View allAll Photos Tagged diffuser
My DIY macro flash diffuser, which is simply a plastic plate with a semicircle cut out, attached to the lens hood of my Tamron 90 macro.
Ever since I was a young boy, I had an affinity for literature and language. I remember reading the dictionary when bored, so by the time I took the California Achievement Test in the 4th grade, I tested as having the reading comprehension of a college graduate. Needless to say, literature was a good friend while I was growing up. Robinson Crusoe, Robin Hood, The Hardy Boys, comic books, Crime and Punishment, Horatio Hornblower, Louis L'Amour… I read everything in my parent's bookshelves and beyond.
I had a particular affinity for two things: Sherlock Holmes and Mark Twain. I recall reading the unabridged Sherlock Holmes on Christmas Day (and Boxing Day) in one sitting—1200 pages or so. Tom Sawyer remains my favorite novel, but more on Mark Twain later.
When I got into high school, I found I had an affinity for writing and grammar as well. Magic happened when I picked up Strunk and White. The clarion call of Rule #13 ("Omit Needless Words"), and how it used itself as an example, was a revelation. Today, I am pressed into service as an editor and reviewer, because I am vigorous and exacting.
My hero today is William Safire. I regret not getting the leftist Houston Chronical for only two reasons: the Friday Fry's Electronics sales circular and the Sunday On Language column. (Oh, and happy day!, I've learned today that On Language is available online — goodbye Barnacle.) I love new words and the etymology behind them. It is a real passion for me.
But back to Twain. His essay The Literary Offences of Fenimore Cooper combines both literature and language arts. It is Twain at his best, barbed and funny. It's short; you ought to read it.
This photo is not staged beyond me setting up the lighting and starting to read. By the time I get to the part where he dissects Cooper's Indians "laying" for the ark in the canal, I was crying from laughter, as I always do. This time, I stopped before I was gasping for breath. It's only taken me a hundred readings to learn the result.
Good literature needn't be dry. In fact, it is a joy and a huge part of who I am.
This is my letter L for An Alphabet of Life.
Lit mainly by the lamp behind me and the natural light of the window, I still used the 430EX off-camera to photo right to balance the light. Without the flash, the surfaces facing the camera would be too dark. It was at 1/8 power, using the mylar diffuser and fired using the ebay remote.
Lately the light has been too diffuse to shoot landscapes like I normally do. Hazy skies have kept my shooting indoors.
A couple of weeks ago I was at an isolated cove on the north shore of the island. Since no people go there it was easy to pick up some sea urchin endoskeletons that were in good condition.
After too long of a vacation my macro lens got called to duty. I used two off camera flashes to accentuate the texture of the sea urchin shell. Geotag shows where I found the sea urchin.
Click here or press L for lightbox view.
Exposure numbers:
1/60 second | f / 18 | ISO 400 | 157 mm efl
Strobist info:
Camera left SB-900 as rimlight set at +2 Ev and zoomed to 200 mm.
Camera right SB-800 set at +1.3 Ev and zoomed to 105 mm.
Please respect the copyright on my images. Do not use in any way without my express written consent. You can contact me by Flickrmail or through the contact page of my website www.curacaooncanvas.com
I've been cutting up plastic milk containers to make flash diffusers - the Gary Fong looks great but seems expensive for a bit of plastic. I wanted to throw some diffused light forward and also get plenty of widely diffused light from the ceiling as well. I marked up a 3 litre and 2 litre bottle as shown in the picture, then cut round the line to make a kind of clamshell shape, with a tail that will slip through a couple of rubber bands on the flash head.
The picture shows the fixing.
I rotate the upright flash head through 90 degrees, so that when the camera is used vertical, the head can just be folded up to the new position.
I'm working on an assignment to emulate the work of Jay Maisel. One of the things that inspires me about Jay Maisel is his ability to see and produce beauty from the mundane. Instead of copying his photos, I want to see if I could come up with my own mundane beauty. I also love his use of color and hope to go on a color search over the next couple of days! Here I love the diffused light that just kisses the window frame, and the texture created by the sloppy paint job and cobwebs.
