Diffuser Archives — Westcott University https://westcottu.com/topic/diffuser Lighting Education for Photographers and Filmmakers Tue, 21 Mar 2023 20:11:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://westcottu.com/wp-content/uploads/icon-university.png Diffuser Archives — Westcott University https://westcottu.com/topic/diffuser 32 32 Controlling Harsh Sunlight for Glamorous Beach Portraits https://westcottu.com/natural-light-beach-portraits Wed, 29 Mar 2017 21:05:30 +0000 https://westcottu.com/?p=149978 Beaches are a common location choice for photo shoots. They’re beautiful, accessible, and offer plenty of sunlight. Sometimes, a little too much sunlight. In locations like this, many photographers default to dragging their expensive studio lights out on location in an attempt to overpower the sun. However, modifying available light is a much more cost […]

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]]> 149978 The Basics of Off-Camera Flash for Portraits https://westcottu.com/off-camera-flash-basics Tue, 30 Aug 2016 16:26:37 +0000 https://westcottu.com/?p=148813 Oregon-based senior portrait photographer Alycia White created this tutorial to help budding photographers make the transition to off-camera flash. By modifying a single off-camera speedlite, you can open up the door to professional, properly exposed portraits both indoors and outdoors. In this video, Alycia is modifying her off-camera flash with the cost-effective and easy-to-use . Designed by […]

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]]> 148813 On Location with the Rapid Box Beauty Dish https://westcottu.com/on-location-beauty-dish Sun, 21 Aug 2016 23:21:41 +0000 https://westcottu.com/?p=148762 This shoot in Sayville, N.Y., involved a last-minute location change. Lauren (the subject) is a chef and owner of a catering hall and market and she was participating in a farm-to-table style fundraiser in Patchogue Village, where I live on Long Island. I had volunteered my services, taking photos of each of the five chefs […]

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]]> 148762 The Essential Guide to Photo Reflectors https://westcottu.com/photo-reflectors-guide https://westcottu.com/photo-reflectors-guide#comments Fri, 19 Aug 2016 20:49:17 +0000 https://westcottu.com/?p=148703 Reflectors are the most basic and essential lighting tool for photographers. In this in-depth guide, Team Westcott discusses the basics of photo reflectors, fabric colors and sizes, and when to use them. Reflectors give photographers the ability to reflect, block, and soften both available light (typically sunlight) and artificial light (strobes, continuous lights, or speedlights). They are ultra-portable […]

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]]> https://westcottu.com/photo-reflectors-guide/feed 1 148703 Balancing Sunlight with the LunaGrip https://westcottu.com/balancing-sunlight-with-the-lunagrip Wed, 06 Apr 2016 17:01:44 +0000 https://westcottu.com/?p=148308 In the lesson above, photographer and educator Kevin Kubota uses the new  to capture beautiful senior portraits outdoors. When shooting outside on bright days, artificial lighting is necessary to properly expose your subject and background. By utilizing a speedlight as your key light source you can then utilize the sun as a hair light. Although this may be […]

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]]> 148308 Inspiringly Easy High School Senior Portraits https://westcottu.com/easy-high-school-senior-portraits Thu, 08 Oct 2015 20:26:46 +0000 https://westcottu.com/?p=147915 Westcott Top Pro photographer Kevin Kubota heads to a park near Westcott HQ to capture effortless high school senior portraits with the speedlite modifier. Designed by Kubota, the LunaGrip is a unique grip that allows photographers to pair their speedlite and favorite diffusion disc. The LunaGrip creates beautiful but manageable lighting. This handheld bracket features an adjustable shoe-mount, […]

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]]> 147915 The Essentials of Motivated Lighting for Cinematography https://westcottu.com/the-essentials-of-motivated-lighting-for-cinematography https://westcottu.com/the-essentials-of-motivated-lighting-for-cinematography#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2015 13:32:03 +0000 https://westcottu.com/?p=147649 In his second part of the ‘Storytelling with Cinematography’ series, DSLRguide‘s Simon Cade focuses on the way that filmmakers can use lighting to tell a story. He takes a deeper look at the different aspects of lighting, and how they affect an audience. Lighting Setup 1 Here I used just one light, an LED, and literally […]

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]]> https://westcottu.com/the-essentials-of-motivated-lighting-for-cinematography/feed 1 147649 Softening Sunlight with Collapsible Diffusers https://westcottu.com/using-the-omega-reflector-as-a-diffuser Fri, 24 Apr 2015 17:52:08 +0000 https://westcottu.com/?p=146992 In this article, world-renowned photographer Jerry Ghionis demonstrates cool ways to use the inner diffuser panel of the recently redesigned . This panel is an essential tool when shooting outdoors to diffuse harsh sunlight and can also be used indoors to soften harsh or bright window lighting. A suction cup hook is included with the Omega Reflector […]

