Lighting and Bounce Diffusers

Let me see if I understand, your screwing the photographer who asked you the help out, out of his referrals and your proud of it? The Bride thought you were good enough for crowd scenes, but not good enough to hire for the important shots, so you decided to act like a jerk and show them up by stealing referrals? Since when is a wedding or any event about the photographer? Wouldn't a true professional maintain a low profile and record the events as he/she is hired to rather than try to steal the spotlight for himself? You know what they say big ego, small..., could someone here be over compensating? Dose the end really justify the means? Do you even understand normal social conventions? How dose you being a cheap hustler relate to bounce diffusers?
 
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Here is the next one I am looking into picking up, the "Whale Tale"
That picture is typical of the Gary Fong marketing machine. The pic on the left has been taken with a flash pointed directly at the subject, not bounced. No one in their right mind would do that. If the shot were taken with the flash bounced, you wouldn't see much of a difference in the shots at all.

I own a Fong as I didn't know any better when I bought it. I believed the marketing hype. I've since had it a year and used it in a number of situations, and even done tests with it and determined that it has a very narrow application and in most cases a bare bounced flash does as good or better.

Examples:

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As you can see the light from the bare bounced flash is very similar to the Fong with the dome removed. With the dome in place, the light is quite harsh.

As for the Whale Tail, here's a technical review of flash defusers where the Whale Tail comes in dead last.

The Best Flash Diffuser @ PHOTO-TIPS-ONLINE.com

You'll notice in the review all of the top performers are bounce cards. In my test above I didn't use an additional bounce card but I did use the built in bounce card in the 580EXII.
 
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But taking a bag full of home made junk to a paid event would be about as classy as trying upstage the paid photographer and passing out business cards at an event or wedding.
Yup, it's in my contract that I will be the only photographer there. If I have an issue with another guest with a camera interfering with my work, I reserve the right to ask that person to either stop what they're doing, leave or I leave without penalty.

I'm sure this photog learned his lesson and hopefully amended his contract to deal with such guests in the future.
 
You can still see the guides from the grease pencil, those will be cleaned this is hood and cap for my 70-200mm f/2.8L! I love it!!! matched with the colors of lens perfectly. I will post pics with full set up as soon as it's cleaned and finished...

Why would you do that to the lens hood? It not only looks tacky and immature, but you actually ask people for money to shoot with that? I'm sorry but if I were the customer, I'd like my photographer to be as professional as possible, and that "custom" lenshood screams "fire me and hire a pro!"
 
Let me see if I understand, your screwing the photographer who asked you the help out, out of his referrals and your proud of it? The Bride thought you were good enough for crowd scenes, but not good enough to hire for the important shots, so you decided to act like a jerk and show them up by stealing referrals? Since when is a wedding or any event about the photographer? Wouldn't a true professional maintain a low profile and record the events as he/she is hired to rather than try to steal the spotlight for himself? You know what they say big ego, small..., could someone here be over compensating? Dose the end really justify the means? Do you even understand normal social conventions? How dose you being a cheap hustler relate to bounce diffusers?


wow dude! calm down you need a hug, I didn't steal thunder and the bride didn't hire me because she is my cousin and wanted me to just relax have a good time and shoot some candids, it was a bonus that I shot anything, she loved all the pics and the professional guy's were phenomenal, I was cool with him, even let him borrow my 10-20mm sigma for dancing shots, all I am saying is that the Fong drew attention to business, when I shoot video I also leave on my narly wireless microphone setup even though I am not using it just so it draws attention and give me the opportunity to talk to the guests on down time when they ask "hey what does that do?" etc. Just trying to give other photogs advice and that the Fong just by the looks of it has brought me work (this is our ultimate goal no?), take it how you wanna take it, if you wanna flame me up over it be my guest this is all I am gonna reply to you. ;)
 
You can still see the guides from the grease pencil, those will be cleaned this is hood and cap for my 70-200mm f/2.8L! I love it!!! matched with the colors of lens perfectly. I will post pics with full set up as soon as it's cleaned and finished...

