Flash bouncer/diffuser

When I said "have a look at my new flash thing," I think my dad got it right in replying "it doesn't look very flash!"

 

Though it doesn't look much, this does the trick for lighting my photos and diffusing the light nicely. I made it out of milk containers, aluminium tape, strapping tape, a piece of elastic, a piece of shoelace, a small length of balsa wood, a peg and some other bits of plastic. The diffuser is made from some polyester material I found in my wardrobe that was originally a bag for my dress shoes (I'm sure they'll survive without it!). I was originally using tissue paper but it kept ripping on twigs and the like, whereas this material is much more durable.

 

Although a bit bulky it is very lightweight, and theoretically waterproof (even though my camera isn't). The balsa wood is simply there to add rigidity to the structure. The direction the flash is bounced is adjustable for the focussing distance (usually dependent on how many extension tubes are attached) and the bottom two pictures show it in the two most extreme positions. The head is adjusted by pivoting it and then pegging a piece of shoelace attached to it to the top of the main milk container.

 

Looking at these photos it seems like I might have to tighten up the diffuser material, as it is looking a bit baggy on the end there.

Done