What are the usages of speedlites, reflectors etc.?

[chiyeung]

I am looking for accessories for my new camera. Mainly looking into portraits.

I found certain reflectors and speed lites. How do they work and why use them? Why can't we just use our camera flash?

What are softboxes for?

Should I get any of these accessories with my new dslr?

 

[enzodm]

I am looking for accessories for my new camera. Mainly looking into portraits.

I found certain reflectors and speed lites. How do they work and why use them? Why can't we just use our camera flash?

What are softboxes for?

Should I get any of these accessories with my new dslr?

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...-gallery/233593-600-saved-up.html#post2153734

 

[tirediron]

I would suggest that your first accessory should be reading material. LOTS of it - head down to your library and pick up whatever they have on basic portraiture and lighting. All of the accessories you've mentioned are for control and manipulation of light.

 

[Bram]

Alright, your standard pop-up flash from any camera only fires about up to roughyl 10-15ft. (correct me if im wrong). That is why we don't just use that. some external flashes can reach up to 30ft. (I believe) The pop-up flash is used for fill light, in other words most people never use it.

An external flash can be mounted on a stand, or on your camera and then you can bounce, yes literally bounce the flassh off of a reflector, a ceiling, a wall. You name it.

A softbox is literally that, you fire your flash through a softbox which spreads out a soft light onto your subject, an umbrella technically does the same. Look into it for further detail on that.

You said you were mainly looking into protraits, start with a speedlite and a reflector, experiment with it. Fire your flash to the right, straight into your refletor, and that will bounce the light back to the left and lighten up your subjects left side.

Hope this helps a little bit.

 

[radiorickm]

I agree..you should probably start by getting some reading materail, and educating yourself.

Just some food for thought, and I don't totally agree with what BRAM said:

The on camera flash is relative small indeed. But the main reason we don't use it is it creates some really ugly shadows in photos. It is a very small harsh light sourse.

DO THIS: Look at the lighting in a room, lit with one lamp with a shade on it or one light with a globe on it. When you remove the globe/shade, the light QUALITY changes dramatically. Same thing with a small on-camera flash.

Using a higher power flash on camera cures the range problem, but it's still a hard harh light. They are used quite often off camera, by the use of a TTL cord. You will also find many diffuser type accessories for these flash units

So, we use light modifiers to change the quality of the light. Umbrellas, or softboxes turn the little 1/2 inch tube into a large, square/round area of lighting as the flash if fired into/through it. Reflectors then bounce back into a darkened area of the picture.

This should give you some starting points, but most importantly, go read up on the subjuct and become educated before you jump in.

Good luck