Flash Modifier for Disney World?

Hi Folks,

I picked up a 430 ex II a few weeks ago in preparation for a trip to disney in September. I'll be bringing my 6D, 24-105, and 40mm pancake. I brought the same setup last year and found that the indoor character shots (of my kids hugging the characters) came out pretty rough. I need to keep the shutter speed up because my kids are young and won't stand still, which means everything ends up at 12800, underexposed by a stop, and getting boosted in post.

I've been having a complete blast learning how to bounce my flash around the house, but it occurs to me that bouncing won't always be an option at Disney. I've poked around at the stofen, better bounce card, fong, etc. and my head is spinning. Does anyone have a solid recommendation for what worked best for them?

Thanks in advance!

P.S., as a tech geek, I am completely in awe of how modern TTL flash works with a preflash to calculate flash strength, all so fast that the human eye can't even detect more than one strobe.

I'd go with the StoFen. The Wrong, er Fong is a joke.

I brought my gary fong collapsible. It worked fine.. Mainly you need it for the Micky Photos, and photos with the princesses of your kids. Disney is very nice. Their photographer takes their picture. Then you jump in and take yours... Still take the photo pass cards they give you some of the photographers take decent pictures and they are not to terribly expensive for the shots that maby did not turn out right.

Both with the gary fong.. I don't think I had the cap on.. Not sure been almost 2 years.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oDpH​gw

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oVU2​9v

A tupperware diffuser really isn't doing anything that the bare flash can't do. At most you're doubling the size of an already very small light source. As far as it filling the rest of the room; not really. Personally, I prefer to bounce the flash inside. Don't be afraid to up the iso to 1600 and use a bounced flash to open up the scene. When bounced flash isn't an option (outside) I use a large rogue flashbender. Of course in the character spots you can just up the iso and shoot with a touch of fill flash.

This is bounced flash inside of Cinderellas Castle:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/on1k​on

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/cvvx​c7

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oBwt​dx

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/j9LB​1p

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/ox5S​13

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oDqV​BJ

Mainly I was using the fong as a kicker. I also bounced without it when I could. Basically I mainly wanted a bigger light source than just a direct flash.. I really don't like to use it to much. It just was the most universal option I had in a pinch and the first time going to Disney.. A bounce card would work just the same.

Looking back even though I had the lid off and was bouncing off the roof also.. Maybe the fong is kicking to much light forward? I was trying to get a mix.. Note theses are just family snapshots.. So you may want to use a flash bender or bounce card.. BTW bipity bopidy boutique is way to expensive I about fainted when I saw the bill. However it was her birthday present..

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oDJN​5k

Now I want to go to Disney again. Although im still paying off the last trip almost 2 years ago.. I cam home with over 3k photos LOL..

Scatterbrained knows of what he speaks.

Rent a 24-70? I got good shots at Disney with no flash with a 17-55 and my 70D. My kids are also young but would hold still enough for a shot. I would suggest the Stofen as well - it is compact, quick on, quick off, and durable. It does soften the light especially when shooting direct...you can also bump up the ISO a bit like was suggested above and then use FEC set down -2/3 or so which will provide a softer fill light.

We also just did the memory maker deal where they scan your magic band and you just get all of the pics taken by their staff photographers. They will also happily use your camera too, which is really cool that they don't jack you into buying them like so many places do. The pics came out decently from their staff shots and hey I was actually in a few pics which is pretty rare.

Wow, that you so much for the really detailed responses and samples. I'm still very much figuring out how to use a flash, but I haven't been afraid to bounce thus far! My first flash shot that I'm really proud of is below, bounced off the ceiling in my house.

If you have two boys, are you planning on a pirate "makeover?". I ask because that's the primary purpose of The Pirates League. If so you'll eat a set of batteries in about 10mins in there as the flash will be popping off at full power if you're bouncing off the walls and ceilings.

As far as the character spots; they tend to be pretty dark (black ceilings) and open, but they are lit well enough for people to get shots with their cell phones. On our most recent trip (July) I noticed that they have been upgrading the lighting with bright LEDs. You can up the iso to about 800 and just use the flash facing forward for fill. You can go to iso 1600 and stop down to f/5.6 to make sure you don't end up with the "one sharp kid, one soft kid" look to the pictures.

I would second the Memory Maker package. Oftentimes it's nice to just step in front of the camera for once. Not only that, but they will have photopass photographers walking around events in the park taking candids of families.

Alveric wrote in post #17120034
I'd go with the StoFen. The Wrong, er Fong is a joke.

Why is the Stofen any better than the Fong?

the most important aspect is the size of the light source... When you bounce the flash the ceiling becomes a larger light source. The gary fong differ gets a bad rep because it eats quite a bit of light for what it does, but it isn't a terrible light modifier. The gary fong diffuser seems to render light at it's sweet spot at 35mm. Anything further and it becomes an inefficient modifier and chews though your speedlite's batteries.

digital paradise wrote in post #17122041
Why is the Stofen any better than the Fong?

Exactly.

digital paradise wrote in post #17122041
Why is the Stofen any better than the Fong?

It is cheaper, less money waisted?

digital paradise wrote in post #17122041
Why is the Stofen any better than the Fong?

Really to me it deal with size of the light when your in an area with no bonce. IE rooms with black roofs. BTW seeing Mickey in the town hall. The roof is black so direct or this is needed. Remember the larger the light source the softer the light. Although you lose 1-2 stops. So the fong is bigger in size than the stofen so inside no real difference between them. In most cases inside with stuff to bounce off its better to not use a fong or stofen. So true bouncing is better and I use bounce only 95% of the time.... If you don't have the collapsible one don't bother. Inside with stuff to bounce off of they are about the same they blase light everywhere. I brought mine because I had no clue what type of situations I would run into and I was glad I had it in the Mickey Mouse town hall booth.. As others said. you can let the photo pass people take their pictures. Then you can ask can you take ours with my camera? Here is one that the Photo pass people took with my camera at their area. The light though was very harsh. Note no flash in this one. Still a decent memory. I am actualy in a picture for once.