In article <4csfp9$18gm@news.doit.wisc.edu>, juano@macc.wisc.edu says...
>In article <4crocg$qtq@stealth.mindspring.com>, bgi@mindspring.com says...

>>If you want to eliminate red-eye buy a separate flash that rides
>>higher on the camera. Better yet, get a flash bracket to mount the
>>flash on. Even better, get one of those Lumiquest soft boxes. Then
>>you'll get top-notch flash pics.

>Can someone enlighten me... What is a Luniquest soft box?

Here we go, again...;-): IM(NS)HO, there is a LOT of mythology out
there concerning flashes, and how they work. The above suggestions
are, uh, not in agreement with my experience, but do go along with
the current mythologies - with the exception of the first one (placing
a taller flash on the camera), and, partially, the second one (placing
the flash on a bracket). I never get red-eye in my wedding and
publicity work, and I use an on-camera flash. Using a bracket to keep the flash above the lens is useful, but if it is used to place the
flash very high, an unsightly lighting results that causes what I call "wrought-iron chin braces", where everybody has a large black shadow under the chin. I use a medium Stryrofoam cup over the upturned flash
to get the light above the lens for verticals, to lose light when I am very close with fast film and wide apertures, and to broaden the flash light for super wide angle lenses - but NOT to "diffuse" the light, which is nonsense. The small "soft boxes" intended to fit on camera flashes have a hot spot in the center and are not very efficient at lighting the whole face of the device, so the resulting size of the light source is not much changed. Enlarging the light source size
a LOT, combined with a short light-to-subject distance, is the only meaningful way to soften shadow edges. Shadow density may be reduced with successful bounce flash (this requires a suitably close and
appropriately colored surface to bounce light from), or by adding ambient light. I hope this sheds SOME light on the world of on-camera flashes and the endless flash add-ons that are foisted on us poor photographers just trying to make a living....;-)
Hope This Helps