Prior Design is a German Aerodynamic Company Designing and Manufacturing Body Kits and Wheels for European Cars.
This is the Prior Design PD Series Widebody Conversion for the Mercedes SL R230. It fits all SL Models 2003-2011. It can be used to facelift 2003-2008 models to the new facelifted SL65 Design. The vehicle features Massive 345/25/20 Nitto Invo tires on 13" Forgiato Aggio Wheels. It also features 275/30/20 Nitto Invos, on 20x10" wheels in the front. This car needs those massive tires, because the V12 Twin Turbo is putting down 1000hp to the crank.
Here is the link to the vehicle on our site. www.priordesignnorthamerica.com/mercedes_sl_r230_blackedi...
For more information please visit our website at www.PriorDesignNA.com.
You can also give us a call at
(866) 997-2336
Prior Design North America
(866) 997-2336
priordesignusa@gmail.com
We had a trip to Prague in January – for Jayne’s birthday - we don’t buy Christmas or birthday presents, we travel instead. We left snowy England for a very, very dull and grey Czech Republic. Yet again I was on a photographic downer looking at the weather forecast, grey is the colour that haunts me. Fortunately it was dull grey and not burnt highlight inducing bright grey.With the grey sky acting like a big diffuser I was going to have deep shadow and contrast to deal with. We had three very short spells of broken cloud which gave us a bit of sun and colour, which I managed to more or less anticipate so we managed to be in decent locations every time – generally somewhere high.
We had been upgraded to a five star hotel, apparently our original choice was flooded. We got compensation and five star hotel upgrade– a first for me. The Art Nouveau Palace has a beautiful interior, with beautiful rooms, the breakfast room was fantastic, as was the breakfast it has to be said. We were able to have an early breakfast so were out on foot just after eight. It was very cold – and dull! We spent the whole week well wrapped up. It drizzled for a day, but never really wet us, it snowed for a day, again we didn’t get wet and the snow didn’t settle. We walked 65 mile, spending plenty of time checking buildings and their interiors out – and coffee shop and bar interiors it has to be said. Although it was dull and sometimes wet I decided that the Camera was staying in my hands for the whole trip. Whenever I put it in my backpack for one reason or another I regret it.
Again, I didn’t look at any photographs of Prague before we got there, I like to just walk and discover, with the DK guidebook in my pocket (which is full of photos it has to be said). We like to get off the beaten track and see the grittier side of the places we visit – within reason! Prague has an incredible tram network, over 1000 trams – with many of them Tatra Eastern Bloc machines. The system seems chaotic but in reality it is incredible with one of the largest networks and highest usages in the world. The trams and cars frequently share the same road space with very little in the way of drama, none of the inexplicable and pathetic constant horn blowing one finds in many countries. Once it became apparent that buildings with a grey blanket as a background were going to be a bit un-inspirational I decided that the trams would be a good focal point instead. Where I have photographed one of the older trams against a background without clues it is easy to imagine that the photos were taken fifty years ago.
The train network also provided photo opportunities. The rolling stock ranges from old Eastern Bloc to very modern double decker’s and pendolinos. There are three stations although we visited the main station and Smichov. The main station interior is art deco and has been renovated by a private company. The exterior and the platforms are very rundown with a grim eastern bloc 1950’s feel –but it works! We discovered to our amusement that we could just walk across multiple lines, no health and safety, just keep your eyes open and don’t walk under a train – you’ll make a mess. Smichov station was grim, it didn’t help that it snowed all day and was grey and bitter. We felt like we were in a 50’s film set in Russia, broken concrete platforms and dereliction. With both stations there was another world underneath them. The underground Metro is running seamlessly and efficiently away beneath your feet. I didn’t have any problems taking photos anywhere but I was very open and obviously a tourist, I didn’t act covertly or suspiciously. There was only one occasion I was stopped and that was in a shopping centre – full of CCTV cameras filming everyone else!
