flat or rounded images

[davidhampshire]

thanks for all the input,   pacerr,  frogfish,  spy,  and of course ,  you,  ron;      gonna take me a while to get this flash stuff down.

dave 

[Ron Kruger]

I understand your waving middle finger, buddy. I've seen it before. Right back at ya.
Seriously, I suppose holding a finger in front of the flash would cut the output and probably would cut direct glare and might be useful in some situations, but for most fill situations, the pop-up needs more power, not less, and nothing I've used, including your milk jug, softens and spreads light like a real diffuser.
I've become a devoted fan of fill-flash, because of the dramatic effect it gives, which can't be matched with any other method I know. The idea is to increase the power well beyond the capability of the pop-up, which is decreased slightly and softened by the diffuser, while at the same time, the distance of the reach is shortened by stopping down in AV mode. This concentrates the light on the foreground object, creating a 3D speration, while maintaining enough ambiant light and DOF on the background to maintain background detail. Actually, easier to do than to explain.
Even though I'm poor at math, I've always had an innate understanding of physics. Just try the little experiement I explained to David. Once you play around with it a bit, you develop an understanding of the f-stop/flash output/subject distance relationship according the ambiant light. I can usually get within one stop, or right on, with the first exposure. Some final tweaking in PP of 1/3 stop and sometimes a slight adjustment of shadows/highlights really makes it pop.

[Pacerr]

. . . close-up situation . . .

Different scenario, different intent, different approach. Gotta do sumthun with those empty milk jugs.

I understand your waving middle finger, buddy. . . . Right back at ya.

Uhh? ? ?

H2

[blackcloudbrew]

Gentlemen, do I - as an administrator god - have to step in between you two? This finger waving business is getting me concerned.

Earl

[Ron Kruger]

It's all in fun, Tim.

[blackcloudbrew]

Really! I'm so surprised to hear that!

[Pacerr]

Really!

Yeah, ya had to be there with that smelly fish to understand. 

But yur right, we ought'a carry on like that back-channel. Sorry.

H2

[blackcloudbrew]

Ok, I was mostly teasing but it was beginning to seem like it was headed towards a bit outa control.

[davidhampshire]

they take over my posts,   bcb !