Demb Flip It Products

[Gianna'sPapa]

Has anyone used their products? Good/Bad/Whatever? I'm trying to find an inexpensive and portable way to shoot some portraits like the one below. I don't have any studio lighting and since I shoot very little of this type of work, I really don't want to invest heavily in a lighting system. The shadowing is driving me crazy. I have tried pulling the seating area away from the backdrop and raising my tripod to no avail. This is shot in a gymnasium so there is nothing to do a bounce flash.

http://www.dembflashproducts.com/flipit/


IMGP4171 by Terry McGraw Photography, on Flickr

 

[photo_chick]

I still see a lot of deep shadows in their example images. If you look, most of what they have posted also has a good bit of ambient light. I could see it being useful to spread the flash for fill light. It might soften the hard edge of the shadows from spreading the light in a situation like you posted but without another light source (or reflector) to come from another angle you'll still get deep shadows. Even when I use the giant softbox in the studio I have deep shadows in places, they're really soft edged from the diffused light but they're still very much there.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Thanks. I don't mind some shadowing, sometimes it can enhance an image. That dark shadow just drives me crazy. I think I will try it to see if I can at least soften it. Besides it may work for my headshots at the track!

 

[jimim]

Has anyone used their products? Good/Bad/Whatever? I'm trying to find an inexpensive and portable way to shoot some portraits like the one below. I don't have any studio lighting and since I shoot very little of this type of work, I really don't want to invest heavily in a lighting system. The shadowing is driving me crazy. I have tried pulling the seating area away from the backdrop and raising my tripod to no avail. This is shot in a gymnasium so there is nothing to do a bounce flash.

http://www.dembflashproducts.com/flipit/


IMGP4171 by Terry McGraw Photography, on Flickr

I've used the saucer for 3 years now and love it. It gives u some nice surface area to spread out the light from the flash. I use it everywhere. I feel it's more flexible than some of the other stuff out there due to the fact that it's hinged and you can bend it forward or back to adjust for the amount of bounce and direction you need. I bought a gary fong piece a while back and just wasn't as happy as I am with Joe's saucer. It wasn't as flexible as Joe's piece.

jimi

 

[HPS3]

Hey Mr Terry, why dont you try a white board or auto windshield to reflect that side.

 

[extreme8]

My Flip-it is almost never off of my flash.
It does create a slightly larger light source than the bare flash but to be honest it isn't a large enough increase to make any real difference. Using it as a sole light source will still give you hard edged shadows.
It really shines when you have some ambient light, but still need bounced flash for a little extra light and need to adjust the amount of direct flash needed for fill.
Straight up and down - lots of bounce, less direct (reflected from the flip-it)
Angled forward - less bounce (blocked by the flip-it), lots more direct(reflected from the flip-it).

I do use it in gyms with great results. Light ceilings work best, of course.

I know you didn't ask for advice but here are my thoughts - take 'em or leave 'em.
Looking at the sample you provided you have a few options to reduce or eliminate those hard shadows.

1 - Let the ambient light contribute to your exposure. Your settings of ISO 80 @ F8 & 1/80 is making your flash do all of the work.

2 - Pickup a small softbox and light stand. You can find a kit for <$100. Not sure it would solve your problem entirely but it would certainly help.

3 - Use a flash bracket. The shadows in your sample are to the right of the subjects. That shows that you rotated your camera to put the flash to your left side. If you were able to rotate the camera while still keeping the flash above the lens (with a bracket) the shadows would fall behind the subjects and be invisible.

 

[photo_chick]

Hey Mr Terry, why dont you try a white board or auto windshield to reflect that side.

This is one of my go-to solutions for killing shadows when I'm not in the studio. White museum board works really well to bounce light from a flash back.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Hey Mr Terry, why dont you try a white board or auto windshield to reflect that side.

My Flip-it is almost never off of my flash.
It does create a slightly larger light source than the bare flash but to be honest it isn't a large enough increase to make any real difference. Using it as a sole light source will still give you hard edged shadows.
It really shines when you have some ambient light, but still need bounced flash for a little extra light and need to adjust the amount of direct flash needed for fill.
Straight up and down - lots of bounce, less direct (reflected from the flip-it)
Angled forward - less bounce (blocked by the flip-it), lots more direct(reflected from the flip-it).

I do use it in gyms with great results. Light ceilings work best, of course.

I know you didn't ask for advice but here are my thoughts - take 'em or leave 'em.
Looking at the sample you provided you have a few options to reduce or eliminate those hard shadows.

1 - Let the ambient light contribute to your exposure. Your settings of ISO 80 @ F8 & 1/80 is making your flash do all of the work.

2 - Pickup a small softbox and light stand. You can find a kit for <$100. Not sure it would solve your problem entirely but it would certainly help.

3 - Use a flash bracket. The shadows in your sample are to the right of the subjects. That shows that you rotated your camera to put the flash to your left side. If you were able to rotate the camera while still keeping the flash above the lens (with a bracket) the shadows would fall behind the subjects and be invisible.

This is one of my go-to solutions for killing shadows when I'm not in the studio. White museum board works really well to bounce light from a flash back.

Thanks for all the advice, help and suggestions.