I am interested in learning more about diffusion tenting material for wildflower photography. What fabrics are used (plastic, silk?) and what density is generally used (f stop increment decrease). Where do you usually find such materials? If from a fabric store how do you know what to purchase? Information greatly appreciated.
THANKS.
There's a company that makes tents like this, but I can't find the reference now. I'll post it if I can dredge it up. We played quite a bit with DIY options some years ago, but found many "white" fabrics introduced color castes due to bluing processes, etc. It was a huge issue with film, but easily overcome with custom white balances using digital. Now we can use almost any fabric we want. Light loss doesn't seem to be an issue with sheet fabric or light nylon. The obvious advantage of a tent in addition to light control is wind control.
My use of "tents" has evolved since I bought a Bogen Super Clamp. I simply mount my tripod head on that and clamp it to one of the legs on my tripod, moving it up and down as I want. That makes it very easy to use the legs of the tripod as my "tent frame. I carry a strip of white sheet fabric or nylon 3'x10' wadded in a pocket or folded in my camera bag and four squeeze clamps from the hardware store (they look like large chrome clothespins with orange plastic trim). Plastic is not nearly as convenient s fabric. I set up the tripod and the shot with my camera looking into the center of the extended tripod legs, then clamp one end of the fabric (2 clamps) to the same leg my camera is on. Wrap the fabric around the tripod and back to the same leg, then clamp that end to the same leg above and below the camera. Instant tent.
Ten feet may sound a little long for the fabric strip, but if your tripod legs are three feet apart on the ground, you use it up quickly. Lots of spare fabric at the top due to the taper, but it's easy to drape out of the way before adding the last, topmost clamp.
I use two diffusion methods. The first, and larger, is a frosted plastic shower curtain. Make sure to use one that is colorless. They're easy to find, ready-made, and double as a rain cover if you're out in light rain. No worry about it tearing or snagging like fabric; mine lives in the trunk and is always ready to go.
I also use a white umbrella. It's convenient since it is self-supporting, and I also use it as a wind shield for my camera bellows. Interestingly, it also works in case of rain I frequently use the umbrella and shower curtain together; the umbrella helps support the shower curtain, and I can drape the entire curtain over myself and the camera if need be. You don't want to do this too long or you'll discover the greenhouse effect!
The umbrella causes about a stop of light loss. The shower curtain causes negligible light loss, and provides a wonderfully warm, luminous light when used in bright sun. In the latter case, it reduces hot spots while raising shadows considerably. Here's an example of Dwarf Lake Iris shot in full midday sun using the shower curtain:
I purchased a shower curtain about a month back and have found it useful in a couple situations, the struggle I always have is figureing out how to hold it up and keep it out of the image. Do you usually just drape the curtain over found objects and the camera, or do you use some sort of tent pole setup. I read that Craig Blacklock uses a simular rig for closeups at points and uses tent poles for support. Any tips?
I use an opaque uncolored shower curtain liner, not the curtain itself. It's unpatterned, and looks like heavy clear poly plastic that's been textured. You can see pattern and light/dark shapes through it, but not detail, if that helps to describe it. I used clear tape to tape two of them together. Then I got a grommet kit from a hardware store and put grommets at the four corners, and went to an outlet store and bought the flexible tent support poles, the kind that have elastic cord running through them and are collapsible. It makes an excellent four-cornered tent setup. To store it, I simply fold up diffusion tent and roll it up with the poles and pole stakes inside and wrap it with a few bungee cords. It collapses quite nicely that way and carries easily, and there are plenty of times I don't want to set it up as a tent but as a sheet between the sun and flower, and then the bungees help me fasten it off to tree branches (I work in the forest, not the Prairie). I can't claim credit for this idea. It comes from the aforementioned Craig Blacklock. On a sunny day, the plastic has the consistency and opacity to turn the light into that nice evenly diffused light we cherish from hazy thin overcast days. Not to mention that, used as a four-sided tent, it kills the breeze quite nicely. Total cost was about $25.
