ring flash

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<Enter Your Full Name> - 10 Nov 2003 15:16 GMT

I have seen in my lighting research lots of stuff about using a ring flash
for people shots. How come you don't get wickedly bad red-eye from them,
since they are about as close the the lense as you can get.

Also, they all seem to have stupidly low GN - fine for macros, but not
people.

This leads me to believe that I am somehow missing something... Anyone care
to explain?

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Lourens Smak - 10 Nov 2003 16:13 GMT

> I have seen in my lighting research lots of stuff about using a ring flash
> for people shots. How come you don't get wickedly bad red-eye from them,
> since they are about as close the the lense as you can get.

Often used for fill only. But you can get wickedly-bad red-eye indeed...
mostly depends on the position of the model.

> Also, they all seem to have stupidly low GN - fine for macros, but not
> people.

Check out the 10.000 Ws, 130cm diameter ringflash by Bl?sing:
www.blaesing-blitz.de
(It'll cost you....very high-end stuff.)

but for people shots, a ringflash like the Hensel Porty, Visatec
litepac, Profoto acute, elinchrom ranger, etc. will be best. (pack +
separate, medium-sized, ring) Blaesing has a smaller one too, and other
makes like Broncolor, Multiblitz, Balcar, probably offer ringflashes
too. For people shots, this is what you need.

example:
http://www.profoto.com/product.php?catId=81&productId=161

;-)
Lourens

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zeitgeist - 12 Nov 2003 08:40 GMT

> I have seen in my lighting research lots of stuff about using a ring flash
> for people shots. How come you don't get wickedly bad red-eye from them,
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> This leads me to believe that I am somehow missing something... Anyone care
> to explain?

I didn't like the look and never did it, I suppose you can get red eye easy,
maybe they just retouch it out.

the primary use of ring flash is for macro close ups so the power has to be
low as it tends to be used only inches away.

you can get similar effects, you can get a large parabolic reflector that
you can shoot through, you can get four sheets of styrofoam with ends cut
at a diagonal \__/ and tape, wire, glue whatever them in a squarish wall so
the sides angle to reflecto towards the subject, and place a flash to
bounce off them, or what was popular in the 80's for fashion was to put four
or five umbrellas all round the camera position, you could see the weird
catchlights in the makeup ads. in a small white room place a barebulb
flash behind you, or use a wide field reflector as you don't need to aim
light at your back, and have the light bounce from the walls ceiling and
floor behind you, flat flat flat.

actually what would be cool is a bare bulb right above the camera lens, with
a reflector above and below for fill

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