TYPES OF MODIFIERS
There are just as many modifiers for hot-shoe flash units on the market as there are for studio flashes. Some work better than others; as you experiment, you will find which ones best
enable you to light your photos with your style. Photographs 5-8 through show just a few of the modifiers on the market and describe the light quality they produce.
PHOTOGRAPH 5-11. Relatively new to the market, Strobies produce a mixture of soft and hard lighting. Notice that the design of the beauty dish and snoot are miniature versions of modifiers used in the studio, thus creating a similar field of light to the larger studio versions. Photograph courtesy of Interfit Photographics.
HOT-SHOE FLASH MODIFIERS 71
SAMPLE LIGHT-MODIFIER EFFECTS
It would be almost impossible to show all the hot-shoe flash modifiers and their particular effects, so I have created a few useful examples with my patient model, Shirley. All of the images were shot using a Nikon D300 with a single Nikon SB800 flash placed off camera at a 45-degree angle to camera left. The SB800 was controlled via an SB29 external cable affixed to my camera’s hot-shoe socket. (Note: Shirley was positioned in exactly the same way she was for the studio modifier examples seen in chapter 2.) If you study how the light falls on the face and where the shadows fall, you will note that the flash is above the camera axis and pointing down onto the subject.
PHOTOGRAPH 5-12. Straight Nikon SB800 flash. The lighting appears hard; the transfer between the highlights and shadows is sharply defined.
The SB800 flash with no modification other than the standard flip-down diffuser that softens the light only slightly.
PHOTOGRAPH 5-13. Nikon SB800 flash with a white diffuser. The quality of light is a tad softer than without any modification. (Note: This style of diffuser is also made in a tungsten-balanced color to add warmth to your images.)
The SB800 flash with a white diffuser.
PHOTOGRAPH 5-14. Nikon SB800 flash with my favorite modifier: the ProFusion. Compared to the Nikon diffuser, the image is softer and has less contrast, which is very pleasing for portrait photography. Additionally, the field of light produced is slightly greater/wider than with most modifiers.
The ProFusion, designed by Colorado wedding photographer Brad Walters, is relatively new to the market. The beveled design softens the light, spreading it in many directions to ensure a soft wrap-around transition from highlights to shadows. Photograph courtesy of Brad Walters Photography.
PHOTOGRAPH 5-15. The Ray Flash is a great addition to your camera bag. It is designed to evenly illuminate your subject, just as a studio ring flash would. You can also attach filters to the flash for creative lighting or to add warmth. (Note: With this modifier, try placing your subjects closer than normal to your background. You’ll get some great shadowing around them, as seen here.)
The Ray Flash works much like a studio ring light. Photograph courtesy of Ray Flash.
PHOTOGRAPH 5-16. A modifier I use a lot is the LumiQuest Max softbox. It’s very portable and produces beautiful lighting— great when you need a larger source of soft illumination.
The LumiQuest Max softbox. Photo courtesy of LumiQuest.
PHOTOGRAPH 5-17. One of my favorite modifiers is the snoot. The flexible design of the Honl and LumiQuest snoots allows you to control the relative size of the light opening, finessing the light on your images. This is an essential modifier to have in your camera bag.
The LumiQuest snoot.
PHOTOGRAPH 5-18. A useful modifier for accent lighting is the Honl grid attachment. This concentrates or constricts your field of light and directs your light source. The Strobies portrait kit also comes with a beautifully designed grid that easily attaches to your flash head. As with studio grids, the size of the grid will determine the intensity and direction of the effect.
The Honl grid attachment. Photo courtesy of Honl.