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]]> 146992 Modern Pin-Up Photography https://westcottu.com/modern-pin-up-photography Thu, 23 Apr 2015 17:48:34 +0000 https://westcottu.com/?p=146920 The shoot starts with the Yaphank Garage, a restored 1930’s-era gas and service station that these days is a museum. It’s about 15 minutes from my home in Long Island, New York, and I pass it countless times, each time thinking, I’ve got to do a shoot here.          I get my chance this past summer […]

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]]> 146920 Modifying a Key Light on a Budget https://westcottu.com/modifying-a-key-light-on-a-budget Thu, 23 Apr 2015 14:55:32 +0000 https://westcottu.com/?p=146912 Canadian portrait photographer Craig Beckta used a wraparound key light setup for this portrait. While it can often be expensive to create large key light source in-studio, Craig decided to use an affordable Westcott 7′ Parabolic Umbrella. These large modifiers are available in reflective white, reflective silver, white shoot-through versions. Here, Craig uses the reflective silver umbrella. […]

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]]> 146912 How To Balance Daylight On-The-Go https://westcottu.com/how-to-balance-daylight-on-the-go Thu, 23 Apr 2015 14:07:05 +0000 https://westcottu.com/?p=146880 When photographing children outside, it is often hard balancing daylight midday. Children are constantly on-the-go, making it hard to place typical modifiers and light stands in a single place. To fill in shadows quickly and easily, an on-camera flash and softbox is usually the best option. Using a flash will work to fill in the […]

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]]> 146880 Creating Soft Cross-Lighting with Joel Grimes https://westcottu.com/creating-soft-cross-lighting-joel-grimes Mon, 22 Dec 2014 16:39:50 +0000 https://westcottu.com/?p=142776 Successful commercial photographer Joel Grimes is known for creating dramatic lighting setups for eye-catching portraits. One of Joel’s go-to setups is soft cross-lighting. Cross-lighting is created by bouncing a large light source off of a large reflector or wall. To create an ultra-soft version of typical cross-lighting, Joel utilizes a large 7′ Parabolic Umbrella with […]

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]]> 142776 Diffusing Harsh Sunlight with Clay Cook https://westcottu.com/diffusing-harsh-sunlight Thu, 27 Mar 2014 20:28:51 +0000 https://westcottu.com/?p=140301 This article is courtesy of Louisville-based fashion photographer Clay Cook. I’ve been there, standing in the middle of a field on a hot day with a scorching sun, mulling back and forth on how to capture a quality shot. In the back of my mind, I’m wishing for some cloud cover or an overcast sky […]

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]]> 140301 Bruce Dorn: Portraits with Speedlites (Part 5) https://westcottu.com/bruce-dorn-on-speedlites-5 Tue, 23 Oct 2012 09:05:16 +0000 http://fjwestcott.com/?p=123669 Explorer of Light and Westcott Top Pro Elite Bruce Dorn has been teaching Speedlite techniques around the country for years through Canon Live Learning and his own workshops. With the Canon Digital Learning Center’s exclusive tutorials series on Environmental Portraits with Speedlites, now an even larger amount of photographers can watch and learn. The series was designed […]

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]]> 123669 Diffuse Light and Alter Light using the Scrim Jim https://westcottu.com/diffuse-light-and-alter-light-using-the-scrim-jim Wed, 29 Aug 2012 14:16:30 +0000 http://fjwestcott.com/?p=123164 Erik Valind, Professional Photographer and Westcott Top Pro, talks about his favorite product—the Westcott Scrim Jim. He walks you through how he uses each of the Scrim Jim panels to diffuse light and alter light in his shoots. The Scrim Jim allows photographers to use diffusion panels, reflectors, black blocks and even black netting to […]

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]]> 123164 Scrim Jim: Thinking Outside the Box https://westcottu.com/thinking-outside-the-box-with-scrim-jim Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:11:00 +0000 http://fjwestcott.com/?p=122853 The Scrim Jim: Like a Swiss Army Knife When talking about different lighting modifiers I like to point out the basic features and benefits of each. Equally important though, is the outside of the box thinking that allows us to apply these tools differently to fit each scene. After all there is no wrong way […]

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]]> 122853 Comparing Large vs. Small Photo Umbrellas https://westcottu.com/large-vs-small-photographic-umbrellas Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:02:39 +0000 http://fjwestcott.com/?p=122779 Photographic umbrellas come in so many sizes nowadays, perhaps even more so than the common rain variety. Let’s set aside those and the for a moment and discuss some key differences and techniques, when selecting and shooting with the versatile photo umbrella. Benefits of Each Small Umbrella Easier to fit on tight sets or locations […]

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