Why Mod?

Let’s face it, the face of a Speedlite is pretty small compared to the size of most things we point them at. Like the sun, which seems relatively small because of Earth’s distance from it, when a light source is small relative to the size of the subject, the light will be very directional and the shadows will be hard. You already know that clouds are nature’s light mod. When they drift in, sunlight becomes softer because the parallel rays bounce off the water vapor and then come at you from many angles rather than one. It’s the same with Speedlites.

You can divide light modifiers up into three groups: those that make the source seem bigger (umbrellas, soft boxes, diffusion panels), those that bounce light (reflectors, shiny boards) and those that stop light (flags, gobos and solids).

Umbrellas

An umbrella is a good modifier if you’re starting out–largely because they are inexpensive. There are actually two types of photographic umbrellas: shoot-through and reflective. Both will make a Speedlite seem bigger (and hence soften the shadows). I tend to prefer the look that comes from a shoot-through; although I also use large reflective umbrellas for large groups and spaces. The problem with an umbrella is that it can throw light in too wide a range. This can be controlled by flagging (blocking) part of the umbrella–or by switching to a soft box.

Westcott Collapsible White Satin Umbrella – This is a great starter and travel umbrella. Thanks to some umbrella genius, this umbrella double-folds from a 43″ diameter down to a compact 14.5″ package. So it’s large enough for a couple of people and small enough to be carried easily in a backpack. The fabric is white satin; perfect for shoot-through.

Westcott Collapsible Convertible Umbrella – If you have an extra $5.00, buy this umbrella instead of the model listed just above. It’s the same 43″ double-folding, white satin design with the addition of a removable black cover. This makes it very easy to flag (block) a portion of the umbrella so that you can create a nice fall-off. Light your model’s face and allow the light to gently merge to shadow below. I carry two of these in my travel kit. In a pinch, you can turn this into a reflective umbrella by leaving the cover entirely in place. Helpful; but if you want a reflective umbrella, then you should get a true reflective umbrella.

Westcott Collapsible Soft Silver Umbrella – This is the third of Westcott’s 43″ umbrellas that double-fold down to a tiny 14.5″ package. The inside is a soft silver and the outside is solid black. If you’re a fan of reflective umbrellas and need one that will fit in a backpack, then go with this one. If travel size is not a requirement, then I would buy a standard umbrella with shinier silver lining so that it kicks out a bit more light.

Westcott White Satin Umbrella with Removable Black Cover – Westcott offers two sizes of this standard design: a 45″ umbrella and a 60″ umbrella. Both feature a black cover that can be partially or wholly removed from the white satin. You can create dramatic fall-off by leaving the cover partially in place. The 45″ is great for one or two people (close together) in a headshot. The larger umbrella is great for full length shots or larger groups.

Adorama 60″ Silver Umbrella – A couple of big, silver umbrellas are a handy way to light a large group or space. If you’re inclined to carry a bunch of Speedlites and 3-way or 4-way brackets (as I often do), you can get a lot of light into a big space with a large silver umbrella. If you only have one or two Speedlites, I would stick to a smaller size. Of course, you can also use a a studio pack to light one of these guys up brightly.

Beauty Dish

A beauty dish is essentially a broad, shallow pan with a hole cut in the center for a strobe. There is a reflector a short distance in front of the tube that scatters the light out to the sides of the beauty dish before it can move forward. The effect is a relatively small field of soft light. Until recently, there were no beauty dishes created specifically for Speedlites. Fortunately, this has changed.

Kacey Beauty Reflector – Beauty reflector. Beauty dish. po-TAY-toe. po-TAH-toe. Kudos to Jerry Kacey for bringing the first full-sized (22″) beauty dish to market that is designed with Speedlites in mind. Unlike studio dishes that are typically made of metal, the Kacey dish is made of plastic–which means that it’s lightweight and durable, a perfect combination for Speedliters who often travel. As shown in the photo at left, the outside is black. As not shown, the inside is white. At the center is a 5″ acrylic mirror that reflects the light from the flash back out to the edges of the dish. A diffuser sock is available as an option. In addition to the dish,you will need to purchase a mounting bracket to hold the Speedlite(s).

Kacey Speedlite Brackets – The first thing to know about the Kacey Speedlite brackets, and virtually everything else that Kacey makes, is that they are well-designed and over-built. Don’t confuse these brackets with the lightweight brackets sold by others for a fraction of the price. It’s not that the Kacey brackets are heavy. They are not; but the aluminum is thicker than any other bracket I’ve seen. There’s do doubt that they are engineered to securely hold the Kacey Beauty Reflector and one or two Speedlites in a breeze. The brackets are available in both single and double Speedlite models. I’d suggest the double just so you can keep your options open. Both feature a built-in arm that will hold your PocketWizard in place. In addition to fitting the Beauty Reflector, Kacey offers several adapters that will enable you to mount virtually any softbox on the bracket.

Kacey Elinchrom Adapter – Swiss manufacturer Elinchrom makes my favorite studio lighting gear (including the portable Ranger RX, which is great for high-powered location work). Kacey Enterprises has recently introduced an adapter that enables the use of Elinchrom softboxes (like the Deep Throat Octa and the Mini Octa) on the single and double-Speedlite brackets shown at left in the ‘Beauty Dish’ section. So now, you’ve got the ability to use the great Elinchrom light modifiers with Canon Speedlites.

Kacey Universal Adapter – As described in detail at left, the Kacey Single- and Double-Speedlight Brackets are heavy duty and designed for large loads. By attaching the Universal Adapter you can put almost any softbox onto the Kacey Bracket, such as Chimera or Photoflex.

