Achieving the "soft light" look using strobes?

[baboymo]

I'm currently using a 420ex w/ FEC with an Omnibounce always in the upright position. My indoor flash shots seem to be harsh but never overexposed. Is there some setting that I should use to achieve the "soft light" effect w/o it being underexposed? My occasional indoor flash shot settings are typically 1/80s, iso 200, f 5.6, -1/3 EV (not using M) and +2/3 FEC.

My first guess would be to use a different diffuser but I could be wrong.

Anyone?

[scottbergerphoto]

You will never get your small flash to look identical to studio strobes as long as it's on the camera. No matter what you do, it will always be a small light source. You can buy a Lumiquest Pocket Bounce that spreads the light out better then an omnibounce in my opinion or a small softbox attachment. If you want a soft studio look, get a lightstand, and off the shoe cord 2, and an umbrella. That will give you a larger light source. It's easiest to do this with a 550EX or 580EX on the camera as a Master and another 550/580EX (or a 420EX)on a lightstand as the slave. The off camera flash is the Main light and the on camera is for fill.

[tweatherred]

I believe the 420 EX has a head that swivels around; I have found that if you are in a room that isn't too big and has light walls, bouncing the flash off the side or even to the back diffuses the light a good bit for a nice effect. Not equal to studio lighting, by any means, but a nice effect nonetheless

[d'homme]

There are various things you can try. They have worked for me.

1. With your camera on a tripod, swivel the flash head towards the ceiling, like for bounce flash. BUT, hold a large white card a least a foot square above the flash, angling it towards your subject. It worked pretty well.

2. You can do the above but with the flash off camera. Taped the white card to the flash head. (straighten the head out). Point the flash towards the ceiling, and angeling the card towards your subject.

Don't point the flash to a point over the subjects head, you'll get that "downward" light. Point somewhere over the camera. Play around with the size of the card and the distance your hold it from the light. Remember the goal is to make your subject lit by a larger source of light. The larger the source, the less shadow. So holding a large card over your flash will make the light source larger that the flash.