Hello Group,

First post and just going to jump right into it!

Ive got a canon 500d with a speedlite 480ex (no diffuser) attached on-camera and have done a few portraiture shoots outdoors, mainly on beaches with families or kids. I regularly get uneven and fairly harsh shadows on the subjects, regardless of the time of day.

I recently purchased a 5 in 1 reflector and while that seems to help up close, ive noticed it doesn't really spread out the light when there's more than 1 subject. Worse still the subject(s) don't appreciate the blast of light coming from the reflector, regardless of distance, so its hard to get their eyes fully open and relaxed for the shot. Though this is more a problem ive found with kids rather than adults.

Any ideas on what else to try out? Would setting up the speedlite off camera with a wireless trigger/stand/umbrella combo help in reducing the shadows? Or is a diffuser attached on camera (or off camera with a stand) a better way to go?

I use mainly a canon 24-105EF for the shots, with the occasional nifty fifty f1.8 (which I am using less and less since getting the 24-105 ) if that makes a difference...

Any advice appreciated