Why would you do that to the lens hood? It not only looks tacky and immature, but you actually ask people for money to shoot with that? I'm sorry but if I were the customer, I'd like my photographer to be as professional as possible, and that "custom" lenshood screams "fire me and hire a pro!"

I think outside the box, I may be a little loud but bottom line is I am making enough money, to keep buying sick equipment left and right, isn't this the point??? I will use a CD spindle as a defuser when I can't afford a better one because of lack of gigs...

About the lens hood...
That's why I have more then one, I shoot a lot of rapper's album covers and car shows and a lot of live hip hop events, its a conversation starter. Lens hoods are cheap, if it gets me to hand out a few cards then it did it's job? Look people my goal is to be a great photography and enjoy the art but when it comes down to the end of the day I am in it to put food on my table. If I am shooting Paris Hilton I might rock a pink lens hood with bling on it, does anyone feel my point??? I would be a fool to actually stripe my real L lens! I am a rookie and don't have my say so on here so go ahead flame me up...
 
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I think outside the box, I may be a little loud but bottom line is I am making enough money, to keep buying sick equipment left and right, isn't this the point???

Not from photography you're not. You said it yourself in other posts: you may have all that shiny equipment that you bought from your graphic design income, but you've got no experience with it. We're in a photography forum, discussing photography so pointing out that you have enough money to buy equipment has nothing to do with what I previously mentioned. Like someone else pointed out in this thread, you just sound like you're using the fact that you have all those shinies to make up for something else . . . . >.>

You're also contradicting yourself. Putting down someone for talking about a DYI diffuser and saying how it would be unprofessional blah blah blah in one post and in the other showing a "customized" lens hood that looks like it was painted by a middle schooler and saying that it's ok because you bring in money from it? . . . right . . .

Pro gear =/= pro.
 
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I think outside the box, I may be a little loud but bottom line is I am making enough money, to keep buying sick equipment left and right, isn't this the point???

Not from photography you're not. You said it yourself in other posts: you may have all that shiny equipment that you bought from your graphic design income, but you've got no experience with it. We're in a photography forum, discussing photography so pointing out that you have enough money to buy equipment has nothing to do with what I previously mentioned. Like someone else pointed out in this thread, you just sound like you're using the fact that you have all those shinies to make up for something else . . . . >.>

I am a wedding videographer first before a designer, and I have made lots of money off of my XTI and kit lenses, I am new to being a profession photog and I am humble and say I lack professional experience, My design job goes to mortgage and car/motorcycle paments... Wedding and racing DVDs are my play money and now my photography, my goal is for my ventures to support them selves financially so I don't have to come out of pocket, and they do so far... I have been shooting non stop with my 1d 5d and making good money, no big shoots to note but even shooting girls to upgrade their myspace and facebook photos, Craig's listed that one for $60 a pop and made over $1,200 in 2 weekends so I am shopping for another lens. If I get paid per shutter click even if it's just a nominal amount for now I'm doing good in my opinion! When my camera is sitting not being used its losing me money. Some day I will get to your level and price range FELIX.
 
My level and price range? I'm a marketing major. Photography is my hobby. >.> Do not, in any way, think that I'm a pro or am claimin to be one. It's just that contradicting yourself by saying you'd never be caught with ChasK's diffuser alternative at a wedding and then popping up with the lens hood pics . . .

Anyway I'm late for class. I'll have to catch up on this lovely conversation another time.
 
My level and price range? I'm a marketing major. Photography is my hobby. >.> Do not, in any way, think that I'm a pro or am claimin to be one.

Oh that's cool well I'm just here trying to get along and get my hustle on anyway I can and I will...

Good stuff bro...:hugs:
 
Here's a more recent set of tests, this time I've included a Lumiquest Softbox III in my testing.

Camera setup:
1D Mark IV
580EXII Flash
85L lens
f/4
1/125
Manual Mode
AWB

Subject 2ft from wall
Camera 8ft from subject

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Wow the lumiquest sucks... Might as well shoot the flash straight on.


I will show some events I shot with Fong and With out, let me dig them up, love using them for receptions...
 

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