White box flash thingy

[pmanson]

Tonight my 2 brothers and I were volunteered to be "models", my mum's old work collegue has been doing a photography course which based around taking pictures of young children. She mentioned to someone my Mum works with that she'd like to take some pictures of teenagers so most of mum's work mates teenage kids have been subjected to an hours modelling and tonight it was our turn.

It was quite good fun but I was more interested in the gadgets! She was using a 20D, a long white background that stretched down so that we were standing on it (big wide roll of white paper), 2 spotlight type lights which brightened the whole area, then a big white box which was the flash.

I want to know what the big white box was? It flashed but not in the ultra bright way a normal flash does (these always make me blink at the wrong time so I either have my eyes closed or I look half cut in photos).

I'd never seen one before so i'm interested in what it is. If the photos aren't too bad i'll let you see a couple as we're getting them on cd so that we can choose the ones we want printed.

[z4monster]

I think it was probably a soft-box flash. Basically this can be as simple as a fabric covered frame which diffuses the flash to give a nice soft lighting effect. You get a more even spread of light using one of these. Usually they are lit internally and light the subject before the flash goes off.

[te51cle]

I expect they looked something like this. Soft boxes are an attachment that fit on studio flash units to make the light less harsh and less directional. More on studio flash, in four parts, here

[pmanson]

te51cle said:

I expect they looked something like this. Soft boxes are an attachment that fit on studio flash units to make the light less harsh and less directional. More on studio flash, in four parts, here

Thats the ones. Seemed to work very well.

Cheers Guys, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year


Phill

[pmanson]

Pics came out ok:

www.phillmanson.co.uk/photos/UsBoys/index.html












Have to say that white box flash thingy really helped. I normally shut my eyes when the flash goes off

[GetCarter]

If the three of you can't sing, I may have a contract for you

[pmanson]

GetCarter said:

If the three of you can't sing, I may have a contract for you

Yep all 3 of us are worse than tone deaf!

[GetCarter]

Excellent.

My cut = 40% per brother... so a mere 120%

I'll see what I can do.

[pmanson]

GetCarter said:

Excellent. My cut = 40% per brother... so a mere 120% I'll see what I can do.

I wouldn't wish my singing on my worst enemy! If i'm in the car singing I have to wind the windows up at traffic lights in case someone hears me!