Shooting candids with on camera flash

8 years 11 months ago #434797 by Jakov Barnes
For those of you that shoot candid portraits with the flash on the camera, are you using any sort of flash diffuser or just the naked flash head?  I have tried a few of them and always seem to come back to just a bouncing the light off a wall or ceiling.  


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8 years 11 months ago #434810 by Stanly
 I've tried a couple of the domes on the market and never really got them.  I'm a simple guy and just use either a bounce card or just bounce off the ceiling or wall too. 

Nikon Z6 | Nikon FM10 | Nikon D80 | Nikon 50mm f/1.8D | Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S VR | 35-105mm f/3.5 Macro | 80-200mm f/4.5 | SB600 | Pocket Wizard II
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8 years 11 months ago #434818 by Cathy Kadolph
The crappy part about most of the flash modifiers is that they really don't help at all and destroy the power on your flash.  I'll use bare flash as much as I can.  

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once you grow up." Pablo Picasso
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8 years 11 months ago #434835 by effron
As important as a modifier is knowing when and how to reduce the flash's power. I can't remember the last time I shot any speedlight or on camera flash at, or even close to full power.....:dry:

Why so serious?
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8 years 11 months ago #434842 by Kenta
Speaking of which, which modifier robs you the least?  (Least light reduction?)


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8 years 11 months ago #434851 by garyrhook
I would suggest the Graslon diffuser and flash compensation to dial back the power.


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8 years 11 months ago #435200 by Kenya See
Bounce cards for me


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8 years 11 months ago #435306 by Kenya See

garyrhook wrote: I would suggest the Graslon diffuser and flash compensation to dial back the power.



I just looked these up, which one do you have?


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8 years 11 months ago #435504 by GWS
Next on my to-buy-list 


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8 years 11 months ago - 8 years 11 months ago #435552 by Screamin Scott
Gary Fong's units waste too much light (power)... I use a"Demb DFD PRO" unit. It's like a "Better Bounce card" but it also offers some diffusion and minimal light loss. That said, I do ,too often, buy many different, inexpensive flash modifiers to try out. .. Here's a link to the Demb unit

www.dembflashproducts.com/products/flash-diffuser/

Scott Ditzel Photography

www.flickr.com/photos/screaminscott/

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8 years 11 months ago #435553 by Screamin Scott
Like you Ernest, I also shoot at different power levels, especially when shooting macro. I rarely shoot in any "auto" type mode... Old habits die hard.

effron wrote: As important as a modifier is knowing when and how to reduce the flash's power. I can't remember the last time I shot any speedlight or on camera flash at, or even close to full power.....:dry:


Scott Ditzel Photography

www.flickr.com/photos/screaminscott/

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8 years 11 months ago #435566 by garyrhook

Kenya See wrote:

garyrhook wrote: I would suggest the Graslon diffuser and flash compensation to dial back the power.



I just looked these up, which one do you have?


I have the Spark, which was quite impressive, but acquired a speedlite shortly after that (as I learned about using flash). I would suggest the Prodigy any day, but either will work better than most of what's out there.


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