Weekly DIY | Pop-up / On Camera Flash Diffusers

Problem? On-camera flashes that wash out the subjects and details. 

Need? Something to diffuse the light, forcing it to weaken, bounce and reflect/deflect and provide even exposure, flattering skin tones and attention to detail. 

Solution? A diffuser! 

This can be used for both DSLR users as well as point and shoot cameras. It can even be modified and used on an external flash. 

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We’ve all been there: Low light, flash needed, but the results are truly dreadful. Even with post-production correction, the photos are often tinged with all the wrong tones and just don’t look how our mind’s eye saw them. 

Even Miss Dolly’s been a victim of bad lighting…

Auto | w/ flash disabled.

Auto | w/ pop-up flash.

Auto | w/ pop-up flash diffused by a sheet of 8.5x11 scrap paper. Yuh-huh!

Cool, eh? 

You can buy diffusers for every kind of flash, whether they be on-camera or external. On-camera ones aren’t very expensive, such as:

This one from LumiQuest for $13.95 USD. 

Or this Gary Fong Puffer on Amazon for about $20 USD.

See? Hardly a major financial commitment. And they do wonders for skin tone and shadows, especially on faces. But they will more or less do the same job as my cheapie “in a pinch” solution, if you must know. 

Yes, folks. Taping a piece of paper around the flash of your camera will help diffuse the light like above. Look at the difference it made in Dolly’s complexion. Her detail. Worth digging into the soon-to-be-shred pile, no?

You can experiment with leaving the sides open for the light to escape, or going origami-style and folding the paper into a box to completely surround the flash. 

You can even, if you’re feeling ambitious, cut the paper to size. Novel, isn’t it?

Other options include paper towel, bubble wrap, used dryer sheet or two, a piece of a plastic soft 3-ring binder, an old empty white film canister like these Photojojo guys, or get real fancy like these Instructables guys with a wire hanger… Basically, you want something that’s semi-opaque and white so that the light is gently bounced and made weaker before it hits your subject. 

For a point and shoot camera, go with the more flexible options (paper towel, paper, dryer sheets, etc.) and be sure to leave a bit of room, not fixing the diffuser directly to the flash. Rule of thumb is to bounce the light, not smush it. 

Have fun!

Tamara

29 June 15 Permalink

} RULE OF THIRDS

Here’s a project for everyone, whether you’ve got a camera phone, point and shoot or DSLR. It’s a note on composition, and I hope everyone gives it a try this week!

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Often times we pick up the camera and then move it to ensure our subject is front and center. But now we’re going to start thinking about the rule of thirds, art’s most basic composition guideline.

Think about it: most often, we catch ourselves gazing adoringly at our children from the corner of our eye. This is kinda-sorta going down that path, and is fun to explore as it adds an arty, unique edge to what could otherwise be a regular ol’ photo. 

The rule of thirds hereby decrees that an image be broken up into nine equal segments, and the subject should cross paths with one of those points — rather than be right in the middle of the image — to create a dynamic focal point for the viewer’s eye. 

Here are some examples, first with Isla’s cousin Emma, and the next two of her a long, long time ago. 

Obviously, the rules aren’t hard and fast, and your photos won’t have lines running through them. Take the pictures you’d normally go to take, but play around with your composition, shifting your camera just ever so slightly. Even just having it so that the weight of a subject avoids being straight smack in the middle center will help you to experiment with thinking twice before pressing the shutter when composing a quick shot. 

Some more random examples I pulled from my archive o’ Isla n’ Emma…

3 June 9 Permalink

Week One Rounder: Auto

A retrospective on auto. There were tears on the inside this week. Tears on the inside. 

I knew it was a given that auto would not be my bessie mate, but I had forgotten about how frustrating its most natural features are. There are times, yes, when auto works wonders. And times when it absolutely deserves to be on the business end of a noogie. Let’s explore. 

Auto is good for impromptu snaps in a well-lit area. (Canon PowerShot SD750)

Auto is bad for impromptu selfies in a badly lit area. See the red eye and mishmashed exposure? Mind, that mishmash of light is due to my thumb encroaching on the flash area. Either way, it’s a hot mess up there. (Canon PowerShot SD750)

Auto is good for quick snaps while out and about. When someone just looks so sweet you think there’s gotta be a magic potion somewhere to freeze this ti… Sorry. I digress. Ahem, good example of auto. Note that the composition helps make this picture, not just the technical make-up. (Canon PowerShot SD750)

I brought the point-and-click out of the diaper bag long enough to play inside the house. With the flash on, you get dark, centralized exposure with a certain guarantee of red-eye. The camera is three years+ old now and I forgot a few features… I read the manual to remind myself how to disengage the flash and voila! No red eye, but now we’ve got blur. (Canon PowerShot SD750)

But, if I steady myself and wait for just the right moment, not to mention make sure the battery is completely charged and at its fastest… it can work. Technically, the one above this frantic shot is just a bit fuzzy on the eyes, and not unrecognizable. (Canon PowerShot SD750)

Switching to the big camera, Canon 7D, clicking over to automatic was a first since I’ve upgraded from the 20D. The flash instantly engaged in my living room and gave me this. (EXIF: 1/60 at f/5, ISO 400, 17mm focal length)

I needed to get back to basics, and I needed to make dinner. The next day, I opened every curtain, turned on all four (don’t worry, energy efficient) lights and even the range lamp above the stove. The flash didn’t engage once with all its newly found light and I was able to get Isla like this, above. (Canon 7D. EXIF: 1/80 at f/2.8, ISO 320, 42 mm focal length)

And like this. Still a bit blurry from movement but getting there. Can we tell she’s teething? (Canon 7D. EXIF: 1/40 at f/2.8, ISO 160, 23 mm focal length)

Similar. Notice the lamp is turned on and the natural light from the windows is adding to the scope of bright. (Canon 7D. EXIF: 1/40 at f/2.8, ISO 160, 17 mm focal length)

And one more. My favourite shot, the aerial. She looks little still. And so relaxed, all chillin’ with her arm on her toy. She was very still at this point as the PVR switched on, and she was watching all the red lights on the screen. That’s how I managed to get (Canon 7D. EXIF: 1/30 at f/2.8, ISO 100, 17 mm focal length) with little to no blur. 

In the end? Auto bites the big one but can be manipulated successfully if you’re willing to experiment. It does wonders for quick shots in an area flooded with light and lots of activity. It’s also great for learning EXIF data (the technical data each camera records to an image), seeing what you like, what you don’t and applying it into your manual practice for a DSLR. 

17 May 2 Permalink