On Thu, 01 Aug 2002 07:13:50 GMT, "Tommy Huynh" wrote:

>"Neuman - Ruether" wrote in message
>news:3d4be894.4415651@newsstand.cit.cornell.edu...
>
>> If you did a careful "side-by-side" test, with and
>> without the handkerchief, at normal distances, I would
>> be very surprised if you saw ANY difference in the results.
>> The above is a common myth. Flash softness depends on
>> the light source size (relatively unchanged by the
>> handkerchief, as it is also unchanged by the bounce cards
>> you see photojournalists using outdoors...;-), and the
>> light source distance from the subject and background -
>> "diffusion" has nothing to do with it - but size and
>> angles do...

>I mostly agree, everytime I see someone shooting outdoors with a Stofen
>Omnibounce, I gotta wonder it these are the same people shooting off their
>flashes in stadiums. In some situations such as in tightly enclosed spaces
>or when you are standing near a white wall though, a small diffuser will do
>a decent job.

Yes, *IF* you are *VERY* near the reflecting surface, since
to be effective, the reflected light must be within maybe
1.5 stops of the main light to show - and this is a
difficult level to achieve with the distances and surface
reflectivities generally involved...

>If you're not afraid to look a little ghetto, I'd recommend using plastic
>bags from the grocery store. These things actually work really well. Just
>put on a diffusing head to send the light all around the inside of the bag,
>rubber band the bag to the flash head where it's inflated and the rubber
>band keeps it air tight, and now you have a nice sized soft box. The orange
>plastic bags can even be used to warm the light..:)

Ummm... A good test is to look directly at the flash
with/without the accessory when it is triggered in a
darkened room - the afterimage will show you whether
or not there is a very high level of light from the
accessory relative to the main light. You may be
surprised to find that you see mostly the small flash
in the afterimage, indicating it is doing little in
practice. It is easy to believe things that do not
hold up well after doing simple tests...;-)