In Praise of the ExpoImaging FlashBender and Diffuser

I love portability. The Canon Powershot G15 is my everyday camera. And when I bring a DSLR, most of the time, I only have the lens attached to the camera and one speedlite. No extra lenses. Most of the time, I don't even bring the lens hood. And yes, there are even times when I don't even have an external speedlite! (That will send shivers down spines of some photographers…)

So, when I set out to do portrait photography, I decided that I didn't want to bring an umbrella or any other big modifier: I wanted to be portable.

Enter the Expoimaging Rogue FlashBender, large, and diffuser.

Yes, it is large but it isn't too large to be unwieldy. It is no wider than a full-sized laptop. You can even fold it in the middle!

But don't be fooled by its small size. This FlashBender is a very capable diffuser.

I proved that statement, as I've said, when I made some portraits of the wife. It was a gorgeous Chicago summer day and I was able to light up my model's face with the diffused light coming from the speedlite. I placed the sun behind the wife and I added a kicker light using the flashbender with diffuser. And I was very pleased by the outcome.

Check out one of my set ups during the photoshoot. Yeah, it would’ve been more portable if I didn't have a light stand but that’s something that couldn't be helped… I would have needed an assistant to hold the speedlite.

Oh, I’ve said in a previous post that the diffused FlashBender emits even light… Here's your proof.

I underexposed the shot so you can see the quality of the light produced by the diffuser - the light produced is even.

So, do you want a no non-sense, portable light modifier that's great for head shots and half-body shots? Then get the ExpoImaging FlashBender and Diffuser Large! You won't regret it.


 


More photos from this session can be found here.

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Gear used to make this post:

-- Canon 5D Mark II (article)

-- Canon 70-200 f/4L IS USM (review)

-- Canon 430EX-II Speedlite

-- Phottix Ares (review)

-- Westcott Light Stand

-- Rogue Flashbender (Large) and Rogue Diffusion Panel (Large) (review)

-- Lowepro DSLR Video Fastpack 250 (review)

-- Joby UltraFit Sling (review)

Portrait Photography by #TheShyPhotographer

Chicago is such a beautiful backdrop for portrait photography. Lovely model, lovely city!

Special thanks to the wife for modeling.

The behind-the-scenes for this portrait session can be found here.

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Gear used to make this post:

-- Canon 5D Mark II (article)

-- Canon 70-200 f/4L IS USM (review)

-- Canon 430EX-II Speedlite

-- Phottix Ares (review)

-- Westcott Light Stand

-- Rogue Flashbender (Large) and Rogue Diffusion Panel (Large) (review)

-- Lowepro DSLR Video Fastpack 250 (review)

-- Joby UltraFit Sling (review)

Navy Pier Summer Fireworks 2013

Aside from the Chicago Air & Water Show, another thing that I always look forward to during the during the summer time is the fireworks display at the Navy Pier. (There is also one during the New Year, but nothing beats outdoor photography during the warm weather.)

Anyway, I trekked towards Navy Pier one Wednesday evening. Before the fire works display, I took some photos of the Pier at night. It's a sight to behold, and the downtown skyline is sublime!

A few minutes before the event, I set out my tripod, camera and camera remote. Then, right after I finished setting up my gear, a gentleman nicely asked me to take a picture of him, his wife, and their cute kids. So, fearing that someone might knock over my tripod and send my camera plunging towards Lake Michigan, I detached my camera and placed it back in my bag. I took two photos of the family. :)

When I set my camera back on the tripod, that’s when it hit me that I might not be in a very good position. I told myself that I will be very pissed if the fireworks is to my left: I'll have a lady's arm on my shots.

Guess what happened?

Anyway, I was still able to make wonderful shots and I felt elated whenever the lady quickly takes a shot and take a long time looking at her phone! And I'm happy to share them here.

It makes me sad that summer is about to end. I do love winter (yeah, I am one of those people...) but saying goodbye to all these outdoor activities is really hard to take...

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Gear used to make this post:

-- Canon 5D Mark II (article)

-- Canon 24-105 f/4L IS USM Lens (Long term review)

-- Benro Travel Angel A2691T (review)

-- Think Tank Photo Retrospective7 (review)

Animated GIFs Galore at the Chicago Air & Water Show 2013!

Yah, I got too carried away... That's why there are so many here... :)

Hope you didn't get dizzy... The rest of my "normal" photos are found here.

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Gear used to make this post:

-- Canon 7D

-- Canon 70-200 f/4L IS USM (review)

-- Lowepro Pro Messenger 180 (review)

Chicago Air & Water Show 2013

The Chicago Air & Water Show is something that I always look forward to in the summer time. I've always been fascinated by airplanes and it actually is the reason, well, aerodynamics actually, why I went into physics a lifetime ago. And to be able to combine my love of airplanes to my love of photography is an opportunity that I cannot miss. This is my 4th event. And some people may not understand my desire to go there despite what I have to go through - the heavy traffic to go to such an event, the almost couple of million of beach-goers jostling for position, and the summer-time heat - but for me, the Air & Water Show is something of a pilgrimage...

And when I took the photos of the airplanes in the smoke-filled sky, it was as if I was flying with them...

These are some, of the hundreds, of the photos that I took during the event...

And talking about the crowd... Oh, it was also awesome to watch the really hard-working lifeguards! It's amazing to see them dart from one place to another, sand or water, amidst the crowd to assist the other lifeguards and the people in need.

Taking these photos were worth the sunburn that I got! Well, my right side is crispier than my left because of the relative position between myself and the aircrafts... :)

And finally, my most favorite photos...

I love the Air & Water Show. I'd visit it again, and again, and again. If only I could...

PS. I made some animated GIFs of the show. There are already a lot of photos here so I will post those GIFs in another post. :)

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Gear used to make this post:

-- Canon 7D

-- Canon 70-200 f/4L IS USM (review)

-- Lowepro Pro Messenger 180 (review)