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Bounce flash

Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 5:29 pm
by Lee Bold
I know i missed phils talk on camera flash,work again but i have seen some members using a bounce card on their flash units. Can you buy these or are they home made and if so what materials are best.
I'm asking as i have had my arm bent to photograph a friends christening in a very high ceiling church with no where to bounce the light off as i normally would and i think direct flash can be a little washed out. I'm using a canon 580 ex flash unit.
Hope you can help
Lee

Re: Bounce flash

Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 7:55 pm
by oakeycoke
Lee,

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=427 Should take you to the relevant discussion and this part of it below will give some info on the bounce card (foam)
Here's the link to the bounce card with the template at the bottom of the page, I adapted it somewhat with the 'Hobbycraft Fab Foam' and some staples, but it worked well and can be adjusted as necessary to fit any flash, not just Canon.
http://super.nova.org/DPR/DIY01/
Which leads to this:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read. ... e=18308364
and this:
http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/1427850

For entertainment value watch Peter Greggs original bounce card videos :http://www.abetterbouncecard.com/

Re: Bounce flash

Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 9:01 pm
by oakeycoke
Lee,

The following sequence of 3 photos is from a very recent wedding reception. The bounce card was mounted on a EX580 Mk11 flash which was itself mounted on a stroboframe. The flash being linked to the camera via a hotshoe lead (Jessops in my case).

Image

This photo with the stroboframe and 580 in 'off' mode, ettl11, camera manual settings. Note that because the flash is above camera there are no nasty shadows, or red eye.

Image

Here the flash set up is the same but the 580 is in 'master' mode, you can hopefully see that it has triggered another EX580Mk1 flash situated on the DJ's table. Hence the bright ceiling and thus the dance floor has become almost like daylight. The bounce card has kind of equaled the light from both angles and again there are not many shadows.

Image

A different effect altogether and one I like but not as easy to achieve. Here the ambience of the dance floor is shown by dragging the shutter of the camera, i.e. the camera is in manual mode i.s.o 200, f/4.o and shutter speed 1/40 with the flash exposure compensation turned down nearly 2 stops. Effectively 2 exposures in one, which is what flash is really. The slow shutter speed has captured some of the background and the flash compensation has reduced its out-put so that the young girl's dress is not washed out. The bounce card has spread the light , being technical it would have been better to point the flash off to the left so that the box and pillar, in the near distance on the right, would not have been quite as bright.

The stroboframe allows the camera to rotate between landscape and portrait mode while the flash remains vertical above the lens axis, I showed it on the flash demo night. This link gives you a diagram of it http://www.tiffen.com/products.html?tab ... troboframe

Phil

Re: Bounce flash

Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 9:32 pm
by Lee Bold
Thanks for the info, I looked at the forum chat about the evening early in the start of it, for what ever reason i never went back so missed the discussion, I'm really sorry that i missed the talk as this is what i'm really into and need to develop. I've looked through the links and they are just what i'm after, I've always tried to bounce the flash off something even if it means carrying a large reflector, but sometimes thats difficult to do on your own. As i said earlier direct flash doesn't appeal to me being that its so harsh and the bounce card looking at your images phil really does the job, now i have to find some material and get blue petering.
Would the stofen type diffusers help me out if i ever needed to resort to direct flash, if anyone has used them please let me know.
Lee :-d :-d :-d

Re: Bounce flash

Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 10:41 pm
by oakeycoke
Lee,

I make the bounce card from fab foam, they do a self adhesive black one which you can stick to the white variety , this stops the flash annoying people behind you. I used small circular velcro tabs to hold the foam down at the top should you need more light thrown forward.
If you subject is some distance away you can always resort to direct flash by folding the foam back and angling the flash at your subject. You do lose a few stops of light with the bounce card, compensate with higher i.s.o. and larger f stop.

phil

Re: Bounce flash

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 4:57 pm
by Lee Bold
Thanks phil i've just been to The Range and bought some fun foam and at 79p for an A3 sheet, it can't be bad. i didn't see any self adhesive versions but i bought black and white and will hopefully spray adhesive them together. I have some velcro but i've just raided my mums plentiful sewing kit and found some press studs which i may try for holding the sides in.
Thanks again i'll let you see the results when i've used it.
Blue Peter has nothing on you when it comes to top accessories, although tracy island takes some beating
Thanks Lee

Re: Bounce flash

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 5:40 pm
by Brian Wilcox
Lee, You can get A4 self adhesive fab foam from hobbycraft in several colours including black & white. Not exactly sure on price but definately less than £1 a sheet. It sticks like......well it sticks very well!!! Brian

Re: Bounce flash

Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 7:02 pm
by Lee Bold
Thanks Brian if this doesn't work i'll try hobby craft. What about the plastic mesh that they use, I'm not using this mainly because i don't know were to get it or what it even looks like. Plus i think the foam will be rigid enough won't it.
Lee
Oh just found that the girlfriends cross stitch material is the stuff i'm after, she won't miss a bit as long as i'm quick before she gets back