Wedding Photographers & Stofen Omni-Bounce Outdoors

[dphoto]

OK, I have to ask... why do I see so many wedding photographers using the Stofen Omni-Bounce outdoors? It is my understanding that that will do nothing but drain your batteries faster. Is that correct? Maybe they were shooting indoors and didn't want to take it off while outside? Or does it help them when they are outdoors but near a building or other wall? Just trying to understand this... I thought that thing needed walls! :D

Thanks to anyone who can enlighten me on this!
-Deva

[Harry Settle]

You pretty much answered your own question. Not much point to it unless you are shooting at very close distances. On the other hand, I do get a lot of use from the Pocket Bounce.

[dphoto]

Hey Harry,

You mentioned shooting at close distances... what would be the point of an omni-bounce up close? Would it give you a wider beam of light for a wide angle lens?

I just got a pocket bounce myself (actually 80-20 with the attachment that turns it into a pocket bounce) and I tried it indoors and outdoors and it worked great!

Thanks,
-Deva

[Harry Settle]

Absolutely no reason to shoot close. Be better to use a small soft box or the cover for your 80-20.

[dphoto]

Harry,

Why would the softbox be better outdoors? As for the cover for the 80-20, I'm not sure what you're referring too. My wife got me the Promax system for Christmas, so I was using the white insert with it. Are you suggesting to use the frosted diffusion screen that comes with the system as well? Actually, I'm having a hard time knowing when to use the softbox and when to use the pocket bouncer. Outdoors, is it going to make that big of a difference?

I'm still not too educated on my "quality of light" issues, but I'm trying. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
-Deva

[hitech]

OK, I have to ask... why do I see so many wedding photographers using the Stofen Omni-Bounce outdoors? It is my understanding that that will do nothing but drain your batteries faster. Is that correct? Maybe they were shooting indoors and didn't want to take it off while outside? Or does it help them when they are outdoors but near a building or other wall? Just trying to understand this... I thought that thing needed walls! :D

Thanks to anyone who can enlighten me on this!
-Deva
First I'd have to ask is why a pro is using this type of product.

I have a Pocket Bouncer from LumiQuest. I believe it's a better product and does the better job.

As far as outdoors, I think they forget its on the flash.

[Malaxos1]

I use my indoors, but it a hassle to take off. Also, I dissagree that it doesn't soften the flash. I think it works great for fill flash...Dean

[John_T]

Using the flash outdoors with the OmniBounce or the pull up catch light panel on the 580EX would be used to put catch lights in the eyes of the subjects, particularly to put spark in the eyes of newly weds. No?

[scottbergerphoto]

The Omnibounce doesn't make for a diffuse light source as it does nothing to change the size of the light source. It does reduce the intensity of the flash by acting as a filter, which I suppose can come in handy if you are closer then the flash would normally allow. The Pocket Bouncer does a much better job of spreading out the light when you don't have a ceiling to bounce off of.
Scott

[Mike Panic]

i dunno about some of these responces... ive used an omni bounce outside before, works well.

for those who don't seem to understand its purpose, it does diffuse light, which is differant from what a pocket bounce does as that reflects light

omni-bounces are generally used in situations where you do not hvae a ceiling or wall to bounce the light off of, so shooting them @ 45 degrees w/ it on will diffuse the light and more evenly spread it out. now you do loose 1/3-1 full stop when shooting w/ them, but you also greatly reduce the harshness that is sometimes associated w/ full on flash, and you also greatly reduce shadows, something that is much harder to do w/ pocket bounces (or an index card rubber banded to the flash)

another thing worth mentioning about pocket bounces is that you can have light spill. that is to say the light that is shown in the foreground or on closer subjects tend to be much more intense because not all of the flash is being bounced off the pocket bounce.

[dphoto]

Hey guys,

Wow, thanks for all the replies! Hmmm... from the varied responses I got, it looks like the answer is... it varies with the photographer! :D OK, well, as I assimilate information about lighting, this seems to match well with what I've already amassed:

The Omnibounce doesn't make for a diffuse light source as it does nothing to change the size of the light source.OK, so is "diffuse" light primarily a function of size, or solely a function of size?

It does reduce the intensity of the flash by acting as a filter...Right, which is why it seemed to me that its only function could be to use more batteries (since you have to use more power to get the same amount of light through).

For catch light only (no fill flash), does the bare bulb of the flash work OK? For fill light and catch light, it would seem to me a pocket bouncer (or equivalent) would be the way to go.

Oh, and it sounds like a few of you just leave your omni-bounce on because its just easier. Now that I can understand! Or, you just forget. Hehe, I can understand that as well!

Thanks again, and if you have any more to share, by all means keep it coming. :D
-Deva

[kawter2]

for those who don't seem to understand its purpose, it does diffuse light, which is differant from what a pocket bounce does as that reflects light

omni-bounces are generally used in situations where you do not hvae a ceiling or wall to bounce the light off of, so shooting them @ 45 degrees w/ it on will diffuse the light and more evenly spread it out. now you do loose 1/3-1 full stop when shooting w/ them, but you also greatly reduce the harshness that is sometimes associated w/ full on flash, and you also greatly reduce shadows, something that is much harder to do w/ pocket bounces (or an index card rubber banded to the flash).

That is not correct... All the omni bounce does is push the light out 360deg on the horiz axis and 180deg on the vertical axis, thus making it bounce of anything and everything arround, hence the word "OMNI"bounce

The larger a light source in relation tothe subject; the softer the light,. The only way that the onibounce can make the light softer is to use the bounced objects as the light source hence a wall being a 7' light source vs a flash head being a 4" light source.


The only thing a photographer will gain outside is a reduction in power. That does not soften the light in any way, it just gives less light

[Mike Panic]

im sorry, im going to have to disagree w/ you again. you must understand that an omni bounce is diffusing light, that is to say, light must pass thru this piece of plastic in order to get to its subject, regardless of where it goes next. reflecting light would be when you put an index card on your flash @ 45 degrees and let the flash light reflect off of it to the subject in lew of having a ceiling that is a decent distance to use.

yes, the omni bounce does bounce off the ceiling and walls, but before light does that it is diffused (or filtered) THROUGH the omni bounce.

this isnt just me saying this:

The Omni-Bounce creates a Diffused Bare Bulb Effect. Giving even coverage across the entire frame, taken from: http://www.stofen.com/Info/index.htm

their own words, diffused

[scottbergerphoto]

StoFen can claim what they want, but they can't change the laws of Physics. The way you make a diffuse light source is to make it bigger by moving it closer to the subject or making it bigger. If you take a 550EX and move it off camera behind a large diffusion panel or shoot it into an umbrella, now you have a larger source of light, which is more diffuse. Without something to bounce off of, the Stofen is just reducing the capacity of the flash. DaveG has written alot on this issue. You can find his posts using the search function.
Regards,
Scott