I've been experimenting with all types of devices for use at weddings to diffuse,prevent redeye,get the best(and most efficient) use of on-camera flash with my 580EX.

I've tried the Fong products(LS and Whaletail),the Demb Flipit,ABBC,the 580EX with it's small bounce card,and a couple of brackets.I still am not certain which I will end up using.

I like the quality of light from a bracket(and find the "diffusers" to sometimes be too soft).But the hassle of using the heavy bracket is a consideration.

Why do you "bracket-users" prefer them over the other devices.Also,what is your preferred method of shooting in a large,dark room where bounce surfaces are poor?Thanks for advice!

dude, learn how to bounce. use a stofen or a demb and you're golden!

dude,How do you bounce when the walls are dark and the ceilings are dark and high?That is one of the problems in my post(last sentence).Otherwise I'd use the small,built-in bounce card or a Demb.

aVOLanche wrote:
dude,How do you bounce when the walls are dark and the ceilings are dark and high?.

In my experience - for some reason it simply works. You may need to use fast lens and higher ISO but the flash is usually very bounce-able in even the harshest of circumstance.

I suggest practice and experimentation in conditions where you had previously not though it to be possible. Denis Reggie turned me onto this phenomena and the magic of the auto-white balance renders very nice skin tones.

with a demb, there is really no need for a bracket. you're splitting hairs as far as "quality with a bracket" goes. if you know how to use it right, you'll be money. i keep it on a lot. brackets are antiquated. if you're shooting at a reception that is dark and can't bounce, throw a light stand in an inconspicuous corner with a strobe way up high. use it sparingly as it can get annoying after too much.

oh yeah, I'll let the "dude" slide this time

I pretty much agree with everyone here. I don't think there's any quality advantage with a bracket over any other method. I sometimes, however, use a bracket if I know I'll be shooting at different angles and will still be bouncing. It saves some wear and tear on the flash.

Practice and experiment to see what works best for you. Brackets have their purpose - a tool like anything else - but aren't the cure-all for every situation. Some photogs will swear by them, others won't touch 'em.

I still use a bracket... my flash modifiers will vary between a stofen, cut-stofen, abbc, built in bounce card, bare flash and/or bounce. I absoutely cannot stand flash shadows... I've thrown away otherwise good shots just because of a sideways shadow so I suck it up and use a bracket at almost every wedding.

With that being said, the best modifier is the one that gives YOU the best results. I tried the fong dome once, didn't like it. This is not to say many other photographers use it and get great results. It's a personal preference and there is no right answer here...

oh, and brackets aren't antiquated, it's just another tool.

One of my problems with Fong,Demb,ABBC,etc. is their efficiency(lack of).They suck up a lot of battery power and slow down recycling in large,dark rooms.I like the 580EX and really don't wish to deal with a 2 flash set-up.I guess a battery pack would be the answer,but......more weight and cost.

The reason bounced flash still works in dark surroundings is due to reflectivity. Almost any surface will have some reflectivity, even dark surfaces. Most places, actually are not all that dark. A dark, wood beamed ceiling might seem like a no-go for bounce, but then be coupled with lighter walls, so you are back in business. You can even bounce off white table cloths and guests (watch that you don't blind them)--even the floor. In this kind of situation, you are muscling the flash off the surfaces. It will take more flash power and higher ISO. Whether or not you want to go that route is up to you. My worst situation was a place with flat black walls and an extremely high, black ceiling and black floor. It was a large place, too, and dimly lit. About the only option were the table cloths and guests. I didn't want to go the extremely high ISO way so I used off camera flashes and an on camera Demb/ABBC.

A bracket should not be compared with diffusers. Two entirely different purposes. I use a bracket sometimes and sometimes I don't. The criteria I use is whether I will see flash shadows and whether those shadows will be disturbing. A secondary concern is how the flash is used--if for subtle fill, it makes no difference that the flash is at the lens level; if the flash is more prominent (for whatever reason, like shooting against bright sunlight), you may want a higher angle on the face so the nose shadow isn't flat--or not--it is up to you. Another factor is whether you will have enough control to always pull subjects away from walls (where you get shadows even bouncing). If I am in a situation where I don't know if I'll have control, I pack my bracket, even though I may not use it. In fact, my bracket is in my equipment case when I shoot weddings.

A dark, wood beamed ceiling might seem like a no-go for bounce, but then be coupled with lighter walls, so you are back in business. You can even bounce off white table cloths and guests (watch that you don't blind them)--even the floor.

And to piggyback on that, there's also the big, fluffly, white wedding dress that can be a giant reflector - whether you want it to or not.