Event lighting

Problem: Running around with flash in the hotshoe. Photos are in both orientations. Quite often ceilings are either too high or don't exist. Bouncing of the walls not always an option.
Photos in portrait orientation suffer from side lighting.
There is no possibility to install static lights.

I have an Omnibounce, but it doesn't eliminate side lighting problem.
I've used Lumiquest Pro Max with decent results, but I'm looking for ways to improve, while staying mobile.
I've pointed flash head upward and backward, bounced off my hand, but it's hard to gauge the angle of my palm, while looking into a viewfinder, plus palm gives it a yellowish tint.
One possible solution I can think of is a rotating flash/camera bracket, but it can't be too bulky.

Can you guys give some other suggestions?

Thanks,
Aleness

This is one of the reasons a rotating bracket was invented. Bulky or not, it does the job. You could have an assistant walk around with you with a big white reflector to bounce off of, or get a hot-shoe cord and either you or an assistant hold the flash off camera at the angle you want. I've seen a few photographer hold a flash in one hand and shoot with the other. This would be ok for a few shots, but not for a whole wedding reception, etc.

Aleness wrote in post #11569510
Problem: Running around with flash in the hotshoe. Photos are in both orientations. Quite often ceilings are either too high or don't exist. Bouncing of the walls not always an option.
Photos in portrait orientation suffer from side lighting.
There is no possibility to install static lights.

I have an Omnibounce, but it doesn't eliminate side lighting problem.
I've used Lumiquest Pro Max with decent results, but I'm looking for ways to improve, while staying mobile.
I've pointed flash head upward and backward, bounced off my hand, but it's hard to gauge the angle of my palm, while looking into a viewfinder, plus palm gives it a yellowish tint.
One possible solution I can think of is a rotating flash/camera bracket, but it can't be too bulky.

Can you guys give some other suggestions?

Thanks,
Aleness

If I can I use available light if the lights not to spotty. If not I use a bracket and I will usually gel the strobe to match the available and I have a kinda half homemade light softening system that consists of a modified sto-fen and a large white bounce card. Depending on the level of light I have to work with in the room and/or the quality of light I am trying to achieve I will either use my strobe as a true fill or use the strobe as main with the available one stop down. But my strobe is over the lens (bracket) all the time and is softened (hot spots and crappy small strobe look) and its gelled to match the available. Works great for me. I can show you the set up if you or anyone that hasn't already seen it is interested. I can also show you examples.

Brackets need not be bulky or heavy...

Wilt wrote in post #11571017
Brackets need not be bulky or heavy...

Thats perfect Wilt.

I have an bulky old strobe a frame. It works but it is bulky

What bracket is that Wilt.

I believe Wilt uses a Newton. His posts have sold me on the Newton but he provided no finances to accomplish the purchase so I still use the Stroboframe.

If you are using a stroboframe be prepared for sticker shock.

I ordered something very similar to this on a whim -

http://cgi.ebay.com …ories&hash=item​3f05edd95d

and love it. It's made very cheaply, and it feels that way, but it looks nice at a glance and those around you wouldn't know the difference at an event shoot. The key is to attach it on the narrow side of the flash head, not the back, that way you can just flip the flash for portrait shooting and it's still bouncing off the card. Lots of different solutions out there, but this one works well and is pretty cheap.

airfrogusmc wrote in post #11570940
I can show you the set up if you or anyone that hasn't already seen it is interested. I can also show you examples.

I would be very interested to see the setup.

professoryeti wrote in post #11572710
I ordered something very similar to this on a whim -

http://cgi.ebay.com …ories&hash=item​3f05edd95d

and love it. It's made very cheaply, and it feels that way, but it looks nice at a glance and those around you wouldn't know the difference at an event shoot. The key is to attach it on the narrow side of the flash head, not the back, that way you can just flip the flash for portrait shooting and it's still bouncing off the card. Lots of different solutions out there, but this one works well and is pretty cheap.

Reminds me of Demb Flash Diffuser card. It still doesn't address the issue with rotated camera.

really right stuff has a couple of solutions

Aleness wrote in post #11572715
I would be very interested to see the setup.

Ok heres mine. If you notice on the sto-fen I blocked out the light from coming from the front because it was really giving me hot spots on faces. Now that I blocked it the shine is pretty much gone. Notice the blocked out area is forward and the open area is toward the bounce card which is just a pure white art board with velcro. When it get messed up I just replace it.

Demp has a bracket that is reasonably compact and does the rotating at the top of the bracket rather than with an arm.

Some examples of how it works

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Titus213 wrote in post #11572565
I believe Wilt uses a Newton. His posts have sold me on the Newton but he provided no finances to accomplish the purchase so I still use the Stroboframe.

If you are using a stroboframe be prepared for sticker shock.

I presume you have a first born whom could be sold, to finance the Newton and a whole lot more?!

BTW, the Newton does not cause sticker shock, the RRS bracket does -- particularly with the price per pound!

Wilt wrote in post #11574557
I presume you have a first born whom could be sold, to finance the Newton and a whole lot more?!

BTW, the Newton does not cause sticker shock, the RRS bracket does -- particularly with the price per pound!

So Wilt for a 5DII and both the Metz 58 and the 580 whats your recommendation?