Joel - I just use nearby objects (branches, etc) as well as umbrella and/or camera on tripod. Craig does use tent poles; years ago he used to sell a ready-made version. I asked him about making a similar setup myself and he suggested using parachute fabric because it's very lightweight and translucent. I tried the tent pole arrangement once and thought it too cumbersome, much preferring my shower curtain and/or umbrella arrangement.
Forget to mention. When the tent is set up, if the fabric is in the background, you can tilt the whole works so the tent behind the flowers is a couple feet off the ground, freeing up a natural background. If the background is too sunny, you can drape a second diffusion fabric to shade it, and some will bring along backdrop fabrics. I've got some yellow ladyslipper images that had to be shot with a concrete wall in the background, and I took off my fleece shirt, which was a deep combination of forest real-life camouflage and draped that a couple feet behind the orchids. It looks rich, deep like a natural forest backdrop that shallow DOF rendered nice and buttery. Good thing no one was around to laugh at my belly.
Take a look around on the Photoflex website too - they have some larger models of diffusers called "LitePanels" (in the "Reflector" section) we don't stock but can easily get.
I bought the Blacklock diffusion tent about 10 years ago. The tent came with collapsable shock-corded tent poles. I don't know if it is still being marketed, but the diffusion material seems to be almost identical to the shower curtain liner that Steve Floss is describing, which you can buy at a local Wal Mart.
Go to a fabric store and ask the clerk for "white ripstop nylon". I've only seen one density, but there might be others available. It's pretty cheap, so it probably won't hurt to purchase three or four yards.
Ed, when I spoke with Craig on the phone a couple years ago, he said they weren't offering them anymore. The curtain liner idea was his, and he also said one can use heavy mil clear plastic and buff it with a green scrubby pad to scratch it up and allow it to diffuse the light. I opted for the curtain for convenience, but the scrubby method would let a person customize the degree of diffusion to suit them.
Discussion
11 repliesTHANKS.
My use of "tents" has evolved since I bought a Bogen Super Clamp. I simply mount my tripod head on that and clamp it to one of the legs on my tripod, moving it up and down as I want. That makes it very easy to use the legs of the tripod as my "tent frame. I carry a strip of white sheet fabric or nylon 3'x10' wadded in a pocket or folded in my camera bag and four squeeze clamps from the hardware store (they look like large chrome clothespins with orange plastic trim). Plastic is not nearly as convenient s fabric. I set up the tripod and the shot with my camera looking into the center of the extended tripod legs, then clamp one end of the fabric (2 clamps) to the same leg my camera is on. Wrap the fabric around the tripod and back to the same leg, then clamp that end to the same leg above and below the camera. Instant tent.
Ten feet may sound a little long for the fabric strip, but if your tripod legs are three feet apart on the ground, you use it up quickly. Lots of spare fabric at the top due to the taper, but it's easy to drape out of the way before adding the last, topmost clamp.
I also use a white umbrella. It's convenient since it is self-supporting, and I also use it as a wind shield for my camera bellows. Interestingly, it also works in case of rain
The umbrella causes about a stop of light loss. The shower curtain causes negligible light loss, and provides a wonderfully warm, luminous light when used in bright sun. In the latter case, it reduces hot spots while raising shadows considerably. Here's an example of Dwarf Lake Iris shot in full midday sun using the shower curtain:
http://www.dannyburk.com/dwarf%20lake%20iris_10.htm
Regards,
Danny
I purchased a shower curtain about a month back and have found it useful in a couple situations, the struggle I always have is figureing out how to hold it up and keep it out of the image. Do you usually just drape the curtain over found objects and the camera, or do you use some sort of tent pole setup. I read that Craig Blacklock uses a simular rig for closeups at points and uses tent poles for support. Any tips?
Go to a fabric store and ask the clerk for "white ripstop nylon". I've only seen one density, but there might be others available. It's pretty cheap, so it probably won't hurt to purchase three or four yards.