After buying a good camera and lens, many photographers feel the need to purchase additional light sources. That is - outbreaks. Since the on-camera flash of even the most modern SLR cameras has very serious drawbacks: it does not allow you to adjust the direction and intensity of the light, it does not give room for creativity. External flashes are good in every way. They are compact, in the nature of light and temperature similar to sunlight, allow you to adjust the power. When choosing the first flash, you should pay attention to models with a rotary head. And, of course, you'll need a flash diffuser. It allows you to control the distribution of light. Note that the larger the area the working surface of the diffuser has, the softer the light will be. For ease of use, you will need a mobile design that does not take up much space and will be easy to fold out. Consider how you can make a diffuser for a flash with your own hands.
Source materials
For work you will need a thin A4 stationery folder made of flexible and dense white plastic, as well as a textile Velcro about two centimeters wide with an adhesive layer. You can buy it at a store selling curtains or curtain rods. You will need only 25-30 cm. And, of course, you should stock up with scissors, a ruler, a pencil, paper.
Diffuser "burdock"
Such a flash diffuser is very simple. A trapezoid of approximately the following sizes is drawn on a sheet of paper: narrow side - 65 mm, wide side - 160 mm, height - 125 mm. If you wish, you can change the size (depending on the flash model and your requirements). The side of the Velcro with hooks is glued from below to the “burdock”. The soft side of the Velcro is attached to the flash around the perimeter from all sides. This will make it possible to mount a home-made diffuser in any position. Note that before gluing the Velcro should degrease the surface with alcohol. Aggressive solvents are best avoided, as they can ruin the plastic. With all its external simplicity, such a diffuser for flash gives great scope for creativity. You can easily bend the structure and position it in various positions. This will allow you to direct the light not only into the ceiling, but also forward, to the side, at an angle (without fear of getting a hard light and completely "kill" the black and white pattern on the faces of the models).
Bouncer Diffuser
If there is no wall or ceiling nearby to diffuse light, you will need a more complex reflector design. For example, it can be a “bouncer”, which looks as follows.
Such a reflector is less flexible, but it will become indispensable if there are no surfaces for reflection, where it would be possible to direct a stream of light. Note that the lens for a Canon or Nikon flash does not , in fact, differ from each other. The design is quite easy to fold and fits easily into the pocket of the bag. Fastening is carried out using the same Velcro. Therefore (depending on the shooting conditions) you can use a diffuser for a bouncer or burst type flash.