Photography – With object illumination for exposure – Bounce type
Patent
1996-05-22
1998-07-07
Metjahic, Safet
Photography
With object illumination for exposure
Bounce type
396200, 362 7, 362 18, 362320, 362346, 362352, 362359, 362360, G03B 1503, G03B 1506
Patent
active
057782644
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a photographic reflector and in particular to a reflector which can be used with a forward-illuminating flash-unit to reproduce the effect of a bounce-head flash unit to produce indirect light.
BACKGROUND ART
Reflected or bounced flashlight is often used in photography to produce various effects and to eliminate certain undesirable features of direct flash photography such as red eye and deep silhouette shadows cast behind the subject. It is achieved by the use of a bounce-head flash unit which emits flashlight upwardly for reflection on to the subject either by the ceiling of a room or by a reflector.
Conventional reflectors used for this purpose comprise either reflective photographic umbrellas which must be supported in an appropriate relationship to the flash unit or box-like attachments which are attached to the flash unit itself. A reflector of the first type is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,405 and comprises a fabric-covered, fan-shaped reflector which can be supported by a conventional telescoping light stand. In contrast, a reflector of the second type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,624 and comprises a box-like device which fits, via an adaptor, over the top of the flash unit. A slot is provided in the top of the device in which a tongue of a plate-like reflector may be fitted to hold the reflector at an appropriate angle above the flash gun. A similar reflector of the second type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,885 wherein a frame is attached to the flash unit to hold a central bilateral trapezoidal reflecting panel, supported by two triangular panels at its sides, above the flash gun.
Both of these types of reflector have disadvantages. The umbrella reflectors are bulky and require a separate support thus making them difficult to transport and unsuitable for use outside a studio. In contrast, whilst the box type of reflector is more suitable for outdoor work and for use by amateur photographers, they are still difficult to transport easily in a photographic bag without damage. In addition, when special effects are required, appropriately coloured foils to provide the reflective surface must be attached to the reflector or the box; these foils are easily lost or torn.
It will also be appreciated that most amateur cameras are compact cameras wherein a forward-illuminating flash unit is in-built with the camera to form a single unit. Thus, the advantages of using reflected flashlight are denied to the photographer when using such a camera.
German Patent Specification DE 35 40 975 describes an apparatus for attachment to a camera with a forward-illuminating flash unit which distributes light by means of reflecting surfaces into a region of the exposure plane which lies beyond the optical axis of the camera lens. The apparatus comprises a box with internally reflecting surfaces and the photographic subject may be mounted either inside the box, for example if the apparatus is to be used for photocopying transparencies, or outside the box but near to the camera lens for close-up work. However, this apparatus is designed specifically for close range work and not to produce diffuse flashlight for general use in longer range photography such as portraiture. It is also bulky and would be inconvenient to transport in a photographic bag.
A first object of the present invention is to provide a photographic reflector which can be used to convert a forward-illuminating flash unit into one that will produce reflected flashlight and which is easy to transport to enable, for example, amateur photographers and those without specialist equipment to obtain the advantages afforded by reflected flashlight.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, according to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a photographic reflector for a forward-illuminating flash unit to convert same into one which will produce reflected flashlight, comprising a hood made from a creased one-piece blank folded along creases, the blank being provided with a fir
REFERENCES:
patent: 4428030 (1984-01-01), Baliozian
patent: 4616293 (1986-10-01), Baliozian
patent: 5337104 (1994-08-01), Smith et al.
Han J. K.
Metjahic Safet
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