Digital Flash Samples

Tom wrote:
I'm thinking of purchasing an external flash for my digital camera.
Most of the pictures I've seen so far have been very harsh looking.
Has anyone figured how to soften the light with a single flash?
Perhaps using diffusers or bounce reflectors.
Would love to see samples.
-tom

As others mentioned, a bouncer can help, but only if you have a low white
ceiling. Otherwise I find a Lumiquest softbox will do the trick.

---Bob Gross---

"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of purchasing an external flash for my digital camera.
Most of the pictures I've seen so far have been very harsh looking.
Has anyone figured how to soften the light with a single flash?
Perhaps using diffusers or bounce reflectors.
Would love to see samples.
-tom

All of the answers given above seem to assume an external
flash.

Has anyone tried to do anything with the built-in on-camera
flash on the simpler cameras? For example, holding something
over the flash to deflect it upwards?

I guess we'd have to experiment with that to get the "something"
right, the position right, and the EV compensation right.

Anyone tried it?

Alan

"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of purchasing an external flash for my digital camera.
Most of the pictures I've seen so far have been very harsh looking.
Has anyone figured how to soften the light with a single flash?
Perhaps using diffusers or bounce reflectors.
Would love to see samples.
-tom

All of the answers given above seem to assume an external
flash.

Has anyone tried to do anything with the built-in on-camera
flash on the simpler cameras? For example, holding something
over the flash to deflect it upwards?

I guess we'd have to experiment with that to get the "something"
right, the position right, and the EV compensation right.

Anyone tried it?

Alan

Alan Meyer wrote:
"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of purchasing an external flash for my digital camera.
Most of the pictures I've seen so far have been very harsh looking.
Has anyone figured how to soften the light with a single flash?
Perhaps using diffusers or bounce reflectors.
Would love to see samples.
-tom

All of the answers given above seem to assume an external
flash.

Has anyone tried to do anything with the built-in on-camera
flash on the simpler cameras? For example, holding something
over the flash to deflect it upwards?

I guess we'd have to experiment with that to get the "something"
right, the position right, and the EV compensation right.

Anyone tried it?

Alan

How well it will work will depend on the camera, but you can try using a
facial tissue over the flash. It often makes a large difference.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

Alan Meyer wrote:
"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of purchasing an external flash for my digital camera.
Most of the pictures I've seen so far have been very harsh looking.
Has anyone figured how to soften the light with a single flash?
Perhaps using diffusers or bounce reflectors.
Would love to see samples.
-tom

All of the answers given above seem to assume an external
flash.

Has anyone tried to do anything with the built-in on-camera
flash on the simpler cameras? For example, holding something
over the flash to deflect it upwards?

I guess we'd have to experiment with that to get the "something"
right, the position right, and the EV compensation right.

Anyone tried it?

Alan

How well it will work will depend on the camera, but you can try using a
facial tissue over the flash. It often makes a large difference.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

Alan Meyer wrote:
"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of purchasing an external flash for my digital camera.
Most of the pictures I've seen so far have been very harsh looking.
Has anyone figured how to soften the light with a single flash?
Perhaps using diffusers or bounce reflectors.
Would love to see samples.
-tom

All of the answers given above seem to assume an external
flash.

Has anyone tried to do anything with the built-in on-camera
flash on the simpler cameras? For example, holding something
over the flash to deflect it upwards?

I guess we'd have to experiment with that to get the "something"
right, the position right, and the EV compensation right.

Anyone tried it?

Alan

Someone was on here a few weeks ago with a fifteen-dollar appliance
designed with that approach. I didn't investigate it, nor do I remember
what he called it.

I have a little plastic envelope that slips over the pop-up, one side
translucent, one side black opaque. The black side leaks enough light to
trigger a shoe-mount or bracket-mount slave. The translucent side is
still not as large a light source as the gallon fruit-juice jug on a
285H, but it is a little bit better than the bare pup-up.

I suppose -- and hope -- some thoughtful genius here will come up with a
cheap or free arrangement to turn a one-inch square on-camera flash into
a giant-but-convenient soft box.

