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Bounce or Softbox (which is better)?
I'll be going to a very large room with very high ceilings for upcoming Christmas party. I want to use my new 24 x 24" softbox for the first time. It will be very dim lighting. I'm sure I can get enough light by bouncing off nearby tables etc, but how does a softbox fit into these type of senarios? Planning on using it mainly for some head and shoulder shots, but is their an advantage to using a softbox for this when i can be using bounce instead? I know bouncing will illuminate the background more. But the light itself on the subject---any significant differences here?
Comments
Why not have another on -camera flash bounced, perhaps with a dome -type diffuser, as a fill light? I often use this configuration with my Gary Fong lightsphere angled up and sideways as it adds a little front fill also. Keeping the ratio at around 2/3 for the softbox and 1/3 for the bounced fill should provide a nice effect.
So the bounced fill with Lightsphere adds what's needed coming from the other side and front. But I make sure the softbox remains the stronger light. I can do this with automatic exposures and a ratio set between the flashes, or manually.
Does your on camera flash trigger the off-camera one if needed?
I'm thinking though, that if i were to do those special couple portraits ONLY with the softbox, that i could possibly use a SET distance to the subjects, which might eleviate alot of figuring each time with settings.
I use a pocket wizard to trigger my off camera flash (softbox). If i were to do this, I'd have to experiment a little at home about the ratios because, you have the sofbox cutting down some light inside it and it's basically not a simple matter of mathmatics here.
Stepping back here, again it's time consuming because I have to 1. replace my on-camera flash with a P.Wizard. 2. put a hot shoe on my flash unit (the one that will go on the camera bracket..the hot shoe in turn..goes onto the bracket. (in other words, it wouldn't be so bad if i just needed to put the flash unit quickly onto the bracket, but i have to fit a hotshoe on the bottom of it first............then...goes onto the bracket. 3. I have to set the manual flash of it to correct flash output.
Sounds fast, but imagine in a party setting...that would seem forever while they wait for me.
I think using the softbox alone will do it. I had for a long time, been placing it too much like Rembrant lighting. Then, i found out that Neil among others say to use about 30 degrees from camera axis, and about 30 degrees up above subject level. That should provide a good amount of light on the "shadow side" of subject.
I'm also using proprietary system flash, with optical triggering, so I can just switch on the slave unit when its needed, and leave it off when moving around.
I understand that you want to stick with one flash at a time ... Maybe the pocketwizard can fit under your on -camera flash in order to avoid any fiddling around putting it on? You could just switch off the on-camera flash when starting to use the softbox one ?
I'm sure that advice about the 30deg will be fine. Maybe you could push your exposure time longer just to get a bit more ambient light in, which might help with the shadow side of the subjects .....
Also, about the 30 degree thing...i've also understand that a person should slightly turn the head towards the light (short lighting). This will also automatically keep the shadow side of the face from not even ocurring or minimizing at least. I've narrowed everything down as much as i can and this is the best setup i can think of.
1. Softbox for couples
2. Bounce for small groups
3. Small softbox on camera for direct flash of people at tables.
I'll be using just regular bounce flash with one unit from now on. Might reserves a large group shot (as shown) for the off camera setup but that's it.
I think a softbox is mainly best to be used outdoors where you do not usually have any surfaces available to bounce off of.