Pop-Up Flash Diffuser Gives Your Photos a Soft Look

This holiday season, I'm using my digital SLR to capture all the fun of opening presents and spending time with family. I've been looking for an inexpensive diffuser to soften my camera's bright flash so that my photos look more natural, without sharp shadows or harsh lighting effects, but diffusers can be quite expensive.

There are several simple do-it-yourself solutions, such as slipping a cigarette pack or a piece of paper over the flash, as well as strapping a coffee filter onto it, but they're obviously not the most elegant ways to go about it in the long run. You definitely want something you can use over and over again, without spending a fortune.

Over at Gizmodo, I spotted the Lumiquest Soft Screen, which is a pop-up flash diffuser you can easily store in your camera bag for future gigs. It hooks onto the DSLR's hot-shoe to soften harsh shadows, reduce hot spots, and give your subjects warmer skin tones. Amazon has them in stock for about $10, and the best part is it's reusable, so you can say good-bye to the "deer caught in headlights" look -- at least until you find a better solution.

Coffee Filters: A Low-Tech Solution for Photographers