We discovered old and beautiful- and very large- shopping centres hidden away in quite a few places. Brass framed windows and doors, shops thriving, there was a massive camera shop with thousands of second hand cameras, too much to look at. Many of the landmark buildings prevent photography, some make a small charge, some encourage it, the DK guide book gives a good indication regarding camera use. Nothing stops many people though, they just shoot away regardless, usually wanting a picture that includes their self. Prague is surrounded by low hills and has a fair few towers that you can pay a few pounds to go up, so viewpoints are plentiful. I think we visited most of them. I read about the Zizkov Tower, which looks like a Soviet rocket on the horizon and we headed straight for it - after crossing the rail lines! Set in a quiet residential area, there wasn’t a soul about. Two beautiful girls on reception and we parted with a few pounds, into the lift and were on the observation deck with no one else up there. There are fantastic views over the city, but! It is through two layers of not very clean glass so you go for the view rather than sharp panoramas. Still a fascinating place, with a nice café bar and very clean toilets – there are toilets everywhere, usually manned with a fee. Places are well staffed compared with home were three students are supposed to run a 20 screen multiplex cinema.
Graffiti was prominent, no matter how grand the monument, some moron would have daubed it. How do they get away with it in a 24 hour city centre with a strong police presence? The place is very clean, constantly being swept. What did surprise me, was that many buildings, that looked grand and built of stone, from a distance, were actually rendered with very low quality brickwork concealed. When restored the building look very impressive, others are missing the outer render from ground level to a fair height.
I need to cut this short really, I like to put a background story to the photos and although it would be better to individualise it to a specific photo or group of photos I don’t have the time to do that. I do try to give specific detail in the title bar after I have uploaded, this is time consuming enough although I’m pretty proficient at it by now. There are many things I would like to write that should be of interest to anyone thinking of going to Prague but I’ll have to let the pictures do the talking. As usual I am unlikely to be selective enough with my uploads, I’m not very good at leaving photos out so I just upload and be damned.
This photo is diffuse because we know that there is light in this picture but we dont know where it is coming from.
Late-day light, Mosquito Creek valley, Clearfield County, within the Quehanna Wild Area of Moshannon State Forest.
My planned long-time project goes into the twelfth year by now.
The setup was exactly the same as last year. The haircut and the beard are different again.
Strobist information: This year I was at home sitting inside in front of a white wall. The off-camera flash 580 EX II is shot with full power through the Neewer softbox left in front of me pointing down at 45 °. I was holding he Neewer reflector on my lap and the Yongnuo 568 with its own diffusor was behind me pointing into the wall to blow out the background (which was then replaced with the same grey gradient that I use as background every year.
Twin girls digging for treasure on the beach at sunrise
Strobist: Handheld, diffused sb700 at camera left, handheld diffused sb900 at camera right
Direct flash has harsh contrasts and harsh shadows. The bounce off the ceiling has good tones but casts a shadow across the eyes. The diffused technique has less harsh contrasts and eliminated the eye shadowing, but still has some harsh shadowing around the ear.
We had a trip to Prague in January – for Jayne’s birthday - we don’t buy Christmas or birthday presents, we travel instead. We left snowy England for a very, very dull and grey Czech Republic. Yet again I was on a photographic downer looking at the weather forecast, grey is the colour that haunts me. Fortunately it was dull grey and not burnt highlight inducing bright grey.With the grey sky acting like a big diffuser I was going to have deep shadow and contrast to deal with. We had three very short spells of broken cloud which gave us a bit of sun and colour, which I managed to more or less anticipate so we managed to be in decent locations every time – generally somewhere high.
We had been upgraded to a five star hotel, apparently our original choice was flooded. We got compensation and five star hotel upgrade– a first for me. The Art Nouveau Palace has a beautiful interior, with beautiful rooms, the breakfast room was fantastic, as was the breakfast it has to be said. We were able to have an early breakfast so were out on foot just after eight. It was very cold – and dull! We spent the whole week well wrapped up. It drizzled for a day, but never really wet us, it snowed for a day, again we didn’t get wet and the snow didn’t settle. We walked 65 mile, spending plenty of time checking buildings and their interiors out – and coffee shop and bar interiors it has to be said. Although it was dull and sometimes wet I decided that the Camera was staying in my hands for the whole trip. Whenever I put it in my backpack for one reason or another I regret it.
