I recently purchased a pair of Yongnuo 603 wireless units for use with my flash so I could get it off my camera. My flash unit is old so doesn't have wireless compatibility. The set up worked a treat but I found what I really needed was a studio light. So I purchased another three 603s and three used old flash units from garage sales and St Vincent de Pauls for $5 to $10 each. Using what we call in Australia 100 mile an hour tape which is 2 inches wide, gray and a type of plastic. I taped an empty Ice cream container to my tripod and taped 3 flash units at equal distance around the container. with the 603s fitted I now had a wireless studio light. The flash unit is a single point light source so it produces a harsh light, put three in the mix and you have a very harsh light source. What it now needed was a light modifier, anything from around the home will do such as a piece of white linen, white plastic or more daring of us will raid the partner's under-garment draw for her stockings but if you get caught just tell her it's for some photography and you are not getting a bit strange, in fact anything to diffuse the light so it produces a multiple point light source, which is a soft light, more suited to portraiture. This produced a nice light but what I also needed was a wider area of light. I purchased a roll of wrapping paper, the sort of thing you wrap presents in, it's colorful on the outside but white on the inside, I taped the white side of the paper to the inside of an open umbrella. The umbrella was then taped to my makeshift studio light with the flash units firing into the umbrella. The light reflects off of the umbrella and shape of the umbrella produces a large cone of soft light. The forth flash, I fitted the cardboard tube from a toilet roll with a piece of cloth held in-place with a rubber band. This produces a nice spot of light which can be used to produce shadow and highlight to the face. All up cost was $150 for everything which included 603s, flash units and tape. ps. My cat has never looked so good.
