If you’ve spent any time studying off-camera flash photography, then you know the importance of finding ways to manipulate the light. As you know, we’re huge fans of ExpoImaging’s line of products. The Rogue XL Pro Lighting Kit is the newest and largest of the Rogue family of FlashBenders, allowing for more flexibility in bouncing, curving, and reflecting the light any way you need.

The Rogue XL Pro Lighting Kit Includes:

1. A FlashBender White Reflector (13″ x 16″) *Speedlight shown in photos, not included

2. A Strip Box Diffuser Attachment (5.5″ x 13″)

3. A Soft Box Diffuser Attachment (11.5″ x 13″)

4. And Silver and Black Reflector Attachments (13″ x 14″)

As I experimented with the various attachments in this kit, I found myself intrigued with the black reflector (flag). I know the white reflector and the soft boxes can be used to bounce, reflect, and diffuse the light from my flash onto my subject, but how would absorbing light and directing it off of my subject with the black reflector attachment enhance my photo?

As I thought about this question, an idea came to mind. If the purpose of the black reflector is to absorb light, then how would it effect harsh shadows if I were to direct the light towards the subject rather than away from it, as intended? Remember, you learn the rules so you can break them! Enter the photo below…

Nikon D7000 | Lensbaby Composer with Macro attachment | f/5.6 | 1/40 sec. | ISO 100

I love product photography, and shadows are what make or break an image. Ring shots can be especially tricky because of the highly reflective surfaces and delicacy of the rings themselves. So, to experiment with the black reflector, I set up a shot using my wedding dress and my wedding and engagement rings. The room I was in was very poorly lit, almost dark with light streaming in from the hallway. So, what you see in the above photo is all flash.

I first played with different effects using the Diffusers and the FlashBender, but you know which setup I loved the most? The flag. That’s right, the setup where I shaped the black reflector over my flash and placed it to the right of my camera directly over the rings, directing the light right towards my subject, rather than away from it. The soft, subtle shadows that it created are to die for! I was ecstatic with the results of this experiment, and can’t wait to use this technique on more of my product shots in the future.

UPDATE: The Rogue Pro Lighting Kit featured in this post is no longer available. Check out the Rogue FlashBender XL Pro Lighting System as an equivalent.