Using speedlight softboxes with flash on bracket

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Timmy2wheels

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Hey all

I am shooting more and more events and weddings and want to get an ultra-portable head-and-shoulders portrait set-up sorted. I have a telescopic Manfrotto flash bracket which gets the speedlight nicely off the camera. So far I have just used a Sto-fen diffuser with okay results, but I've been thinking about putting a small speedlight softbox on it to get softer, more diffused light. I wonder if anyone else is doing this, and if so what they are using/what size. I have looked at the LumiQuest and Lastolite ones, and there are of course numerous other brands.

Cheers.
 
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Far easier and lighter to just throw in a small shoot through umbrella. The Lumiquest is great, but it has to be close to be soft light.
 
The23rdman said:
Far easier and lighter to just throw in a small shoot through umbrella. The Lumiquest is great, but it has to be close to be soft light.
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Even on a bracket? Wouldn't a brolly be hugely unwieldy? I don't want to take people's eyes out...!

I will be close, so which Lumiquest model would you suggest?
 
Brollies are not hugely unwieldy at all ...unless they're 60". ;) If you go for the Lumiquest you have to get the new larger one. It'll give you much more scope.
 
Here's a quick snap I took of our eldest at the weekend using a Lastolite Ezybox Speedlight.



Tom by Pam & Ben, on Flickr

I did have the flash off camera, but not by much. This may give you some idea of the diffusion. I had the flash pretty close to Tom.
 
There's probably a difference in the amount of light soaked up by the Lastolite and Lumiquest boxes. I can't find any figures for the Lastolite Ezybox (any model) but the Lumiquest III (LQ119) soaks up 1.25 stops.
 
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The23rdman said:
Brollies are not hugely unwieldy at all ...unless they're 60". ;) If you go for the Lumiquest you have to get the new larger one. It'll give you much more scope.
Click to expand...

I think the OP is talking about a flash bracket attached to the camera - not sure an umbrella would be very practical!

I use a Lastolite mico apollo diffuser, but its for macro not portraits. A diffuser will probably help a bit but its not going to give the same results as and umbrella/softbox off camera or bouncing the flash. Theyre pretty cheap though so you could get one and see how it works for you.
 
It's all about the relative size of the light source. For beauty shots: the bigger the light source the better. Well, that's my opinion :)
This strobella... it's actually a good idea! Despite its unusual look, it produces a large soft source of light.
 
how about making a bounce card?

though i like the look of the mini umbrella
 
If you look on the New York photographers site, Neil van Niekirk, on the tangents he uses the speedlight ezybox, and gives some great reviews and tests.
 
The Lumiquest III will do the same thing. I've used it as an on axis fill on camera before.
 
I use a 30x30cm softbox (similar to an Ezybox) but I just have a remote system so I can shoot on-handed with my right and hold the softbox in my left. Probably not ideal for you but it's an option...
 
Umbrella in a run and gun style events/weddings? A big no, no. It'll be a matter of when you injure someone, not if.

If you want to be really portable, stick flash on monopod, with Lumiquest SB3. But at It'll only be limited to single person head shot, in all honesty though, if you are after any sort of soft light. You might be better off with what you have, and be versatile with bouncing/using ambient light to your advantage. If you are using an assistant, then sure, go with the likes of Ezybox and get the assistant to light the scene on the fly.
 
I have that Manfrotto flash bracket - it's big, and you can stick anything you like on it. I have used a 33in brolly, which is a little to much even for a clown contest, but it does give great light. I now use a 24in shoot-through which is still extremely unweildy (for chasing kids about outdoors) and I wouldn't dream of taking it to a social situation :eek:

With respect to the OP, the fact that you've been using it with a stofen and are asking some seemingly basic questions, I think you maybe need to understand a bit more about how these things work. There are 101 modifiers you could use with that big MF bracket, and every one of them a compromise in one way or another. Only you know your priorities.

Being more helpful ;) probably Lumiquest is the place to look.
 
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