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Archive 2015 · Flash Mount Bracket

  
 
gedmerson
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Flash Mount Bracket


I do a fair amount of weddings as a second shooter. I have notcied that when I take pictures in the portrait orientation with the flash on the side I sometimes get a shadow on one side of the subject. i'm not sure if it is from the lens I use at the time or if this is pretty normal for this orientation. I looked into flash brackets and I just wanted to get some feedback on whether or not they are worth buying?


Jun 24, 2015 at 05:12 PM
jcolwell
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Flash Mount Bracket


It's normal for the orientation.

There's always a shadow from a flash. When the flash is on the hot shoe and the camera is in landscape (horizontal) orientation, the shadow is slightly below and behind the subject. The difference between the lens angle of view (straight at the subject) and the shadow projected by the flash (which has a slight downwards direction, becasue the flash is above the lens) puts the shadow 'below' the subject. You normally can't see the shadow because it's mostly directly behind the subject. The parts of the shadow 'below' the subject are mostly hidden by the parts of the subject that are in the foreground. A common exception is when you see the shadows of a person's legs on the floor below and behind them.

When you rotate the camera to portrait orientation with the flash on the hot shoe, and still pointed 'at' the subject, then the angular difference between the lens view (straight on) and the flash illumination which is now offest to the left (for shutter button up) by the height of the flash. This angular difference results in part of the flash shadow being projected to the right of the subject, assuming there's a background on which the shadow will show.

The most simple way to avoid this 'portrait mode' shadow is to rotate the flash head "up" when the camera is being held in the portrait mode (which would be the same as rotating the flash head to the right when the camera is being held in the landscape mode). In this case, the flash operates in "bounce" mode, assuming that there's a nearby ceiling to bounce from. This reduces the amount of light reaching the subject, but generally removes the shadow problem.

IMO, a flash bracket that can flip or rotate between landscape (flash above camera) to portrait (flash still above camera), provides two important features: (i) it reduces 'red eye' for near subjects, by moving the flash further away from the lens axis, and (ii) it keeps the flash shadow projection angle in the vertical plane, "behind/below" the vertical subject, instead of behind/to the right of the subject.

I don't do weddings, but I do many types of events. I use the semi-circular RRS B87 Portrait Perfect flash bracket, which allows you to rotate the flash to various orientations, plus it allows you to mount two 'opposed' flash for macro. It's more expensive than many flash brackets, but it's also more gooder.



Jun 24, 2015 at 06:35 PM
gedmerson
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Flash Mount Bracket


Thanks for your input. I will look into a flash bracket that suites my needs


Jun 25, 2015 at 02:14 PM





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