How to achieve such a warm/shiny flash?

[b_l7]

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I have the problem, that I'm usually not satisfied with flashed images. The colors are too cold and too shallow.<br /> Here is a typical picture, what I mean (not my own): <a href="http://imageshack.us/a/img15/129/1jyj.png">link</a></p>

<p>I'm looking for a solution, how I can achieve a warm and voluminous flash like on the following two images:<br /> <a href="http://imageshack.us/a/img22/6772/p8or.jpg">link 1</a> <a href="http://imageshack.us/a/img13/2571/6qff.jpg">link 2</a><br /> I'm pretty sure that no gel were used. There must be something else, that makes the flash so shiny and warm and so different as the usual flashed images like the first link.</p>

<p>Who can help me? Thanks in advance!!!</p>

[sgust]

<p>I'm no flash expert, not by a long shot. But, the warmth your asking about seems to be nothing more that adjusting your white balance setting. As for the shininess your referring to, I'm not sure what you mean. But if you referring to getting reflected highlights then it would seem to me you need make your subjects more reflective, for example wet/moist surfaces tend to reflect more, in other words are shinier.<br>

I'm sure more experienced people will correct me if I'm wrong.</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

White balance, white balance, white balance.

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>+1 to Siegfried's and Ellis's answers. It's called getting your White Balance right. Regardless of what various makers' specifications might tell you, electronic flash is <strong>not</strong> the same CT as daylight. It's nearly always a lot cooler (bluer) and either needs filtering down or an adjustment of WB. Best result is usually got by taking a custom white balance using the flash and a simple sheet of white copier paper.</p>

<p>Shininess, or specular skin reflection, is something that a lot of photographers try to avoid, since it makes the subject look sweaty or greasy. It's exaggerated by using a small hard light close to the lens, such as the lazy on-camera flash obviously used in your examples. Quite honestly, you should be able to get much the same look with any cheap compact digital camera, since most of them adjust their white balance to match the flash automatically as soon as the flash is popped up or turned on. Then all you need to do is remove the redeye in post!</p>

[igord]

<p>Just add red and yellow color in photoshop.</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

The shines is also makeup.

[b_l7]

<p>Thanks for all the helpful answers! <br>

Will try to implement it, even if it could be difficult to get such a small and hard flash for my Pentax 67, as it is installed on the 35mm compact cameras.</p>

[luis_modesti]

<p>Here is another better way to add dimension to your pictures. Get the flash off the camera. You have it on the camera hotshoe. This is a big subject so try researching around those words. You will need to do a small investment.</p>

 

[sgust]

<p>If your trying to get that hard light look with a flash that is diffusing the light too much, I would imagine you could make a cheap "filter" that would only allow light traveling in a more or less parallel direction and absorb the rest.</p>

<ol>

<li>Take a piece of corrugated cardboard, the kind they make boxes out of, and cut it to a width that will wrap around the head of your flash. Get it close, but over size. Then trim it so the ends meet when wrapped around your flash head so it looks like a snoot on your flash. Make sure the direction of the corugation is working with you, not against you.</li>

<li>The length will be up to you but I'm thinking about 1" longer than your flash head. Put it aside.</li>

<li>Cut some drinking straws to 1" length. Make enough to fill the tube created by the cardboard wrapped around the flash head.</li>

<li>Wrap the cardboard around the flash head and wrap a couple rubber bands around that to keep it there.</li>

<li>Fill the area in front of the flash with the cut straws, make it a little snug.</li>

<li>Wrap cheap masking tape, it sticks better than the expensive stuff and is paintable, around the outside of the whole thing. Keep the tape tight so that it gives the whole thing a bit of strength.</li>

<li>Dab some drops of super glue where the cut straws touch each other and the cardboard. Let it dry.</li>

<li>Try it out.</li>

</ol>

<p>It should restrict the flash from diffusing pretty strongly. Spray painting the inside of the straws matte black will increase it's affect by reducing their reflectiveness. If the affect is too strong you can trim the straws, the shorter they are the less they restrict the light.<br>

I'm a big fan of DIY projects. But if your not, I've seen a product similar to what I'm describing that is essentially a honeycomb shaped grill that you mount in front of your flash.</p>

[sgust]

<p>I wanted to give you a link to one for sale and found <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJl3GerKfsg">this video</a></strong> of someone making something very similar to what I described. Check it out if my directions didn't make much sense.</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

It isn't difficult to get the flash down close to the lens.easiest off the shelf way is with this: Custom Brackets CB Mini-Rc

Angled Camera-Flash Platform

 

I learned about from Terry Richardson. Well not Terry himself, but a photo of him using one.