Any ideas on a small (or very weak) flash?

My photography focuses on meals served onboard international business/first class travel. One of the challenges is to get lighting right; especially when I travel red-eyes, I often choose to have my meal mid-flight when lights are dimmed and am stuck with just a reading light. I thought about using a flash at 1/128th power, possibly with a diffuser.. What are your takes on this? Does anyone have any other ideas? Perhaps a very small flash I am unaware of (I was thinking, they have pocket-sized beamers nowadays.. are there any similar pocket-sized mini flashes? Unaware what to Google to find out..)? Any input is appreciated!!

Maybe a LED panel instead of flash?

So just to make sure, you are taking images of meals served on flights while in flight?

If so, then I would say go with a light panel(http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_38_Flat_Panel_​Flash.html). I am not a fan of LED lights, they dont give good smooth light and are really dappled unless you spend a lot of money to get a good system.

The panel flash will be much softer, easier to stop the motion and will be simpler to use in the end.

Nick

I would think you can bounce the flash off the ceiling - or whatever is above the seat. It's usually light grey so color shouldn't be an issue.

A Canon Speedlite 270EX II should get the job done (not the original 270EX).

Also there are diffusers like this that will diffuse the light from your camera's built-in flash.

So, your job is to get on a plane, sit in first class and take a picture of the food? Nice gig! Are they hiring?

Take a look at this macro LED light.

http://www.amazon.com …anon-Tamron/dp/B003LYF5P2

Dennis

Thanks, folks! The thing I'm worried about is it has to be a weak flash/lighting source. I don't want to disturb other passengers on-board. This is what makes it so different from regular food photography, or any sort of photography for that matter. The GN for the Sun Pak Flat Panel Flash for example is 38, which seems total overkill. Moreover, for this very same reason I don't like to bounce the flash off the ceiling.

Any of the Canon Speedlites have the ability to fire at well under 1% of their capacity in E-TTL mode.
But in a dark environment, even a weak flash is going to get noticed.

Vellum/tracing paper/writing paper/diffusion material/shower curtain etc, taped over your flash will cut the light to any degree you want or need.

Foodguy wrote in post #14462537
Vellum/tracing paper/writing paper/diffusion material/shower curtain etc, taped over your flash will cut the light to any degree you want or need.

or just use ND gels?

How about using an iPad for your softbox?

http://itunes.apple.co​m …for-ipad/id415056105?mt=8