A bounce card causes you to face your flash unit up – pointing it to the ceiling, but you also put a little 3×5 index card behind the light to send some of the “caught” light forward. The Stofen Omnibounce, Flip-it and the Lightsphere do this same thing too each in their own way, but then so did the old bounce card.

Why doesn’t someone make something simple like a bounce card, but make it so the photographers can make it themselves and make it better than the simple old bounce card ever was?

There is something like this – it’s called “A Better Bounce Card”. And it is something every photographer can make themselves – without buying expensive devices – and make as many as they need!

Plus it’s DIRECTIONAL, Cheap, bump someone and it won’t fall off or worst yet bust off your hot shoe mount! And it’s light, actually, light as a piece of paper!!

I have had some trouble finding the foam paper, I’ve been in a lot of shops but they don’t even seem to know what I’m talking about.

I do know some people have managed to find it though, so it can’t be that hard.

If anyone knows where you can get it (preferably in PJ) it’d be appreciated.

I’ve heard someone say they got some in 1-U, but I don’t know where!

I do have a Gary Fong Lightsphere II (the clear one), but this is extremely portable and lightweight, so I’d like to keep it stuffed in my camera bag just in case.

Cigarette Packet Flash Diffuser

step 1Equipment Needed

SLR with built in flash
Cigarette packet
pocket knife

step 2Quit Smoking.

This will not only provide you with the empty cigarette packet, but it will improve your health, make climbing stairs easier and probably save you enough money to buy a real external flash unit.if you don’t smoke, I’m sure your friendly neighbourhood chain smoker will provide you with an empty.

step 3removing the foil

Remove the foil from inside the pack, taking care not to tear it. Once the foil is removed, reverse it so the shiny side is facing inwards. Then reinsert the reversed foil into the packet. This provide a reflective surface to bounce the light out of the box.Note: With some brands of cigarettes, you can skip this step as the foil is already facing shiny side in.

step 4attach to the camera

This one’s pretty obvious.Feel free to adjust the angle of the packet’s lid, to differ the angle of the flash spread. Also, experiment with position of the box. Reversing the box may also help.The more upright your flash unit is and the lower the ceiling is, the better the results.

);

step 5Results

Here is a before and after shot to demonstrate the difference. These shots were taken in a fairly dark place with relatively high ceilings.

I no way will this replace a $400 external flash unit, but it is improvment on what you already have using something that you can probably find on the floor the next time your at a pub.

more examples can be found at my flickr site.

Created by Dan and Andy
http://thekevinbaconexperiment.blogspot.com/

Before Diffuser After Diffuser

By monkeywithagunon Dec 6, 2006.