Unless I get a surprise Christmas check or graduation money, getting a studio lighting kit doesn't look like its going to be in the budget for a while. So I will have to do my early portrait work with my external flash unit - a Canon 580 EX.

I know that direct flash isn't the way to go, and that I should bounce it off the ceiling or wall. Is there a particular angle that I should bounce it at? If I am using a diffuser, should I use the Exposure compensation?

With a diffuser, provide you use the ETTL automatic flash exposure then it'll compensate.
You won't be able to photograph so far away, but that won't matter indoors.
You might coneider getting an umbrella to bounce the flash off, too.

Hey masdog,

I recently bought the below bracket and hotshoe cord for the MKII N. The bracket allows you to shoot with parallel or vertical with the flash...works great and it's fairly cheap...$45 I think, but the hotshoe was the expensive part. You can still use your difuser with it. It will get the flash up a bit higher to help avoid redeye and so on.
It is from Custom Brackets "CB Digital-T" bracket and a Canon Off Shoe Cord 2. This same bracket should work with the 20D and save you getting another if you upgrade to a pro body at some later time.
You can mount it on the camera on either side as well. It seems well built with thick aluminum brackets and padded handle. It has cork where it mounts to the camera's tripod screwin which will protect it from rubbing on the body or avoid accidental turning in use.
I hadn't noticed you got a 580EX....I'm observant eh?

JS


fyi, I took these really quick, I know they are lousy but hey it's 5:36am .....

I think a flash bracket like JS's has shown would be a good investment for you. There are many dif. models available, so shop around and see what you can find.

As far as what angle to bounce your flash at, well, that's kind of up to geometry. I guess it all depends on where you want the light to hit your subject, the distance between you and your subject, and the distance the light has to travel to and from whatever you're bouncing it off of.

masdog,

Also consider using your 580EX's catchlight panel, that can do the same as bouncing the light. I tried it with my sisters cat and a shot of the family at the table a few weeks back and it seemed to work nicely. I was just playing with it to see if it worked and how...never tried one before.

JS

Bracket and hotshoe cord? Umbrella? Definitely not in the budget right now. Graduation money hasn't exactly been very forthcoming yet, and at this moment, I'm technically unemployed.

I'll have to remember to use my catchlight panel more often. Thanks for the advice.