Last night I attended one of the ThirdThuesday events that happen here in Vancouver. This particular one was about Social Media during the Olympics and Paralympics games.
Just before I left our place to head to the event I got to thinking; Instead of using my omni-diffuser on my Sigma EF-530 DG Super flash, I should try using a bounce card. I’m always trying to figure out how to use my flash better in low-light situations (such as that at bars/clubs whatever) and trying out different styles or techniques.
Not actually having a Bounce Card handy, I had to look around for materials in creating one. Unlike the high-end Canon Flashes or Nikon flashes, my Sigma flash did not come with a built-in bounce card. I had to get a bit creative, this is where Apple came to the rescue.
During the Olympics I was invited by Alberta Travel to take the train up to Whistler for the day as one of their media guests. One cool aspect of the train ride was we received Apple iPod Touches. The packaging of this lovely MP3 player would be my basis for this bounce card.
The little white box that the iPod Touch sits on when it’s in the package is made of a really nice looking white cardboard, well closer to a really heavy weighted paper.
I slide out the wide-angle panel on my Sigma EF-530 DG Super and traced the dimensions on to the paper. I cut around my tracing, leaving a narrower slip for which would slide into the flash unit. I trimmed a sliver off of each side, and shortened the slip’s length to ensure it would fit snugly when the wide-angle panel was retracted. I thought it would be cute to have the ‘Designed by Apple in California’ portion displayed on the outside.
Not a bad fit but also not the straightest cutting on my part though. No wiggle room too and since the paper is of heavier weight, it stays upright and rigid.
For 5 minutes of my time, it didn’t turn out that bad. I mean, why spend $30+ on a Velcro based bounce card when I can easily use my new Apple iBounceCard that didn’t cost me any money? Win Win right? It also fits perfectly in my tri-fold wallet for when not in use too!
Some of the photos taken with my Apple iBounceCard from last night:
Not bad if I say so myself. Like I said, I’m still learning the in’s and out’s of using a flash unit.
** This post is mainly for fun. There is no such thing as an Apple iBounceCard, and Apple of California did not design my BounceCard, I just recycled some of their packaging for my entertainment.