Controlling Your Light to Add Drama

If you want to add some serious drama and interest to your flash images, one of the quickest ways to get there is to limit the amount and shape of the light that hits your subject. By lighting only part of your subject, it puts part of your subject into the shadows, and although this is a fairly common technique using full-blown studio lighting, ExpoImaging has come up with their own inexpensive, lightweight light modifiers for shoe-mount flashes like the Nikon SB-900 and Canon 580EX. They’re called Rogue FlashBenders and I just love ’em. They’ve got a 10″ snoot that acts like a funnel for light—concentrating it in just one area—it fits right over your flash head (as seen above) and is secured with a little ring of velcro. The snoot sells for around $39.95 at B&H Photo.