Quote:
Originally Posted by saber
anybody have suggestions on a DIY flash diffuser for portrait shots? debating if a light dome or similar is money well spent or not.
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Are you shooting with a speedlite on the camera or an off-camera flash?
For on-camera speedlites, definitely diffuse or bounce. A bracket is great for getting the flash off center and creating more flattering light.
I have one of these:
Gary Fong LightSphere Collapsible at Roberts Camera
It does the job.
A Fong Bong can be home grown out of leftover take-out containers for the cost of last night's dinner.
For off-camera speedlite use, there's a lot of Google-able tutorials on how to fabricate a DIY beauty dish, which you could then apply fabric to for diffusion. (Let's be realistic: A beauty dish and its specular light isn't for every subject that you put in front of your camera!)
At the end of the day, the DIY beauty dish may cost as much in materials and
your time as an inexpensive model out of the box. It's up to you.
Finally, there's no comparing a cheap, flat beauty dish like a Paul C. Buff to an Elinchrom or a Mola Setti. But now I'm not talking about speedlites anymore
Other quick and easy on-camera speedlite diffusion options include a plastic flash diffuser cap and or a collapsible softbox:
Fotodiox 6"x8" Foldable Flash Softbox for Nikon Flash, Canon Speedlight & ALL Standard Flashes