Flash photography tip: Use a translucent screen

Friday 2 June 2023, 16:32 by Elja Trum | 2,915 views | 0 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

You usually use a softbox to create soft flash light. But there are other ways too, such as using a translucent screen. It is much more compact and easier to carry.

Sigrid - f/4.5, 1/160s, 400 ISO @ 55mm
When you buy a cheap 5-in-1 reflector set, it usually includes a translucent screen as its basic component. So you can pick one up for a few dozen euros (and you may already have one lying around).

You place a translucent screen between your flash and your subject. For the softest light, place the screen as close to your subject as possible, so it is just out of shot. This usually works best when you use the flash off-camera.

A translucent screen is also very practical without a flash. For example, you can use it to create shade over your subject on a sunny day.

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About the author

Elja Trum is the founder of Photofacts and online photography course website Photofacts Academy. He has been writing about photography since 2006. Elja is also the author of (Dutch) books on composition, black-and-white photography, flash photography and portrait photography.

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