The MagMod Speedlight Modifier – a Review

The MagMod speedlight modifier solves several problems and challenges posed by other systems.

Until now, most speedlight modifiers on the market have been pretty inconvenient to use. I'm not talking about the quality of their output- just the lengths we've had to go in order to attach them to our flashes, and- perhaps more importantly- get them to stay on our speedlights over the course of a photo shoot. If your flash has a permanently attached strip of Velcro, or you have a collection of assorted straps, bands, tapes, attachment accessories, and other DIY solutions for your modifiers, you know what I'm talking about. If you've ever had a gel break, tear, bend, or just blow away in a stiff breeze, you've probably found yourself wishing for something better at least once or twice.

Enter the MagMod system. Made from high-quality silicone rubber, each piece of the MagMod system is compact, easy to attach, and gets the job done with minimal hassle.

The MagGrip

The MagGrip is the foundation of the MagMod system. Designed to fit virtually any hot shoe flash available, the MagGrip fits tightly and securely around the flash head. Despite my best efforts to shake it off or "accidentally" dislodge it from a Nikon SB800, it wouldn't budge. At all. It's easy enough to remove when you want it off, but there's no need to worry about it while on a shoot.

Another key feature of the grip are the two neodymium (rare earth) magnets that hold the actual modifiers in place. I won't bore you with the research I did into the science of these magnets. All you need to know is that they are the strongest type of permanent magnet commercially available, which means they'll do their job without losing any of their magnetism over time.

The MagGrid

The basic purpose of a lighting grid is to give you more control over where the light falls, either on the subject or the background. It can be a useful tool for highlighting the subject, a specific part of the frame, or for creating interesting background effects. The MagGrid attaches magnetically to the grip in pretty much the blink of an eye. With no need for attachment straps or bands, I was able to spend more time on shooting and less on managing the equipment.

The single grid included in the basic kit casts a -40 beam with minimal spill and hot spots. The beam can be narrowed even further by attaching a second or third grid to the first. The grid is made from the same silicone rubber as the grip, which prevents the grid cells from cracking or chipping-a fairly common problem with hard plastic grids.

The images below illustrate how stacking multiple grids affects your ability to concentrate the light precisely where you want it.

The MagGel Kit

Let's face it-gels are awesome, but they are also a pain. They help you fine-tune your lighting, but they are also flimsy, often difficult to attach, and need to be replaced fairly regularly. The rigid sheets of the MagGel Kit, however, are made to last and are held securely in place through tension and friction. They are also stackable, giving you more freedom to create different lighting effects.

The Basic Gel Kit includes one of each of the following:

• Full CTO (Rosco #3407)
• 1/2 CTO (Rosco #3408)
• 1/4 CTO (Rosco #3409)
• 1/2 Blue (Rosco #3204)
• 1/2 Tough Plusgreen (Rosco #3315)
• 1/2 CT Straw (Rosco #3442)
• 3-stop Neutral Density (Rosco E-211)
• Opal Frost Diffuser

Gel sheets from the Basic Gel Kit. The MagGel can hold multiple sheets at once. In this photo, it's holding three warming gels.

The Creative Gel Kit includes one each of the following:

• Purple
• Blue
• Teal
• Green
• Yellow
• Orange
• Red
• Magenta

Probably not the smartest idea to use a speedlight as a refrigerator magnet, but you get an idea of how strong these magnets are.

Wrap-up

Speedlights have become more powerful and versatile than ever before. When combined with a solid grasp of off-camera lighting techniques, speedlights can often narrow the technical and creative gaps between small flashes and their bulky studio counterparts. The MagMod system closes that gap even further, simply by making some of photography's most basic lighting modifiers easier to use. Obviously, it doesn't address every lighting scenario or every type of modifier. While the gel kit does include a diffuser, for instance, it's certainly not going to address the needs of the photographer who relies heavily on softboxes or umbrellas for casting a wide spread of light. It does, however, address some of the most common lighting challenges facing photographers who depend on speedlights to tell their stories.

For more information, check out the MagMod website.

The post The MagMod Speedlight Modifier - a Review by Jeff Guyer appeared first on Digital Photography School.

A Few Tools that You Will Need for Indoor Portraits

When you make the decision to build an indoor studio, you are creating your very own space to do with what you want for portrait photography. Digital photography has certainly helped to minimize the equipment that you will need for portraits. However, this does not change the fact that you will need certain tools to create the most perfect portraits each and every time someone steps into your studio.

grey mottled photographer’s background cloth via Shutterstock

The Portrait Backdrops

One of the most important tools of the indoor studio will be the backdrop. As you will find, any professional photographer will have numerous different backdrops in order to create the perfect setting for the portrait session. Backdrops can create an extremely formal image for a business portrait or even an extremely casual image for children's Easter portraits. Of course, backdrops are not cheap, so you will want to choose them carefully or even consider creating your own.

The solid background can easily be created with seamless paper. The paper is available on rolls of 9 feet or 12 feet in width making them easy to transport. They are also available in numerous different colors providing plenty of opportunities. Of course, there is a downside to paper backgrounds. It takes very little for them to be damaged. One misstep and the paper could end up with a big tear. In addition, the paper is only available in solid colors so you will not be able to create much visual interest. Solid papers are great for modern or basic images.

Linen is a choice that many people make for solid backdrops. These fabric backdrops can be much more cost friendly than the painted backgrounds mentioned below and they are available in various colors. The downside would be that the backdrops can get wrinkled very easily so they will need to be stored properly.

Painted backdrops are often favored in the digital photography world because they offer extreme visual interest and a formal elegance to any indoor portrait. If you choose to purchase one of these backdrops, then you will need to be prepared to shell out some big money for them. Painted backdrops on muslin or canvas can cost upwards of $300 each. Of course, they are extremely durable so you can continue using them for years to come as long as the style does not become obsolete.

