How to Use Dome Diffuser to Eliminate Shadows and Harsh Light
A Guest Post by PhotographersOnUTube.
One question I frequently get asked is how to get rid of shadows in the picture when the subject is close to a wall?
Well, it depends on if the shadow is being created due to a specific angle of the speed light or you’re using some sort of a flash diffuser. A lot of photographers assume that the omni dome diffuser you get with your speed light is essential to making the light softer, which is not always true.
In most cases that dome diffuser is used to spread the light in a very challenging lighting situation when you can’t bounce anything off the ceiling or walls. The plastic diffuser helps you project the light forward and in all direction to illuminate your subject. But what if you are able to bounce the light off the ceiling without any difficulty? In a situation like this, omni dome diffuser can create shadows behind your subject and in some cases the light rather looks harsh and unflattering.
In the sample pictures (above) you’ll notice shadows behind the subject and the flash on the subject’s face is not very soft. This was taken with a dome diffuser that comes with most speed light these days.
In the next picture you’ll notice that the shadows are gone and the light becomes much softer. I simply removed the diffuser and bounced the light straight off the ceiling. It was a 20 foot ceiling and I had no problem creating soft light.
Take a look at some other sample pictures where my subject is very close to the wall but there are no shadows simply because I did not use dome diffuser which helped me eliminate any shadows and harsh light.
If I were in a situation where the ceiling was of a very dark color and too high to bounce the light off, then I would use the dome diffuser to bail me out, but for the most part you can create beautiful light without the diffuser.
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8 Responses to “How to Use Dome Diffuser to Eliminate Shadows and Harsh Light” - Add Yours
February 9th, 2012 at 8:01 am
Ok, let me sum this up:
You name this article “How to use dome diffuser” and your tip is “Don’t use a dome diffusor”.
Makes sense. Any more wisdom to share?
February 9th, 2012 at 8:11 am
Nearly free DIY which fits most flashes perfectly and looks/works just like the one above:
Take an Isopropyl rubbing alcohol bottle, cut to match the size of the end of the flash and slide on. Works great.
February 9th, 2012 at 9:38 am
Agreed with “Trent”. Hehe.
Good advice, but misleading title.
February 9th, 2012 at 11:41 am
Great article and illustration. Now I know when to and when not to use the dome diffuser. Thanks for sharing.
February 9th, 2012 at 11:49 am
I always use my Gary Fong light cloud, it never leaves my flash.
February 9th, 2012 at 6:24 pm
Even if I am for the most part an automotive and motorsports photographer,
Note that I do car photography for http://CustomPinoyRides.com
I am a heavy user of off-camera flash. So in a way, I could have my say on what I think the dome diffuser is actually for. The reason why the dome diffuser is shaped that way is not necessarily to diffuse the light or make it softer, it was actually designed to emulate a “bulb”, where the light spreads in all directions. I use this type of light to illuminate the scenery during my shoots, depending on how I want the background to look like.
If you want to eliminate harsh light, then what you need is soft light. To create soft light, the rule of thumb is the larger the light source versus the subject, the softer the light.
To eliminate shadows, (though I don’t know why you want to do that because shadows define the subject and give it form, as a shadowless photo will look flat), then what you need is light that is spread evenly and coming from the exact same direction as from where you’re shooting.
So I guess what you’re trying to get at in terms of using the dome diffuser to eliminate shadows and harsh light, is that by using the diffuser, you essentially have a bulb that illuminates your subject as well as the background almost evenly, instead of shooting with no dome diffuser where the flash is directional. To make shooting with the dome diffuser more effective the way you want it to work as you say in this article, you need to be shooting indoors, and bouncing all the light from the “bulb” on the ceiling and walls, thereby illuminating your subject and the background evenly. In essence, your light source now becomes larger because of all the reflected light, thus creating soft light, and it eliminates shadows as it lights the entire frame that you’re shooting.
Just my two cents.
February 9th, 2012 at 7:07 pm
Could you rename the misleading title?
February 10th, 2012 at 1:22 am
it’s all about the size of the light in respect to the subject and a wall or ceiling will always be bigger than any diffuser, i use to use one but almost never do now. i like to bounce of a big wall with a little directional fill from the bounce card.
this also makes the power setting when shooting manualy more forgiving than hitting them directly (inverse square law or something complicated like that). ; )
Nice piece
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