Gary Fong's Lightsphere Info.

Hello. I have been studying photography for a short while (about 6

months). I recently purchased a 20D. In short, a friend asked me on

very short notice to photography their wedding. They are close to 70

years old and on a fairly tight budget. A professional photographer

was ruled out. I volunteered to do it without cost to them-just for

the practice. Basically their situation calls for me or no

photographer at all. The wedding is on the 19th and will be a family

only ceremony. I am renting a canon 550EX and have never used a

speedlite. I am considering purchasing a lightsphere; I really like

some of the photos I have seen. My question is to those of you who

have used these. Any information would be helpful. Do you prefer to

bounce the flash? What if the environment is not conducive to this?

What are the results with direct flash? How is it used with vertical

shots? I would like to just mount it directly on the hotshoe. Also,

was the company slow in delivery? I will need in less than 2 weeks!

Does anyone have a contact phone number for this company? I was only

able to find and email to Gary Fong and I don't really have high

hopes that he will answer my email. Thanks in advance and sorry to

ramble. I know I am in deep with this wedding, but hope to at least

capture some good images for them. Kristen

<a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=Lightsphere%20site%3Aphoto.net">http://www.google.com/search?q=Lightsphere%20site%3Aphoto.net</a>

Kristen, my LS was late in arriving. However, Gary Fong was very responsive to my emails, so I think you should go ahead & try to email him. Whether or not you'd have one by the wedding date is another question...

On his website, there is mention of an online tutorial for this product, but I couldnt find a link to it. Do you only get the link after you buy it? I'd like to look through it and get more info on practical uses for this. I may be shooting my first wedding (for a close friend) in a huge train station, so no walls or ceilings to bounce off of, and I'm looking for a good diffusor.

Joe,

 

Someone gave me this link:

http://digitalphotographers.net/LSG

 

Kristen

Am I missing something here? If you remove the dome (as recommended) for everything except low ceilings, how is this thing diffusing the light? Wouldn't it just shoot straight through it? There is nothing to reflect it out the sides, you're just putting the flash through a tube. Maybe I'm just stupid..

The light from the flash spreads out and light does come through the sides even with the cap off. The photographer at the Bat Mitzvah that I was at the past weekend was using the Lightsphere, and the whole thing "lights up" with, or without, the cap.

Yes, I am having difficulty with that concept too. Maybe someone out there who has used it can tell us whether they prefer to use it with the dome on. Does it diffuse well with the dome off? I can't imagine how it would let enough light fall on the subject when there are high ceilings.

Ask this question in the Wedding Forum and you'll possibly get some answers from people who have used these units at weddings.