If you feel that painted backdrops are out of your digital photography budget, then you can create your own background. You will only need a few simple tools: a large piece of canvas, paint in several colors, and sponges. You can use sponges or other materials to apply the paint in an abstract or swirly cloud look.

The backdrop is not the only digital photography tool that you will need for your indoor portrait. You will also need a way to hold that backdrop up. Backdrop stands can range greatly in price and style. Permanent stands will allow you to set up interchangeable backdrops in your studio on a long term basis. Portable stands fold up for easy travel and they include a bar for the backdrop as well as two tripod like devices as legs for the stand.

Large photostudio with lighting equipment via Shutterstock

The Lighting

For indoor studio portrait photography, you will also need to choose the right lighting. Portrait lighting can vary immensely in price and style so you will need to consider how much you are willing to spend on your studio. One of the most versatile options would be incandescent lighting. This type of lighting will give you a nice overall look. You can count on incandescent lighting to always look the same so you can easily set up your camera exposure and leave it the same throughout the studio session.

However, incandescent lighting is not always the optimal option since it can be harsh and glaring. Because incandescent is often more red in color than flash lighting, you will need to consider changing the white balance on your camera to compensate.

Photostudio equipment via Shutterstock

Other Helpful Studio Tools

Thankfully, there are so many advancements in digital photography that you will find a wide variety of tools available to use in your studio. You can fine tune each image that you take to look exactly perfect to capture the image and the personality of the subject. Here are a few of the tools, or gadgets so to speak, that you could make use of in your studio.

Reflectors are actually a helpful tool indoors or outdoors. These reflectors can be used to bounce light from one source to another area. This is a good way to get even illumination without harsh shadows. Reflectors are usually made of Mylar or foam board with an aluminum cover.

When it comes to portrait photography, especially of women and children, you will definitely want to consider diffusers. These diffusers, which fit over flash lighting, will create a softer effect that can provide even skin tones and an avoidance of harsh light.

Umbrellas are often used in studio digital photography. These umbrellas, which are usually made of either a sheer or a reflective material, are design to help trap and diffuse light. Normal umbrellas work to keep the rain out while the studio umbrellas are made to keep light in.

Barn doors are a specialty tool that is used to direct lighting specifically. If you are trying to create dramatic shadows in an image, these small devices can help to do just that by directing the light in the path that you want it to go.

When you make the decision to build your indoor studio, you will want to take special care to choose the right tools for perfect digital photography of people. Of course, the camera will be an important tool, but you will also need backdrops, lighting essentials and other helpful tools and gadgets. With the right tools, you can create portraits that will truly capture the image of each person you choose to photograph and you can do so in the most pleasing manner.

Top feature image man and woman in a modern photo studio via Shutterstock

Fro Knows Photo Beginner Flash Guide – Review

It's a little past 4:00 a.m. and I just finished watching all three hours of the just-released Fro Knows Photo Beginner Flash Guide. A lot of photography-related books and videos come across my desk, and my favorites are always those that have something to offer not only the beginner, but the advanced photographer as well. This is absolutely one of them. In this follow-up video to his Fro Knows Photo Beginner Guide, Jared Polin (the aforementioned Fro) leads you on an off-camera flash adventure, taking you from hopelessly intimidated to supremely confident in a style all his own. Not bad for a three-hour tour. With expert assistance from friend and professional photographer Adam Lerner, viewers have a front-row seat to everything from breaking down the contents of an affordable-but-effective light kit, to a behind-the-scenes look at six professional-grade photo shoots, all lit with a single speedlight and a convertible umbrella.

The Beginner Flash Guide starts literally from the ground up, planting a light stand firmly on the floor and explaining not only the contents of the light kit, but how those five or six pieces all work together to achieve professional-quality lighting without breaking the bank. Jared launched FroKnowsPhoto.com in 2010- a brand and a website that quickly became synonymous with making advanced photography techniques accessible not only to professional photographers, but also to beginners, hobbyists, and enthusiasts. The Beginner Flash Guide maintains and elevates that educational philosophy, taking what can be the confusing language and landscape of photographic lighting, and essentially handing the viewer a dictionary and a road map.

Among the nuts and bolts laid out are: The Lighting Kit Explained, Four Ways to Trigger Your Flash, Flash-to-Subject Distance, How Shutter Speed Affects Ambient Light, Understanding Flash Zoom, and Quality of Light. Plus, thirteen "Quick Tips" interspersed throughout the lessons cover some minor and some not-so-minor details on topics ranging from which rechargeable batteries you should use (lithium) to how best to interact with your subject. Word to the wise- make sure you take notes- they'll make retaining and applying the information to your own photography much easier. An additional, non-video element is the included Flash Photography Field Guide- a six-page PDF designed to be printed and tucked away in your camera bag for quick, easy reference. The field guide does a great job of summarizing the basics covered in the videos, as well as offering suggestions for overcoming some real-world lighting challenges.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a mentor or someone to show them the ropes when they are first trying to learn this stuff. The BFG can and will fill that void. But even if you already have a firm grasp of off-camera flash principles- or just need a refresher- the lessons in this video guide can enhance and build upon what you already know. There will always be trial and error when it comes to learning and experimenting with photographic lighting. The Beginner Flash Guide, though, can help you minimize the error.

Get your copy of the Fro Knows Photo Beginner Flash Guide here.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Fro Knows Photo Beginner Flash Guide - Review

The post Fro Knows Photo Beginner Flash Guide - Review by Jeff Guyer appeared first on Digital Photography School.