brusby
Well-known
A couple people have recommended polarizing filters. Can you please provide links to the equipment I would need? I assume I could just get a polarized filter for my lens, but what would I need for the flashes? Does the polarization effect still work if you are bouncing it off foam core or putting them in flash boxes?
It's been so many years since I've done this that I can't help you with links to current gear. Also, we used tall thin banks of incandescents with a polarizing film covering the opening. One advantage of that type of lighting is being able to see exactly what you are getting. As the polarizers were adjusted you could evaluate the image and reflections in real time.
I imagine with bounced flash it's a bit of a guessing game, although it must be considerably lighter.
I've never tried this with flash, so the first test I'd make would be to see if the modeling light and flash were affected in the same way by the polarizer. Make a series of shots with the polarizer over the modeling light and document the results -- such as "maximum effect at 12:00, min at 6:00) -- then try the same test with the flash to see if results correlate well. If they do, you can have confidence what you're seeing with the modeling light will relate well to the final flash photo.
I'm guessing that if you put a polarizer over a flash and then bounce the flash, much of the polarizing effect is lost because of the light rays bouncing at different angles. But I don't have any first hand knowledge of that.
Good luck!