Questions about WB and lighting

Hi Everyone!
Well, since you all have been so helpful in some other posts, figured I'd give this a shot.
WB-I enjoy shooting flowers in the early morning hour, right as the sun comes up. Now, I have a Nikon D90, and use "Direct Sun" during those times for WB. However, sometimes, I need a little extra light in various spots of the flower. I had thought about getting a little flashlight, and some sort of stand to attach it to. Would this affect my WB so much that I would need to change it off of Direct Sun? I really enjoy that rich, yellow/orange light that is produced.

Next, what kind of flashlight would you recommend for this type of lighting? It does not need to be much light...just a bit.

Also, in those instances where its later in the day, and the sun is a bit harsh, is there a recommended diffuser that would be good for this type of photography? I had actually thought of making my own diffuser, maybe a handheld device on a long stick or pole, with diffuser material attached to a wire circle. Maybe a circle about 12 to 18 inches in diameter. Has anyone done this sort of thing? I know this seems odd..

Thanks!
Marie

I'm not sure about the flashlight....but if I were you I'd mess around with several different white balances to see what works and what doesn't. With something static like a flower it should be very easy to experiment a bit. I have been doing this with snakes lately and it really pays off when you get the WB right. It's also a matter of personal preference as well...I've found the autoWB on my 7D can leave the photos a bit too dull in some cases...but if you're getting direct warm morning sunlight on your subject it just might work. Like I said...if you have the time to experiment you should. Hopefully someone else can help you with the equipment. Some people may tell you to just fix the WB post-process...this is fine...but I think almost all serious post-shot editing is somewhat noticeable in the final image

Instead of a flashlight, perhaps you should consider using reflectors. I have two small (12") Photoflex LiteDisc light modifiers. One is a gold/white reflector (white on one side, gold on the other), and one is translucent white that works as a diffuser. They are circular and on wire hoops that collapse down to a third of their expanded diameter. You can prop them up in different ways or perhaps use wires (or "Plamps") like you mentioned. The LIteDiscs come in larger sizes, also.

If you shoot RAW, you can adjust WB almost infinitely without any loss of image quality. If you shoot JPEG, it can be difficult to change the color balance, but shooting RAW allows you to change WB after the fact very easily.

I've used a flashlight for illuminating from=gs at night. Not the same conditions you have in mind, but it was not a great success. The flashlight lens creates odd patterns. I'd recommend using a reflector such as Photoflex, or you can even use a white piece of paper, posterboard, or foamcore. You'd be surprised how much light you can put on your subject.

When I first started shooting digital, I found that I liked Daylight WB. It most resembles the daylight film I was used to and I've pretty much stuck with it ever since. Shooting in RAW lets you adjust the white balance after the fact, so if you you got it wrong, it's an easy fix.

Marie: I'm not familiar with your camera but if you have a built in flash you can use it dialed down to about -1.5 for fill. You should have a slow sync feature that lets you flash a little light into the subject without creating the obvious shadows from full powered flash. I also use reflectors and diffusers made by LiteDisc. These work great and are durable. I've had mine several years and they have worn really well. I have heard of folks using Mag Lights but mostly for light painting at night and not as fill.
I shoot RAW + JPEG. The JPEGS let me get a quick and dirty preview but the RAW allows me to fine tune the WB after capture. As a result I pretty much keep my camera set on Auto WB. It turns out pretty well most of the time and if needed for fidelity or special effect I can always adjust it in the RAW processing.>=))>

Reflectors would be my choice and avoid direct sun like the plague. A nice bright overcast widless day would be perfect IMHO.

Thank you, everyone! I've just checked out those LiteDiscs, those are really neat, and I can see I'll be getting those soon. I do shoot in RAW, I'm just not the greatest at photoshop just yet.

Thanks!
Marie