Best way to diffuse a flash in the field?

10 years 11 months ago #285243 by Linda Duncan
I left my diffuser home this weekend and needed it with my 580EX ii. I ended up taking some napkins and putting them in front of my flash when it went off. Very ghetto, but it was the only thing I could think of. Let me ask you, when you need to diffuse your light and don't have diffuser, what are you using?


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10 years 11 months ago #285286 by Vahrenkamp
Napkins make good emergency diffusers


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10 years 11 months ago #285294 by Baydream
I guess a Kleenex would work well if is was not a used one.

Shoot, learn and share. It will make you a better photographer.
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10 years 11 months ago #285297 by Dori
Whatever works!! :thumbsup:

Don't pi$$ me off, I am running out of room to store the bodies...

Resident Texasotan...

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10 years 11 months ago #285337 by effron
Years ago I shot a wedding as a last minute fill in, with a borrowed speedlight aimed straight up and a paper towel taped around it, and produced some of my best work.
However, you didn't mention what you were photographing, and this wouldn't be a good setup outdoors, say....... :P

Why so serious?
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10 years 11 months ago #285376 by Jim Photo
I've used piece of white trash bag before


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10 years 11 months ago #285392 by McBeth Photography
I keep a 20" shoot through reflector in my camera bag at all times, sometimes it diffuses flash and sometimes sunlight.

It is what it is.
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10 years 11 months ago #285424 by Raymond II
Good ideas!


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10 years 11 months ago #285458 by Zeberk
Why not just use the white flip out diffuser built in the flash?


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10 years 11 months ago #285482 by garyrhook

Zeberk wrote: Why not just use the white flip out diffuser built in the flash?


Probably because neither the white bounce card nor diffuser lens are very accomplished at actually diffusing the flash.


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10 years 10 months ago #285603 by Tony Imaging

garyrhook wrote:

Zeberk wrote: Why not just use the white flip out diffuser built in the flash?


Probably because neither the white bounce card nor diffuser lens are very accomplished at actually diffusing the flash.



You beat me to this answer. While on subject I find the white bounce card and diffuser on my flash to be completely worthless.


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10 years 10 months ago #285614 by Joves

Tony Imaging wrote:

garyrhook wrote:

Zeberk wrote: Why not just use the white flip out diffuser built in the flash?


Probably because neither the white bounce card nor diffuser lens are very accomplished at actually diffusing the flash.



You beat me to this answer. While on subject I find the white bounce card and diffuser on my flash to be completely worthless.

I like my bounce cards, the problem most people have with them is the cardboard they use can cause a false color, most of the time in the blue range.
As for the flip outs on at least the Nikon speedlights those are not true diffusers, they are light spreaders for lenses 20mm, or wider to cover the extra field. Otherwise you end up with dark areas. It is in the manual on the lights that it is their sole purpose.


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