Softening direct light outside?

[mikec]

After some advice on softening direct light while outdoors. I've been playing around with using my 580EX + PW off camera to provide some fill light on some of my climbing photography but the light it a little too harsh. I normally bounce when indoors but obviously there isn't a white ceiling outside :D

If it was indoors I'd just go for an umbrella but I can just imagine a gust of wind carrying away my flash and light stand with an umbrella outside, so something a little more compact / wind friendly would be good. Oh and lugging a sand bag to the a climbing location to hold the light stand isn't going to happen so no one suggest that :crzy:

Any suggestions? OmniBounce? Small softbox attachment?

Cheers,
Mike.

[James T]

You have to make do really. A softbox is still going to catch the wind. Is an OmniBounce kind of like a Stofen? [EDIT: It's a Stofen OmniBounce isn't it :D] If so, that's not going to help much.

For softer light, you need bigger light. So, brollie, softbox, or a scrim / the diffuser bit from the middle of an x-in-1 reflector.

You're climbing so there's rocks, maybe use some to weight the stand? Failing that, and assistant works a treat. :)

[campo]

why not turn down your flash a bit so it's not as obvious?

[kiwi]

why not turn down your flash a bit so it's not as obvious?

too obvious

Id be looking at trying to create something (like a reflector) to bounce the light off if you can

Otherwise the biggest "thing" on your flash you can get away with

[mikec]

Campo dailing it down doesn't really have the desired effect I'm after.

It was still giving that hard light look and is a little to timely to get just right and because I'm not shooting a static subject there just isn't time to adjust the light to get the hard light looking right.

That's why I'm thinking diffused softer light is the way to go because it's more predictable and easier to manage, light wise, not gear wise.

Kiwi I think I might have not been thinking this right, the brain has been pretty fried from work and classes. Because I'm throwing light up, I can probably reflect off a brolly basically on the ground pointing up, maybe the wind won't be such an issue..... I can probably weight the brolly itself even to stop the wind.

[kiwi]

hmm, will all depend on the light direction relative to the subject

[Brodie]

Get your subject in the shade when possible as a start. That cuts out the harshest light source.

Turn your flash down on the fill, because its exactly that, fill. (not a main).

However if your not in shade, battling the sun usually requires a fair bit of power from a speedlihht.

Is there anyone else with you? Get them to hold a lightweight stand with a small softbox/brolly. If you really dont want to carry anything, get a buddy to wear a white shirt and bounce it off them.