anvancy-(macro analyst)
09-15-2009, 08:44 PM
this is not for those having speedlights and other flash units.if you ask why,well you already have the THING.this is for those having on board flash.i know there are zillion sites showing DIY stuff..but still for www.thephotographer.in (http://www.thephotographer.in) database and for my fellow photographers present on this site.
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we have faced situations where we have fired the flash and we come to know that the shot is sort of too much white.at times natural tones are lost.things can get worse when you shoot potraits with onboard flash.unlike dedicated flash units onboard flash is a baby in front of his mother.if you also observe,the flash is raised and it mainly points upwards.the basic motive is to fill the area with light.but what if we want to diffuse the light??and sort of simultaneously point the flash to an EYE level??ie directing your flash parallel to the lens??
understand this that smaller is your mouth,the harder and harsher the flash light is.because the light is coming from a small box like shape,it has a big spark thing.when you add softboxes and stuff,you are smoothing out the light.which then brings natural colors.
i face tough situations in macro.at times when i really want to fire the flash, the barrel comes between at times and a huge shadow is created on the subject.and the flash fired is harsh.not good for colors.so i decided to make a directional unit cum diffusor.
again there are a lot of sites showing the DIY.but ill be going my own way.
now i focused on one thing.how to do this project with minimal cost.in the end i found out that i spent ZERO money on this.so lets find out what we will require..your notepad and pen
ready???ok.before i start...do all this on a weekend.that way you will do timepass,but simultaneously you are gaining something from your timepass.ok..lets see what we have in store..
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3922535385_964fb5e562.jpg
ok.so we need all these.
1. a plastic container.like plastic milk can..note that we want a diffusor.so we want something
opaque.things like these give good diffusion.
2.scissors.
3.marker.
4.gift wrapping paper.note that the inside part should be silver.ie reflective.
5.tape..masking or normal..any..just avoid the packing one since that tape has weight.
6.cutter.
7.goodnight box.
so as you can see i took stuff that you can find in your home.everyday stuff.the can is of an utensil liquid soap named "gem liquid"...yea it proved it was a gem..LOL.
i know that in today's era the liquid mosquito repellant has taken over mats.but in our house both are used..the mats are a backup.
so shall we start with the procedure then??
ill go sequentially.
1. first take the goodnight box.measure and check how it will sit on your flash unit.when you are first checking,do note that your main flash window SHOULD NOT BE BLOCKED.done??
2. take a marker,divide your goodnight box in THREE SECTIONS.just keep the box attached to the flash unit,and you yourself decide at what interval of the box you want to cut into sections.
3. so now you have three sections right??what??why three sections??hmmm...well..3 sections as in my design i kept the middle part as an adjustor for the last part which is on the lens.the middle part can work as a hinge to the third part so that you can adjust the tilt of the third section.if you want to keep the box as a whole unit then its upto YOU.ok moving on.
4. take the section which will be on the lens,ie your third section.the first section will be sitting on the flash unit,the second is your adjustor,the third will be your window.so take your window section.
5.put that section on the liquid soap or milk or petrol can..whatever that you have.with the marker,mark out the rectangle of the window.
6.after you have marked the section,take the cutter,and cut along.BE VERY CAREFUL while cutting.and do not use a rusted cutter.you may have chances of TITANUS.hahaha..
7.so now you have your opaque window ready.now take the gift paper.take the measurements or by fluke check how much paper you want for the box sections.
8. cut the paper.after you have the paper sections ready,take the tape and paste the paper inside the goodnight box sections SILVER SIDE FACING OUTWARD.so your pattern should go inside and silver side should be seen.
like so..
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/3922536317_0534f39218.jpg
pardon the amateurish..:p
9.after the taping is done,tape the opaque window to the third section of your main diffusor unit.after you have taped the opaque piece,cut off the hard and pointed edges of the plastic.safety part you see...
10. now put together the three sections.be careful that you do not destroy the paper inside.thodi ghichad pichad hogi.if it overlaps its okay.just check that the edge of a particular section does not come in way of the path of the light.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3492/3922535801_d014e36c1d.jpg
VOILA!!!you have your diffusor ready.now just mount it on the flash unit and check for yourself..your ultra cheapo DIY flash diffusor.film rolls also work.but in this you get a bigger area of light.so its more smooth.
NOTE:THIS IS AN AGILE UNIT.SO ALWAYS HANDLE WITH CARE.
what??you want some examples??ok..ill give you..all SOOC.ie zero editing.
before....SLOW SYNCRO.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2569/3923321500_d4ce690acf.jpg
with diffusor..