Again, I didn’t look at any photographs of Prague before we got there, I like to just walk and discover, with the DK guidebook in my pocket (which is full of photos it has to be said). We like to get off the beaten track and see the grittier side of the places we visit – within reason! Prague has an incredible tram network, over 1000 trams – with many of them Tatra Eastern Bloc machines. The system seems chaotic but in reality it is incredible with one of the largest networks and highest usages in the world. The trams and cars frequently share the same road space with very little in the way of drama, none of the inexplicable and pathetic constant horn blowing one finds in many countries. Once it became apparent that buildings with a grey blanket as a background were going to be a bit un-inspirational I decided that the trams would be a good focal point instead. Where I have photographed one of the older trams against a background without clues it is easy to imagine that the photos were taken fifty years ago.
The train network also provided photo opportunities. The rolling stock ranges from old Eastern Bloc to very modern double decker’s and pendolinos. There are three stations although we visited the main station and Smichov. The main station interior is art deco and has been renovated by a private company. The exterior and the platforms are very rundown with a grim eastern bloc 1950’s feel –but it works! We discovered to our amusement that we could just walk across multiple lines, no health and safety, just keep your eyes open and don’t walk under a train – you’ll make a mess. Smichov station was grim, it didn’t help that it snowed all day and was grey and bitter. We felt like we were in a 50’s film set in Russia, broken concrete platforms and dereliction. With both stations there was another world underneath them. The underground Metro is running seamlessly and efficiently away beneath your feet. I didn’t have any problems taking photos anywhere but I was very open and obviously a tourist, I didn’t act covertly or suspiciously. There was only one occasion I was stopped and that was in a shopping centre – full of CCTV cameras filming everyone else!
We discovered old and beautiful- and very large- shopping centres hidden away in quite a few places. Brass framed windows and doors, shops thriving, there was a massive camera shop with thousands of second hand cameras, too much to look at. Many of the landmark buildings prevent photography, some make a small charge, some encourage it, the DK guide book gives a good indication regarding camera use. Nothing stops many people though, they just shoot away regardless, usually wanting a picture that includes their self. Prague is surrounded by low hills and has a fair few towers that you can pay a few pounds to go up, so viewpoints are plentiful. I think we visited most of them. I read about the Zizkov Tower, which looks like a Soviet rocket on the horizon and we headed straight for it - after crossing the rail lines! Set in a quiet residential area, there wasn’t a soul about. Two beautiful girls on reception and we parted with a few pounds, into the lift and were on the observation deck with no one else up there. There are fantastic views over the city, but! It is through two layers of not very clean glass so you go for the view rather than sharp panoramas. Still a fascinating place, with a nice café bar and very clean toilets – there are toilets everywhere, usually manned with a fee. Places are well staffed compared with home were three students are supposed to run a 20 screen multiplex cinema.
Graffiti was prominent, no matter how grand the monument, some moron would have daubed it. How do they get away with it in a 24 hour city centre with a strong police presence? The place is very clean, constantly being swept. What did surprise me, was that many buildings, that looked grand and built of stone, from a distance, were actually rendered with very low quality brickwork concealed. When restored the building look very impressive, others are missing the outer render from ground level to a fair height.
I need to cut this short really, I like to put a background story to the photos and although it would be better to individualise it to a specific photo or group of photos I don’t have the time to do that. I do try to give specific detail in the title bar after I have uploaded, this is time consuming enough although I’m pretty proficient at it by now. There are many things I would like to write that should be of interest to anyone thinking of going to Prague but I’ll have to let the pictures do the talking. As usual I am unlikely to be selective enough with my uploads, I’m not very good at leaving photos out so I just upload and be damned.
You put a candle in the bottom and a few drops of sented oil in the top. I bought it at Whole Foods.
Was experimenting with this nice water bottle that I picked up from Daiso. Fitted over the SB600 it appears to make a nice bare bulb simulator.
New diffuser. Idea from SteB on juza forum. www.flickr.com/photos/9578475@N02/
A variation of SteB's cup diffuser.
Transparent PP material from a mineral water bottle with 2 layers of polystyrene sheet over it.
More info here: orionmystery.blogspot.com/2010/10/mt24ex-concave-diffuser...