advice on adjusting angles with 580EX II

[another newbie]

Hi hope someone out there has the time to advise me. I got a 580EX II and it has been working quite well. I just have a couple of questions on using the retractable catch light reflector, when would be good to use it for example portrait outdoor & indoor shots. Also I see other photographers tilting their flashes up with this still out. What are the benefits of this, ( I know to bounce off a ceiling, but what advantage is doing this when outside) and one more.. when would you advise to use a flash diffuser? Sorry, a lot of questions, maybe someone can advise.
Thanks

[jgogums]

Hi hope someone out there has the time to advise me. I got a 580EX II and it has been working quite well. I just have a couple of questions on using the retractable catch light reflector, when would be good to use it for example portrait outdoor & indoor shots. Also I see other photographers tilting their flashes up with this still out. What are the benefits of this, ( I know to bounce off a ceiling, but what advantage is doing this when outside) and one more.. when would you advise to use a flash diffuser? Sorry, a lot of questions, maybe someone can advise.
Thanks

Welcome!
The catch light reflector simply redirects "some" of the light forward when your flash head is pointing straight up. If you are close enough to a beautiful woman, you'll see the reflection or catch light in her eyes;). It's used to call attention to the eyes as well as help fill in some shadows created by having light bounced off a ceiling and falling down and around the subject.

In my experience you have to be fairly close since the card is small. But really, you simply just have to experiment with someone to see how you might want to use this tool.

As for using this technique outside. It's hard to say with certainty what exactly the photographer is trying to do. Lets say his flash head is straight up with the card out. What is he bouncing light off of? Nothing.

Most is simply moving in a straight line AWAY from the subject. But by pulling the card out he can redirect "some" of that light forward. This is now bounced light...just on a much much smaller scale than using a ceiling. Thus the effects are usually much more subtle.

If there is ambient light that the photog wants to record then he may be using that to light the majority of the scene and simply trying to fill in the shadows, and maybe add a catch light to the eyes, by using the bounce card.

Again, think about sunlight coming from above and illuminating the subject in much the same way you understand indoor bounced light coming down from the ceiling. You may have shadows maybe below the eyes and nose and chin, etc. Just as the bounce card can help indoors, it can help fill those in outdoors, by redirecting "some" of the light forward.

Hope this helps a bit. Keep reading up here. In POTN you found simply one of the best resources of information that is out there.

[another newbie]

thanks a million for your advice:)