So I'm just sitting around minding my own business enjoying the day off from weddings...and from my balcony I spot someone using the Fong Dong. I thought it was funny because they are seriously everwhere so I always take pictures when I see them. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Opensourcep...everywhere.html

Yeah we saw a dude shooting with one at Disney World when we went this past February. My wife goes up to the guy and says "how do you like your Fong Dong?"

I just turned and walked the other way.

who uses fill flash in that kind of soft beautiful light?!?!?!?

are you in my head again!?

that's exactly what I thought when I saw the pic.

my buddy was watching the Food Network the other night, and he called me up just to tell me that some food photographer on TV using that Big Bowl I have. hahahha!

i never see anyone with them around here (course, i'm in the south, where it's rare for most area photographers to have anything "unusual" as such). i always get asked "what is THAT thing?" at my weddings... i guess everyone is used to bracketed set ups with stofen's.

i wonder how much more extreme the reactions are going to be (*if) i get a whale tail.

by the way, i thought the same thing about the fill light when i saw the pic.. but then again, i keep mine on most of the time, even when i'm not using flash... so maybe they weren't **using** it.?

LOL - it is definitely a conversation piece. As soon as I pull it out people start asking me "what is that?" I've got my Fong Dong "elevator pitch" down to a science and once I snap a quick portrait and show it to them - they're sold. Now, I have to figure out how to get residues from Gary.


LOL - I don't know, I'm kidda with the Big [b] on this one. Although, given the shadows above their head - if I already had it on my camera I would probably shoot a few with and without it. I don't know, maybe it's time to take one of [b]'s classes.

I use a FlipIt (if I use anything at all). +1 on all the "why the heck fill flash" comments!!!

Hopefully they have the flash turned off at this point???

while shooting my wedding yesterday, at a local college, here comes an engagement session and the photographer had a fong dong.

they are everywhere here too!

mine is the cloudy #II

db

I have to admit, I love my Fong Dong! (and yes it's my conversation piece as well). Again, I hope the flash was OFF in the setting above.

Even in soft light a little fill flash can brighten up deep eye sockets and give a nice catchlight in the subjects eyes.

To be honest I do not think it's our place to pick apart how they're shooting anyway and I'm sure they got some great images.

It looks like the second shooter is getting the same shot.

Bad second shooter. Bad.

You know what David, you're right. I stand corrected. We all have different approaches and my approach is a little different than theirs.

ha!

What a cute little courtyard (or whatever it is).

I had a little girl cry when I brought out my fong dong one time. She kept saying, "I don't want the thing, I don't want the thing!" I don't know what she was thinking but we all laughed and I put it away..no fill flash for that shoot!

Ha! I just saw it while watching "Who's Wedding is it Anyway" this weekend. hahaha....
They almost never show the photographers on that show! I think we are grossly underrepresented on that show!

TOO FUNNY!!! That was EXACTLY what I was thinking!!

Thank You.

Another perspective... I have mine on almost 100% of the time at a wedding.. but if the natural light is awesome I most likely have the flash turned off.. I just don't unmount my flash as it's something else I'd have to carry.

So seeing one on a camera.. doesn't mean it's being used at that moment.

Hmmm, I'll have to try that Paul as I always unmount my flash when I'm not using it as the flash+Fong Dong is a little obtrusive. But, I'll try it - thanks for the tip!

Cool glad I can be of help!

I'm already carrying a 2nd camera, and my primary is my 20d with a 70-200 IS so whats the few extra grams when compared to that monster. I acutally tell myself I don't have to work out that day cause carrying that beast counts.

LOL - I feel you as my next outfit is a D200 with a Nikkor 80-200mm zoom. Heavy setup but sweet!

Well, I guess as everyone says, it's a testament to Gary's marketing efforts. I saw the "Better Bounce Card" video and made myself one and it's incredible. Of course, I still get comments on anything I carry. Father of the Bride noted, "Pretty fancy piece of equipment" and pointed to the piece of foam that is my bounce card. I won't even get into what people say when I whop out my 70-200.

LOLOLOLOL!!! That's hilarious! Yeah, Johnny and I were laughing at mine sitting idle in my studio. I've yet to really use it. I'm into "Foofing!" ala Dennis Reggie in his talk...

This image is from shooting for my church's directory. I used natural light coming from high and behind and a flash aimed to my left bouncing off the wall.... What do ya think???

They're all hot & bothered because they like the foof...

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetownsquare/527901542/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/208/527901542_a58b7a4b32.jpg" width="337" height="500" alt="Dance, Dance Yeah!" /></a>

Compared to the looks of abject concern I got with the dong...

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetownsquare/180991417/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/54/180991417_879163b800.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="SarahJosh399" /></a>

tee hee!