A guide to flash brackets for portrait and wedding photography

Why Do You Need A Flash Bracket?

A flash bracket is the ideal solution for the one-man show photographer who shoots at weddings and other on-location events. Event photographers and wedding photographers in particular move from room to room, with ambient lighting changing. A flash bracket puts the camera and the necessary lighting equipment, including flash, umbrella and softbox in one place and under your control, creating even lighting and eliminating the need for an assistant. If used with a flash and an umbrella or softbox, it is really a portable mini-studio that helps you achieve studio quality pictures.

What can a flash bracket do?

A flash bracket positions the flash at a certain distance to the camera lens, creating a better lighting situation that eliminates red eye. Many models accommodate a photo umbrella or a softbox to diffuse the flash light. Once the camera is installed on the flash bracket, you will be able to change orientation from landscape to portrait by flipping the camera. Some models will let you do that without changing the flash position and the flash-lens distance; other models move the camera with the bracket and the softbox or photo umbrella, putting your light source (flash) in a new spot, which makes lighting less consistent.

Types of flash brackets

Flash brackets come in all sorts of flavors, but basically they can be grouped into three types:

Camera position adjustment: The camera flips while the bracket and the flash remain in the same position.
Advantages: Bracket ergonomics remain consistent; lens to flash position does not change, resulting in consistent lighting; best suited for tripod mounting
Disadvantages:
Flash position adjustment: While the camera changes orientation, the flash flips in a 90 degree angle and locks into position
Advantages: Consistent lighting;
Disadvantages: bracket ergonomics less consistent; tripod mounting limited
Fixed frame: Camera, bracket and flash all rotate together in the same direction when changing orientation.
Advantages: Few. Puts flash somewhat above camera, resulting in shadows on the side of subject. No real advantage over using a camera-mounted flash.
Disadvantages: Changes position of light source (flash), resulting in inconsistent lighting.

Selection Criteria

Among the three types there is a variety of models by different manufacturers. The majority of the models are very similar to each other, varying in weight, price and material.

Remember: When you buy a flash bracket, try it out in the store with your camera and possibly your softbox or umbrella. Get a feel for it, holding it and carrying it around for a while. You might realize that a camera, a flash and a softbox or umbrella mounted on a bracket is a contraption too heavy for you to carry around for extended periods of time, or you might find your appearance with all this gear too conspicuous, which can be a problem especially for photojournalists who prefer to catch people's moments without being noticed.
Make sure the bracket feels sturdy, has a flash shoe mount that securely fastens the flash (avoid slide-ons) and a pull-out foot on the bottom so the bracket with the attached camera can stand on its own.

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