First time using a DIY macro flash diffuser

[StephenM (Stephen)]

Hi all,

I've been playing around with a simple macro flash diffuser for the last week. It's basically just a white plastic plate attached to the lens hood. Despite being simple, it provides nicer light than the naked flash setup that I've been using for the last year and a bit.

Here's a few images taken using it.

Cheers,
Stephen

[StephenM (Stephen)]

And here are a couple of shots of the setup:

[astroboy]

Great shots Stephan , your diffuser works very well , not only does it cost nothing but when the photography's finished you can eat your dinner of it

Zane

[Dennis]

A very nice set with lovely lighting Stephen, just avoid bumping the foliage with the diffuser!

Cheers

Dennis

[ourkind (Carlos)]

Excellent work Stephen those shots are great!

[StephenM (Stephen)]

Thanks very much Zane, Dennis and Carlos!

The large diffuser does make a bit harder to sneak up on the subject, but the improved lighting quality makes it worthwhile.

Cheers,
Stephen

[lacad01 (Adam)]

Great simple setup Stephen and you can see the results with the distribution of light, a lot less harsh than direct flash
I guess with the large obtrusion, have to be careful about not brushing it against folliage and the like...

[astro_south (Andrew)]

These look great Stephen. 'Smoothing' out the light improves macros to no end! I see lots more experimentation ahead for you ... maybe trying different plate sizes (especially if you find it scaring away the critters), and maybe different materials / thicknesses - such as plastic from milk bottles. Thanks for letting us know your method and showing the great results

[pw (Peter)]

It's the size of the light source that makes this successful, a large source close to the subject creates a softer light and less dense shadows.

[troypiggo (Troy)]

Awesome mate. It's all about the light. I don't think I've been able to get the same nice soft light with my MT24EX as I was getting with speedlite and a 3 litre milk bottle!

[rcheshire (Rowland)]

Simple but effective. Great idea.