What exactly is bare bulb flash?

I've seen reference made to "bare bulb" flash. Is that as the name

suggests, simply a strobe with no modifier?

yes. No reflector around the flash tube assembly or other modifier.

With a little experimentation,they can be used to obtain real pleasing results!Especially indoors where the light can bounce about,and "wrap" around the subject from various angles.Outdoors,with round reflectors the light from these is said to be less harsh,and softer than from a conventional sealed,rectangular reflectored flash.For off camera flash work ,or as a 2nd light,they work wonders as well.

John-- It should also be clarified that, with certain exceptions, battery-powered strobe heads are not considered "bare bulb." The exceptions are special adapters heads for some strobes that have a long, thin glass tube sticking directly up from the flash unit (it looks like an inverted test tube with the flash tube inside of it).

 

Bare bulb flash is usualy used with the flash head sticking straight up. As as been mentioned, you can often achieve very pleasing results with this type of flash, as much of the light bounces off the ceiling and around the room for a softening effect, and since it is not focused or directed at all the direct portion of the light is as close to perfectly even as you can get.

 

Happy shooting. -BC-

I use bare bulb flash reasonably frequently. Mainly Quantum units but the principle's the same whatever the brand. Outdoors bare bulb's a complete waste of time, there's nothing for the scattered light to bounce off so all you get is a much diminished flash output and extended recycling times.

 

In a large hall it's pretty much the same story. And in a smaller room with coloured walls then bare bulb guarantees uncorrectable colour casts.

 

Where it comes into it's own is medium to small rooms with nuetral paint schemes. Under these circumstances there's a sweet spot where the distance between the bare bulb flash and the subject perfectly balances with the fill-in light from the flash bouncing off the walls, and you get easy, flattering flash portraits. As a rough rule of thumb you tend to be in the sweet zone when you're about eight to twelve feet from the subject.

I usually find bare bulb (no reflector) kind of harsh, but maybe I haven't found the "sweet spot." Gary, could you or others who have had success with bare bulb post a few sample shots that you think worked well?

"I usually find bare bulb (no reflector) kind of harsh, but maybe I haven't found the "sweet spot."

 

If the result's are harsh then either you're too close or the room's too big. These are the only variables. Just as common as "too harsh" is "too soft".

 

Back up away from your subject in a small room and you're quite likely to get too soft. Especially if you're in a corner where the walls and ceilling behind you act like a huge umbrella. In fact Quantum units have an accessory that's a tiny stub reflector for bare-bulb, swivel this so it obscures direct illumination and if you're in the corner then you genuinely are using a giant umbrella!

No, no, no. You've got it all wrong.

 

This is a "bare bulb flash"<div></div>

Thanks, Gary. I've probably just been too close when I've tried it. Maybe I'll experiment with barebulb and a longer lens.