Flash brackets

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

I shoot performances in theaters...right up on stage. Nothing really to
bounce a flash off of...but I still angle my hot shoe flash (may 45 degrees
to 60 degrees) with a big white card velcroed to the top of it. I think
what this does (without a ceiling to bounce off of) is spread the light
around a bit so that the background gets a little more light than it would
if the flash were direct.

I am considering a flash bracket - mainly because I am worried about holding
the flash in my hand as I turn the camera sideways for a portrait shot.

Other than red-eye protection and weird shadows on walls (which no one is up
near anyway), is there an advantage to a flash bracket? Also, will it
spread light better being up higher and angled a bit downward? In huge
theateres, the flash card wastes a ton of light spreading it around....BUT,
it looks so much better to have the background illuminated (dragging the
shutter would cause other problems).

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

>Other than red-eye protection and weird shadows on walls (which no one is up
>near anyway), is there an advantage to a flash bracket?

A well designed flash bracket will place the flash unit ***directly
above*** the lenses, and permit it to stay above the lens with the
camera rotated in portrait orientation or landscape orientating. The
shadow wil 'fall behind' the subjects out of the line of sight of the
lens. Only those brackets the leave the flash ***to the side*** make
the horrible shadow outline at one side of the subject! Having shot
many weddings with a Newton bracket and MF SLR system, I know the value
of ***high above but centered on the lens***

>....BUT, it looks so much better to have the background illuminated (dragging the
>shutter would cause other problems).

A flash bracket has nothing to do with lighting a background to a
different degree than lighting the subject...the inverse square law of
light is not defeated. A bounce card makes for a larger source area,
but not large enough to defeat the inverse square law.