‘Necessity is the mother of invention.’
A Simple Photography Hack for Flash Photography
We have seen many articles and videos about life hacks and how to use a simple solution to make life either easier or more fun. During a recent family party I had an opportunity/need to make a hack for flash photography and the result was amazing. This was so much fun I decided to dedicate some posts to Simple Photography Hack which everyone can use and enjoy for taking better photos.
Here is the background story for you. On New Years Eve we had some friends at our place and everyone asked me to take photos (a natural request when at a photographer’s house is for impromptu great pictures!). I had my camera, a lens and the flash, but I had not taken home any of my light modifiers. Generally I don’t like to use direct flash because it is quite harsh and not flattering. What should I do? Should I tell them that I could not take the photos? It was not an option. So I began to think about ways to find a workable solution for softening the effect of on-camera flash. And as the saying goes: “Where there is a will, there is a way”.
I quickly rejected my first option to bounce the flash off the ceiling, mostly because it could create shadows under eyes and chins.
Next I started to look around the house and I found a small treasure right on our dining table.
I quickly washed and dried the disposable bowl and the lid, with a plan to use them as a light modifier. I cut a hole in the lid wide enough to put my flash through and put the bowl upside down onto the lid and, voila!, I had a home-made Gary Fung diffuser! What was the cost? Zero dollars and as you can see by the sample photos, this simple photography hack makes a huge difference in the quality of the light.
That is all for now. If you know of any useful simple photography hacks, share them with us and the best hack will win a $50.00 Omnilargess Gift Card that you can use for our Upcoming Classes or Equipment Rental fees. Stay tuned for further details!
Ted and the Omnilargess Team