Comments on: the black foamie thing .. http://neilvn.com/tangents/2009/11/21/the-black-foamie-thing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-black-foamie-thing photography by Neil van Niekerk Wed, 23 May 2012 14:03:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: MAK http://neilvn.com/tangents/2009/11/21/the-black-foamie-thing/#comment-46727 MAK Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:03:43 +0000 http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/?p=1814#comment-46727 Neil, Thank you for your artistry, your perseverance with us amateurs, and your attitude to your customers. I just saw your "thingy" article and it solved many problems of mine. But with one problem last week, I simply couldn't find a solution. It was a friend's party, out in the park, in the middle of the night with no surfaces to bounce my flash. In a moment of inspiration (or idiocy, whichever you prefer) I turn the flash 180 pointing towards my big, bald head and...it actually gave the photos a nice soft white balance. I looked kind of weird shooting a flash backwards, but it worked! Thank you again. Neil,
Thank you for your artistry, your perseverance with us amateurs, and your attitude to your customers.
I just saw your “thingy” article and it solved many problems of mine. But with one problem last week, I simply couldn’t find a solution. It was a friend’s party, out in the park, in the middle of the night with no surfaces to bounce my flash. In a moment of inspiration (or idiocy, whichever you prefer) I turn the flash 180 pointing towards my big, bald head and…it actually gave the photos a nice soft white balance. I looked kind of weird shooting a flash backwards, but it worked!
Thank you again.

]]> By: Neil vN http://neilvn.com/tangents/2009/11/21/the-black-foamie-thing/#comment-42558 Neil vN Sun, 11 Mar 2012 01:07:18 +0000 http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/?p=1814#comment-42558 <blockquote>Zach .. the Nikon SB-600 does rotate 180 degrees to the one side. Then tilt it slightly "forward" so it faces back and up. Neil vN</blockquote>

Zach .. the Nikon SB-600 does rotate 180 degrees to the one side. Then tilt it slightly “forward” so it faces back and up.

Neil vN

]]> By: Zach http://neilvn.com/tangents/2009/11/21/the-black-foamie-thing/#comment-42547 Zach Sat, 10 Mar 2012 22:12:21 +0000 http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/?p=1814#comment-42547 So, I have an SB600 and it doesn't tilt backwards, how would you use the black foamie thing in that case? Would there be anyway to make it work, or am I limited to a diffuser and bouncing it off the ceiling? Maybe use the black foamie thing tilted up and to the right or left a little? So, I have an SB600 and it doesn’t tilt backwards, how would you use the black foamie thing in that case? Would there be anyway to make it work, or am I limited to a diffuser and bouncing it off the ceiling? Maybe use the black foamie thing tilted up and to the right or left a little?

]]> By: Neil vN http://neilvn.com/tangents/2009/11/21/the-black-foamie-thing/#comment-41042 Neil vN Wed, 22 Feb 2012 19:42:35 +0000 http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/?p=1814#comment-41042 <blockquote>If you're in an area where you have nothing to bounce your flash off, then the Stofen with the top cut open, won't offer you any benefits ... in fact, it might just make your flash less efficient. Neil vN</blockquote>

If you’re in an area where you have nothing to bounce your flash off, then the Stofen with the top cut open, won’t offer you any benefits … in fact, it might just make your flash less efficient.

Neil vN

]]> By: Greg http://neilvn.com/tangents/2009/11/21/the-black-foamie-thing/#comment-40965 Greg Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:41:47 +0000 http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/?p=1814#comment-40965 I like your policy of no single flash solution. I was wondering what you use at an evening party. Often the lighting will be dim compared to a wedding and more "snaps" than set up shots. I'll try all your suggestions, but would a stofen with a cut out top be best for the majority of quick shots in a party room atmosphere? I like your policy of no single flash solution. I was wondering what you use at an evening party. Often the lighting will be dim compared to a wedding and more “snaps” than set up shots. I’ll try all your suggestions, but would a stofen with a cut out top be best for the majority of quick shots in a party room atmosphere?

