External flashes

[jeniferrice]

program that's is easy to learn and not too costly for a beginner? Someone out there has got to have knowledge of this since everyone's into pictures and photoshop.

If it makes any difference, I have Dreamweaver.

Thanks.

Jen

 

[YEKCIM]

Been wanting to try this thing for quite a while and finally got around to making one. Simple to make, simple to attach, cost is literally zero, and results are very pleasing, IMO:

If interested, check out the video on THIS site and make one for yourself. At a cost of $0.00, you can hardly lose!

~Ed

 

[cjstarr]

Thanks for posting this Ed that was a great idea.

 

[jann1033]

interesting idea, does he explain anywhere the use of the black ones?

 

[AndrewWG]

I like it! I'm certainly going to give it a try. Thanks Ed!

 

[YEKCIM]

interesting idea, does he explain anywhere the use of the black ones?

Looks like Video #3 describes this one, but I haven't had a chance to look at it, yet.

I like it! I'm certainly going to give it a try. Thanks Ed!

Good luck, Andy. I'd be interested in seeing your results, too.

~Ed

 

[mabas9395]

Very similar to the one I found and made a little over a year ago.

http://super.nova.org/DPR/DIY01/

 

[SonyaM]

That was a LONG video, LOL! Great idea though, looks like it would come in handy. BTW...Hi Ed! Thanks for the invite!

 

[YEKCIM]

That was a LONG video, LOL! Great idea though, looks like it would come in handy. BTW...Hi Ed! Thanks for the invite!

Welcome to the DIS, Sonya! Hope to see some of your DL pix here!

~Ed

 

[PixieDust32]

Thanks.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

More and more of what I read refers to "gelling" flashes. That means putting a colored gel on the flash to color the light from the flash. An example might be using fill in flash during a sunset. You wouldn't want your subject to be lit with "white" light while everything else is getting warm light from the orange sun. To fix the problem, you slap an orange gel on your flash.

Another example popular in the sports world these days is the use of a yellow gel for shots taken near dusk. You then white balance the shot for the light you used so your subject (lit by the flash) is now neutral again but the background is now shifted to blue for a moody look.

I have no experience with using gels. When I looked to buy them online, I see lots of them, but I can't figure out how they are best attached to the flash. One suggested using velcro, but I'm not enthusiastic about glueing a velcro ring around my flash. Any suggestions?

 

[The Grays]

I used to use rubber bands

 

[fitzperry]

I've no experience with gels either. The term "gel" makes me think that it should just stick to the flash like those window gel things my kids love. Maybe you could develop something like that. But it would have to be some space age material that nothing can stick to because those window things get nasty once the kids have messed around with them a bit.

 

[Furgus]

Mark, If you have a flickr account, search for strobist, and gels. There is a huge amount of info on how to make Gel Holders and places to get free gels. Since not everyone has a flickr account, I did not post any links, but if you want me to, I will.

 

[MICKEY88]

why not use velcro,, pocket bounce diffusers attach that way,

and actually when my minolta flash died and I replaced it with a sigma flash, since the refund sony sent me , paid for it in full, my gary fong diffuser didn't fit, it was too large, so I put a ring of velcro arount the flash, one around the base of the diffuser, , I then slide the diffuser on the end of the flash and put a band of velcro around fong and flash, holding themtogether..

 

[Charade]

The photographer at our wedding (a little over a week ago) used one. The photos look good to me (I have a D70 with the SB800 and don't like the direct or bounce light) so I thought I'd get one of these.

To see our wedding photos, go to www.theprosphotos.com and click on "May" as the event date and enter Laura (Laura and John M) for the bride's name.

 

[Furgus]

There is some discussion about this here.

I have wanted to try one, but I have not yet.

 

[MICKEY88]

I have 2 and love the results, as with any diffuser you will have to make adjustments, some people think you just put it on and shoot as usual, and then are disappointed in the results..

if bouncing off a high ceiling you remove the inverted dome.. if shooting straight on, I set my camera for a +1 flash compensation, this may vary depending on your camera and flash, but once you do some test shots and fogure out the best adjustments you should be very happy with the soft even lighting...

I'd like to get the cloud for closeup head shots..

 

[donnab2005]

I just purchased my first external flash for my Nikon D50 and I love it. I purchased the Nikon SB600. I cannot beleive the difference the external flash makes. I wish I would have bought it sooner. My pictures are so much nicer. I have been trying to learn more about the manual settings on my camera and decided to get the new flash as a gift to me for my birthday.

 

[handicap18]

Excellent purchase. The SB-600 is a great flash. I've had mine for about 18 months now with my D50. Not long after I got the SB-600 I went and bought a Gary Fong Lightsphere II diffuser and I've found it makes the images even better.

I still don't use manual that much. Mostly aperture priority or program with the flash.

Another thing I've found is that when you combine the D50 with the 50mm f/1.8 lens and the SB-600 flash, you have yourself a GREAT portrait set up. Inexpensive with GREAT results.