Flash Bracket, Lightsphere? In need of some lighting tips.

[pixmedic]

Yeah.. Perhaps i can improve my photos a bit with one. I cant see me using one plus carrying another camera. Sometimes you just have to step back and look at what will work for you the best. There is no way i can carry 2 cameras and one or both of them use a bracket. I rather have the versatility of having 2 lenses ready to fire with on camera flashes that will give me somewhat decent results vs only one lens with light that givea me a slightly better result.

I only second shoot and do staged portraits so I never carry 2 cameras.
If i have any say in the matter, that's how things will stay.

I suppose I might have to reevaluate my shooting techniques and equipment that I keep on me if I had to do a wedding on my own.

 

[Designer]

Hey, Robin, why not use a donkey to carry all your stuff? You'd be a hit at weddings. Or if not at weddings, then at kids' pony rides, for sure.

 

[lambertpix]

Guys I really just wanted to know if a flash bracket would be useful, since the only other option for me would be to use my speedlight directly on camera. Most have said yes so I'll most likely follow that advice. NOW, can anyone tell me wth a "slave" mode is on my speedlight??

so heres the deal with the flash bracket...
it gets the flash a little higher off the camera. the arm swivels out, so when you turn the camera to portrait orientation, you can swing the flash back into an upright position instead of shooting the flash off from the side...this lets you keep the flash above the lens, and is especially useful if you are bouncing the flash.
why this is a bad thing for wedding photographers....I have no idea, but we are in the apparent 5% minority that use them at weddings.
I love the flash bracket.

This ^^.

Mount your flash on the top of your camera and hold it in landscape orientation. In this position, the flash bracket would just be moving the flash a little higher still, which might be a small improvement, especially if you mount a bulky flash modifier on the flash. It might be worth pointing out that by the time you've got a flash bracket and some sort of modifier, you're waving a pretty bulky kit around, which could be a strength / stamina issue in some cases for the photographer (as if a 70-200 lens isn't...), but it's also adding to your personal distraction coefficient. In other words, you're going to be noticed, and if you're standing in front of someone, all they're going to see is your Gary Fong, but that's sort of a peripheral point....

Anyway, if you take your camera and rotate it to portrait orientation, you'll now see that your flash is hanging off to the side. This means that (1) your light source is coming from the side, rather than the top, with respect to your lens, and (2) if you've angled your flash head at all to bounce your flash, the angles have changed. **If you care about those things**, then the flash bracket might be worth looking into. If those things aren't super-important to you, then the bracket might just be more bulk you don't need to carry around.

 

[Robin Usagani]

I agree lamberpix. Of course there is also that discussion about most wedding photographers hardly take vertical shots during coverage. Most of the vertical shots are on the portrait session parts. I say I probably shoot 90+% horizontal at weddings. That's one reason why changing the angle when shooting vertical doesnt bother me much because I dont do it often.

 

[Designer]

Your kids would really love a donkey.

 

[runnah]

I agree lamberpix. Of course there is also that discussion about most wedding photographers hardly take vertical shots during coverage. Most of the vertical shots are on the portrait session parts. I say I probably shoot 90+% horizontal at weddings. That's one reason why changing the angle when shooting vertical doesnt bother me much because I dont do it often.

Good point.

 

[Gavjenks]

I'd say that ISO-related stuff / getting an exposure is only a minor reason to use flash. Modeling the shape of your subject, making them pop from surroundings, and putting flattering shadow patterns on their faces are more important uses. So you'd still absolutely want a flash with you even if your camera could do ISO 204,800 with no noise.

 

[pixmedic]

I'd say that ISO-related stuff / getting an exposure is only a minor reason to use flash. Modeling the shape of your subject, making them pop from surroundings, and putting flattering shadow patterns on their faces are more important uses. So you'd still absolutely want a flash with you even if your camera could do ISO 204,800 with no noise.

Dizactly!