Pixiq

Walking outside with a camera plus several lenses should cover most scenarios, from landscapes to tree portraits and close-ups. But there are three additional lightweight items - a reflector, a diffuser and the Honl Traveller 8 Softbox (already covered in an earlier post) - that allow for complete control of the light for any close range or macro shot.

In direct sunlight, carrying a diffuser is like having your own mini-cloud to hand. Simply by holding it between the sun and the subject, it removes shadows to create a softer, less intense light. It can make the difference between a shot that appears jarring to the eye with harsh shadows and one that is restful—especially if there are mainly pastel tones.

The great thing about a diffuser is you can see the effect before releasing the shutter, but remember to meter with the diffuser in position. A diffuser also helps to decrease the HDR and reduce or even eliminate clipped highlights from the frame.

Here are some before and after examples, plus a few after ones when I failed to take the before shot. Nonetheless, they still give a good feel of the advantage gained by placing a diffuser between the sun and the subject.

I use an array of sizes ranging from a small 12 inch (30 cm) diameter one for intimate macro shots to the large 30 inch (75 cm) Lastolite Trigrip. The latter is easy to hold firmly in one hand without it wavering around in the wind, thereby freeing up the other to release the shutter.

You can make your own diffuser out of fine white cotton material (not too thick) stretched over a wire coat hanger pulled out to form a circular frame.