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/3922535179_ff2d92093e.jpg
before...DIRECT FLASH.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2465/3922535975_a6fc729140.jpg
with diffusor.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2487/3922536141_e7e3c318cb.jpg
SLOW SYNCRO again..without..before.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2522/3922536725_d4ece8d13f.jpg
with diffusor.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2524/3923322932_81aef1b362.jpg
so you can see that the whole thing changes.for example in the flower shot,the green is looking more natural.in the shot above,the door looks natural.and the hall shot is a totally different league.
hope you enjoyed my DIY.questions???knock on this thread..ill be waiting for your shots.
anvancy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
we have faced situations where we have fired the flash and we come to know that the shot is sort of too much white.at times natural tones are lost.things can get worse when you shoot potraits with onboard flash.unlike dedicated flash units onboard flash is a baby in front of his mother.if you also observe,the flash is raised and it mainly points upwards.the basic motive is to fill the area with light.but what if we want to diffuse the light??and sort of simultaneously point the flash to an EYE level??ie directing your flash parallel to the lens??
understand this that smaller is your mouth,the harder and harsher the flash light is.because the light is coming from a small box like shape,it has a big spark thing.when you add softboxes and stuff,you are smoothing out the light.which then brings natural colors.
i face tough situations in macro.at times when i really want to fire the flash, the barrel comes between at times and a huge shadow is created on the subject.and the flash fired is harsh.not good for colors.so i decided to make a directional unit cum diffusor.
again there are a lot of sites showing the DIY.but ill be going my own way.
now i focused on one thing.how to do this project with minimal cost.in the end i found out that i spent ZERO money on this.so lets find out what we will require..your notepad and pen
ready???ok.before i start...do all this on a weekend.that way you will do timepass,but simultaneously you are gaining something from your timepass.ok..lets see what we have in store..
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3922535385_964fb5e562.jpg
ok.so we need all these.
1. a plastic container.like plastic milk can..note that we want a diffusor.so we want something
opaque.things like these give good diffusion.
2.scissors.
3.marker.
4.gift wrapping paper.note that the inside part should be silver.ie reflective.
5.tape..masking or normal..any..just avoid the packing one since that tape has weight.
6.cutter.
7.goodnight box.
so as you can see i took stuff that you can find in your home.everyday stuff.the can is of an utensil liquid soap named "gem liquid"...yea it proved it was a gem..LOL.
i know that in today's era the liquid mosquito repellant has taken over mats.but in our house both are used..the mats are a backup.
so shall we start with the procedure then??
ill go sequentially.
1. first take the goodnight box.measure and check how it will sit on your flash unit.when you are first checking,do note that your main flash window SHOULD NOT BE BLOCKED.done??
2. take a marker,divide your goodnight box in THREE SECTIONS.just keep the box attached to the flash unit,and you yourself decide at what interval of the box you want to cut into sections.
3. so now you have three sections right??what??why three sections??hmmm...well..3 sections as in my design i kept the middle part as an adjustor for the last part which is on the lens.the middle part can work as a hinge to the third part so that you can adjust the tilt of the third section.if you want to keep the box as a whole unit then its upto YOU.ok moving on.
4. take the section which will be on the lens,ie your third section.the first section will be sitting on the flash unit,the second is your adjustor,the third will be your window.so take your window section.
5.put that section on the liquid soap or milk or petrol can..whatever that you have.with the marker,mark out the rectangle of the window.
6.after you have marked the section,take the cutter,and cut along.BE VERY CAREFUL while cutting.and do not use a rusted cutter.you may have chances of TITANUS.hahaha..
7.so now you have your opaque window ready.now take the gift paper.take the measurements or by fluke check how much paper you want for the box sections.
8. cut the paper.after you have the paper sections ready,take the tape and paste the paper inside the goodnight box sections SILVER SIDE FACING OUTWARD.so your pattern should go inside and silver side should be seen.
like so..
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/3922536317_0534f39218.jpg
pardon the amateurish..:p
9.after the taping is done,tape the opaque window to the third section of your main diffusor unit.after you have taped the opaque piece,cut off the hard and pointed edges of the plastic.safety part you see...
10. now put together the three sections.be careful that you do not destroy the paper inside.thodi ghichad pichad hogi.if it overlaps its okay.just check that the edge of a particular section does not come in way of the path of the light.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3492/3922535801_d014e36c1d.jpg
VOILA!!!you have your diffusor ready.now just mount it on the flash unit and check for yourself..your ultra cheapo DIY flash diffusor.film rolls also work.but in this you get a bigger area of light.so its more smooth.
NOTE:THIS IS AN AGILE UNIT.SO ALWAYS HANDLE WITH CARE.
what??you want some examples??ok..ill give you..all SOOC.ie zero editing.
before....SLOW SYNCRO.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2569/3923321500_d4ce690acf.jpg
with diffusor..
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/3922535179_ff2d92093e.jpg
before...DIRECT FLASH.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2465/3922535975_a6fc729140.jpg
with diffusor.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2487/3922536141_e7e3c318cb.jpg
SLOW SYNCRO again..without..before.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2522/3922536725_d4ece8d13f.jpg
with diffusor.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2524/3923322932_81aef1b362.jpg
so you can see that the whole thing changes.for example in the flower shot,the green is looking more natural.in the shot above,the door looks natural.and the hall shot is a totally different league.
hope you enjoyed my DIY.questions???knock on this thread..ill be waiting for your shots.
anvancy