`

     Had to seriously dig into my archives for an image I shot with these lights. It's been a while...

     Vivitar 285HVs have long been a favorite option for off camera lighting for budget minded photographers. However, in the past couple years, so many better and cheaper options have come to the playing field, that they've lost a lot of their shimmer.
     There are so many of them out there, though, that I can hardly go to a Goodwill or Salvation Army and not see one for $7, so they may still have a spot in your bag

     I love the softness of a large softbox for glamour work. However, shooting primarily with speedlites, and other small battery powered flashes, standard softboxes aren't really a viable option, without investing in sometimes expensive standard softboxes and pricey speedrings.

      I saw some 'umbrella softboxes' while perusing Amazon and the eBays, and thought I'd pick them up, and check them out... at $27 for two, I couldn't pass them up.