]]> By: Portrait of a Whippet | Marc de Ridder Photography http://neilvn.com/tangents/2009/11/21/the-black-foamie-thing/#comment-33096 Portrait of a Whippet | Marc de Ridder Photography Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:58:13 +0000 http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/?p=1814#comment-33096 [...] specifically caught my eye was the simplicity of it all, and Neil’s ingenuity to use ‘the black foamie thing’ for bounce flash. So the following day I went into town to hunt down some black foam. It [...] [...] specifically caught my eye was the simplicity of it all, and Neil’s ingenuity to use ‘the black foamie thing’ for bounce flash. So the following day I went into town to hunt down some black foam. It [...]

]]> By: Trev http://neilvn.com/tangents/2009/11/21/the-black-foamie-thing/#comment-28271 Trev Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:25:56 +0000 http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/?p=1814#comment-28271 Also, if shooting wide angle, that will make the flash spread a wider field thinking it needs to shoot wide, so manually zooming flash head in at full 200mm will help a little. Remember, you are bouncing, so you already will get a wider return of flash and zooming in will concentrate the light tighter giving more power/range where it's shooting to. Trev Also, if shooting wide angle, that will make the flash spread a wider field thinking it needs to shoot wide, so manually zooming flash head in at full 200mm will help a little.

Remember, you are bouncing, so you already will get a wider return of flash and zooming in will concentrate the light tighter giving more power/range where it’s shooting to.

Trev

]]> By: Neil vN http://neilvn.com/tangents/2009/11/21/the-black-foamie-thing/#comment-28263 Neil vN Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:08:59 +0000 http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/?p=1814#comment-28263 <blockquote>The BFT does cut some of the flash's power. So if you have problems with the flash just not having enough juice, by all means do try it without the BFT. Neil vN</blockquote>

The BFT does cut some of the flash’s power. So if you have problems with the flash just not having enough juice, by all means do try it without the BFT.

Neil vN

]]> By: Zach http://neilvn.com/tangents/2009/11/21/the-black-foamie-thing/#comment-27138 Zach Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:14:00 +0000 http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/?p=1814#comment-27138 Neil, just wondering how much of the BFT extends out beyond the end of the flash head when you shoot in decent size churches and large rooms. i shot a friends wedding yesterday at similar settings you would use, bouncing flash to my right and up off of the church walls during the processional. they were under exposed a bit as if the flash had little reach. could i have been cutting off power by having the BFT extending out too much? i read a reply by you on another post explaining this as a possible factor. the BFT was about 1.5" - 2" in front of my flash head. the church was fairly narrow. Nikon D700 SB-900 24-70 f2.8 thanks! Neil,
just wondering how much of the BFT extends out beyond the end of the flash head
when you shoot in decent size churches and large rooms. i shot a friends wedding yesterday at similar settings you would use, bouncing flash to my right and up off of the church walls during the processional. they were under exposed a bit as if the flash had little reach. could i have been cutting off power by having the BFT extending out too much? i read a reply by you on another post explaining this as a possible factor. the BFT was about 1.5″ – 2″ in front of my flash head. the church was fairly narrow.

Nikon D700
SB-900
24-70 f2.8

thanks!

]]> By: Neil vN http://neilvn.com/tangents/2009/11/21/the-black-foamie-thing/#comment-27119 Neil vN Sun, 28 Aug 2011 03:50:36 +0000 http://www.planetneil.com/tangents/?p=1814#comment-27119 <blockquote>Dro, <a href="http://neilvn.com/tangents/2010/03/14/bounce-flash-catchlights/">bounce your flash into the direction you want your light to come from - just like you had set up an off-camera softbox</a>. Then the catch-lights will be there in the eyes, nearly automatically. Neil vN</blockquote>

Dro, bounce your flash into the direction you want your light to come from – just like you had set up an off-camera softbox. Then the catch-lights will be there in the eyes, nearly automatically.

Neil vN

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