Isn't the Lightscoop limited to indoor use, I've been asked... Yes. It's a tool for improving indoor flash photography... though you can try bouncing it off a light-colored wall outdoors... you may get pleasing results.

Bouncing the flash requires a bounce surface... a ceiling or wall or maybe into or through a lighting umbrella or a softbox if you're working with an external flash.

Bounce flash is a technique professionals have used for years to improve indoor flash photography. That's not to say photographers haven't sought more portable sought ways to soften the effect of flash outdoors.

So, I've pulled a page from my textbook with a controlled test of lighting accessories for external flash units... these were shot by way-back former student, now award-winning photojournalist John Burgess some years back with an EXTERNAL strobe. John's gone on to win his share of awards since then... but the physics of light has not changed. There's now another popular device for external strobes made by Gary Fong that wasn't available then, but remember — it's all about physics.

So here's another lesson in basic lighting techniques. The photos in the left column were taken indoors. Those in the right outdoors. The model and the strobe remained in the same spots. The strobe was located nine feet from the subject.

As you know, the harshest light comes from a camera-mounted strobe aimed at the subject. So photographers are always seeking different accessories to soften the light and reduce dark shadows behind the subject.

Generally, the larger the effective light source, the softer the light will be. The light from a 3'x4' soft box will produce softer light than the light from a 2"x3"  direct strobe. When you bounce light off a ceiling, the effective light source becomes the wide spot on that ceiling. Photographic umbrellas, whether you are shooting through them or reflecting off them, also provide a relatively large light source, depending on their size.

Although smaller devices such as the Omnidome and Lumiquest Pocket Bouncer are not as effective as the larger light modifiers, many of the smaller items work well INDOORS. In a light-colored room, some light rays bounce off the ceiling, walls, and floor. This extra scattered light helps soften the shadows when the devices are used within a small room. Notice that direct flash indoors (first set of comparisons) produces a less harsh shadow than direct flash used outside... that's because some of the light is being deflected off the ceiling, floor, other walls, etc.

Outdoors or in a large ballroom or gymnasium, all the accessories work less well at softening shadows. The scattered light rays coming from the accessories have few surfaces to bounce off. Notice, in the outdoor series, that the shadow behind the model is darker in almost each situation.

The Lightscoop incorporates the techniques of professionals into a simple device that lets anyone with a pop-up flash bounce its light for more natural-looking lighting results. And, like all the professional tools below, it is effective when used indoors.