--
Frank ess

Alan Meyer wrote:
"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of purchasing an external flash for my digital camera.
Most of the pictures I've seen so far have been very harsh looking.
Has anyone figured how to soften the light with a single flash?
Perhaps using diffusers or bounce reflectors.
Would love to see samples.
-tom

All of the answers given above seem to assume an external
flash.

Has anyone tried to do anything with the built-in on-camera
flash on the simpler cameras? For example, holding something
over the flash to deflect it upwards?

I guess we'd have to experiment with that to get the "something"
right, the position right, and the EV compensation right.

Anyone tried it?

Alan

Someone was on here a few weeks ago with a fifteen-dollar appliance
designed with that approach. I didn't investigate it, nor do I remember
what he called it.

I have a little plastic envelope that slips over the pop-up, one side
translucent, one side black opaque. The black side leaks enough light to
trigger a shoe-mount or bracket-mount slave. The translucent side is
still not as large a light source as the gallon fruit-juice jug on a
285H, but it is a little bit better than the bare pup-up.

I suppose -- and hope -- some thoughtful genius here will come up with a
cheap or free arrangement to turn a one-inch square on-camera flash into
a giant-but-convenient soft box.

--
Frank ess

Alan Meyer wrote:
"Tom Nakashima" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of purchasing an external flash for my digital camera.
Most of the pictures I've seen so far have been very harsh looking.
Has anyone figured how to soften the light with a single flash?
Perhaps using diffusers or bounce reflectors.
Would love to see samples.
-tom

All of the answers given above seem to assume an external
flash.

Has anyone tried to do anything with the built-in on-camera
flash on the simpler cameras? For example, holding something
over the flash to deflect it upwards?

I guess we'd have to experiment with that to get the "something"
right, the position right, and the EV compensation right.

Anyone tried it?

Alan

Someone was on here a few weeks ago with a fifteen-dollar appliance
designed with that approach. I didn't investigate it, nor do I remember
what he called it.

I have a little plastic envelope that slips over the pop-up, one side
translucent, one side black opaque. The black side leaks enough light to
trigger a shoe-mount or bracket-mount slave. The translucent side is
still not as large a light source as the gallon fruit-juice jug on a
285H, but it is a little bit better than the bare pup-up.

I suppose -- and hope -- some thoughtful genius here will come up with a
cheap or free arrangement to turn a one-inch square on-camera flash into
a giant-but-convenient soft box.

--
Frank ess

Tom Nakashima wrote:
I'm thinking of purchasing an external flash for my digital camera.
Most of the pictures I've seen so far have been very harsh looking.
Has anyone figured how to soften the light with a single flash?
Perhaps using diffusers or bounce reflectors.
Would love to see samples.
-tom

http://home.comcast.net/~bobqatphoto...19_Braniff.jpg

My beast Braniff, taken with a Minolta Maxxum 7D and an old Minolta
4000AF strobe, bounced straight up off the white ceiling of my home.
(the 4000AF doesn't communicate with the camera for autoexposure, it
just fires at whatever its set to when the shutter releases - trial and
error is a lot easier in digital! Will have to do until I can wrangle a
newer compatible strobe.)

Bob ^,,^

Tom Nakashima wrote:
I'm thinking of purchasing an external flash for my digital camera.
Most of the pictures I've seen so far have been very harsh looking.
Has anyone figured how to soften the light with a single flash?
Perhaps using diffusers or bounce reflectors.
Would love to see samples.
-tom

http://home.comcast.net/~bobqatphoto...19_Braniff.jpg

My beast Braniff, taken with a Minolta Maxxum 7D and an old Minolta
4000AF strobe, bounced straight up off the white ceiling of my home.
(the 4000AF doesn't communicate with the camera for autoexposure, it
just fires at whatever its set to when the shutter releases - trial and
error is a lot easier in digital! Will have to do until I can wrangle a
newer compatible strobe.)

Bob ^,,^