Maplin Light Box?

[Jim Ford]

Thinking it would be useful for the macro wildflower shots I take, I thought the 'Maplin Light Studio' may help diffuse the light from a flash and shelter against wind rock. Having bought one, I'm at a loss as to the best way to use it - it's not immediately obvious.

Does anyone use the Maplin Light Studio?

Portable Soft Lighting Studio > Maplin

(For those interested, you can see it's now considerably reduced in price.)

Jim

[Tormentil]

One normally places the object to be photographed in the box. Unless you're gonna cut or dig up your specimens, it would seem a might difficult to use out doors.

Would a reflector such as Lastolite make, suit you better?

[DavyG]

I have one of these and use it occasionally, but only indoors.

It's useful for photographing flowers and small objects.

I tend to either use flash or additional lighting in the form of two small lamps, it works well.

Dave

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Tormentil

Would a reflector such as Lastolite make, suit you better?

Yes, I'm currently using a 'clone' from ebay. It works fine, but can be a bit awkward to handle in the wind!

Jim

[Hobjob]

Check the lists for "Lambency diffuser"

This should sort things out, though try for natural light whenever possible.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Hobjob

Check the lists for "Lambency diffuser"

Yes, the Garry Fong "Lightsphere" clone at a fraction of the price. I bought one of ebay some time ago, but have never used it. It's a bit bit clumsy and doesn't have a very convincing look about it.

This should sort things out, though try for natural light whenever possible.

I do try to use natural light, it's really the only way to guarantee a natural look. Unfortunately 'wind rock' can be a major problem on tall thin plants in exposed places. I sometimes try to support them with stems of dried grass, which helps a bit.

Jim