Soft Boxes

You can think of a softbox as the cousin of a shoot-through umbrella that’s much better behaved. Umbrellas, because of their shape, tend to spray light out over a wide swath. Softboxes provide much better control because they have opaque sides and a flat front. Softboxes come in all shapes and sizes. There are many that are designed specifically for Speedlites and others that can be adapted for Speedlites. Softboxes that have a recessed front provide an edge that can be used to feather the light. Some softboxes also have grids that can be installed–giving you a large light source with defined directionality.

Lastolite Ezybox Hotshoe – This is my favorite softbox for Speedliting for three reasons. First, it sets up in a matter of seconds. The built-in steel bands literally pop it into shape. The included Speedlite bracket snaps right into the back. It could not be simpler. Second, the EzyBox Hotshoe creates beautiful light. In addition to the recessed front panel, there is an inner diffusion panel to soften the light even more. Third, it folds up into a very compact kit. The only way to make it better would be to have a two-head adapter so that I could double the light I push through it. When it comes to firing a Speedlite, the Ezybox works perfectly with my favorite extra-long E-TTL cord or with radio triggers. Canon’s line-of-sight wireless is a bit trickier because the sensor is on the front of the Speedlite; which means that you have to twist the Speedlite sideways to face the Master. The 24″ x 24″ size is best for Speedliting. If you have a bit of power to spare, you can get more diffusion by putting a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce on your Speedlite before mounting it onth the Ezybox.

Westcott Apollo & Mini-Apollo – Westcott makes two well-designed and highly affordable softboxes for Speedliters – the 28″ x 28″ Apollo and the 16″ x 16″ Mini-Apollo. Both feature a highly-reflective silver interior. In contrast to the Lastolite Ezybox design, which pushes the light from the back straight to the front, the Apollo design places the Speedlite inside the softbox. The advantage is that by facing the Speedlite towards the back of the softbox the light bounces around and emerges as a very even field. The disadvantage is that you cannot fire the Speedlite via Canon’s built-in wireless system as the line-of-sight path is blocked by the softbox. This issue is easily overcome by using an extra-long E-TTL cord or by radio triggers. If you have a multi-Speedlite bracket, like the Lastolite Tri-Flash, you can mount several Speedlites in the larger Apollo. With an extra-long E-TTL cord, you can fire the Master and Slaves together inside the Apollo. Unlike the Ezybox, the Westcott softboxes have to be assembled from several parts. It does not take long.

Chimera Speedlite Speedring - I’ve used Chimera softboxes with my studio strobes for over a 15 years. They are the industry standard for design and quality. So naturally, I went looking for a way to use the smaller Chimera softboxes, like the 12″ x 16″ Mini Bank (flush front, no inner baffle) and the 16″ x 22″ Super Pro Plus (recessed & removable front, inner baffle) with my Speedlites. The 2795 Speedring, with the included drop-bracket and coldshoe, work just fine with a 580-series Speedlites. The 2790 Speedring is the one to use with 430-series.

Chimera Super Pro Plus Softboxes – Chimera’s Super Pro Plus softboxes have been a fixture in my gear bag for years. They are pro-grade and beautifully designed. The fronts are recessed; enabling you to control the placement of the edge of light (“feather”). The fronts are also removable–very handy if you decide to add or change a gel. There is also an inner diffuser that can be removed. Interiors are either white or silver (I prefer silver). With the correct speedring and bracket, they can be used with Speedlites. The sizes that are most suitable for SPeedliting are XXS 12″ x 16″,  XS 16″ x 22″, and S 24″ x 32″. If you think that you’ll ever move up to studio strobes some day, you won’t be disappointed that you invested in Chimera softboxes.

Photoflex LiteDome XS Kit – This is another great value in a softbox and Speedlite bracket. It’s a basic design: 12″ x 16″, flush, non-removable front and lacks an interior baffle. Putting a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce on your Speedlite will provide a bit of extra diffusion. The included bracket adjusts both vertically and front/back so that it will fit virtually any Speedlite or other small flash. Again, this is a value unit. In the long run, you’ll be happier with the extra control that a recessed front provides. Yet, if you’re starting out and on a budget, you’ll be well served by the LiteDome XS.

Photoflex OctoDome XNT Kit – The Photoflex OctoDome is a softbox with which you can make seriously creative (or is the creatively serious?) photographs. The benefit of hexagonal and octagonal softboxes is that the lack of corners allows for greater fall-off. The is a well-design box that features a removable front, inner baffle and silver lining. The included bracket adjusts both vertically and front/back so that it will fit virtually any Speedlite or other small flash. Measures 18″ x 18″. An eggcrate grid made of nylon webbing is available separately.

FourSquare Softbox – True confession: I bought a FourSquare within five minutes of seeing it online for the first time. This is a softbox designed specifically for shooting multiple Speedlites (as in up to four). Now to fire multiple Speedlites simultaneously while they are hiding inside a softbox you need to either: use a radio trigger or run a cord into the box. Since Canon Speedlites do not have optical slave eyes built-in, if you go with a radio trigger, you’ll either have to haveone for each Speedlite or use splitters. My preference is to run an extra-long E-TTL cable in to one unit and have it control the other Speedlites via Canon’s built-in circuitry. (Remember, there’s a difference between an optical slave eye, which fires the flash when it sees a burst of light, and Canon’s wireless E-TTL technology, in which a master unit communicates instructions from the camera to slave/remote units.) At the hub of the FourSquare is a highly engineered block of anodized aluminum. In addition to spots for four Speedlites, it is drilled to accomodate two umbrellas. For instance, you could forgoe the softbox and fire the Speedlites into a silbver umbrella that’s clam-shelled with a shoot-through umbrella. Cool! The FourSquare is beautifully built and packs down into an easy-to-stow 18″-long stuff sack. It’s the most expensive softbox I own for Speedliting, but worth every penny.