunction with walls and ceilings. If they cannot be involved, you will see very little difference in the direct flash and a small diffuser like the Fong or even the Flip-it. I do like the Flip-it though. What you will get is a waste of a lot of light with no difference in the lighting itself. Or very little. Again, only of you can't use the walls or ceiling.
You have to remember, this is an event. We're not talking fine portraiture here. Lighting is not your "main" concern. Good exposure is. Use as much of the ambient as possible. I shoot at 1600 a lot and pretty much fill with my flash if needed.
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