This portable lighting kit is amazing and will produce results comparable to the large and cumbersome softbox/umbrella and stand setups. The Rogue Flashbender is so versatile and with the diffuser panel attached it softens your speedlight for professional portrait results. It also works for shaping your light in unusual and creative directions. Best of all, you can flatten it and place it in your backpack. Now that beats hauling around a huge case full of stands, umbrellas and softboxes. You can take this kit on location or the airplane and always have great lighting ready on the spur of the moment.
PORTABLE LIGHTING KIT
Click these links to buy these amazing products:
1. $46 YN560 Flash Speedlite for Canon Nikon Pentax Olympus, Samsung Cameras
2. $45 Rogue Large Flashbender & Diffuser- Save 25% now! Use my coupon code: cesplin2012for 25% off: $60 – 25% discount = $45 (plus a little shipping) This is my favorite new, portable lighting gadget. It is amazing and flexible for the size
3. $20 CowboyStudio 4 Channel Wireless Flash Trigger-Receiver
4. $38 Neewer Dimmable LED Continuous Light – Ultra High Power 160 LED 
5. $12 NP F550 Rechargeable Battery
6. $ 6 Battery Charger: Home/Car
1. YN-560 Speedlight Flash for $46
This speedlight is 90% as powerful as the $500 Canon and Nikon flashes. I have tested them up against the Canon 580EX and the Nikon 980 Speed lights and I keep finding myself reaching for my $75 YN-560. It is easy to use and has advanced features, such as zooming, slave trigger. It comes with the stand and built-in diffuser, and white card. It also rotates and pivots all the way around. I can’t say enough good things about this amazing flash unit. Just buy it. You won’t regret it.
2. Rogue Flashbender and Diffuser – Use my coupon code: cesplin2012 for 25% off: $60 retail – 25% = $45
This is my new favorite gadget. I can’t believe how many different ways you can use this amazing product. You can snoot and direct the light, or use the flashbender opened as a bouncing surface. Or try it as a shield to block light from part of your frame. Also, when you are shooting in macro, or with extension tubes, shape the metal bands to form a tube that curves the light down on your close-up object(s).
Then when you velcro the diffuser panel on the outside of the flash, you have a portable softbox that delivers results comparable to the large soft boxes, umbrellas and large stands. Plus you can use your tripod and not have to haul any of the large gear around with you on location. Furthermore, the wind does not tend to catch this smaller softbox and blow things over. The quality, versatility and portability of this Large Rogue Flashbender and Diffuser kit are the three top reasons to buy this kit. Then you need to check out the smaller kit to use as a second light for your background, and the honeycomb grid will serve nicely as a hair light. And also try the gels to add color accents.
4. Neewer 160 LED Dimmable – Portable Continuous Light for $38
Every photographer and videographer needs a portable continuous light in their bag, without spending an arm and a leg. Compare this unit to others with the same output for about $350. This is battery operated, and you can buy a rechargable camera battery or use double AAs. It also comes with three diffusion panels in various colors to give some white balance options. Think of all the times you need to shoot in low light… at wedding receptions, dinners, parties, etc. You can really light things up when this unit is turned on high, or dim it down for a soft glowing accent light. 
For the best tips on how to use your flash and lighting accessories, I recommend Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Book 2:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0321524764/ref=as_li_ss_til?tag=caryesplphot-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=0321524764&adid=18ATZWHBYGJBMSDG6ZP3&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.carynesplin.com%2Flight-painting-tools%2F%3Fpreview%3Dtrue%26preview_id%3D4041%26preview_nonce%3D7bcab37035
Have fun with this versatile and portable lighting kit!
in regards to the YN-560 Speedlight Flash, does that extra 10% really make a difference, and if yes, in what situations?
I’ve got a flash with about the same power, and I don’t think I’ve ever shot with full power. If you were in a situation where you needed that extra 10%, it would be cheaper to buy two YN-560s than a Nikon or Canon flash anyway.
Under #2. are you suggesting the large flash bender kit, the small flash bender kit and a honey comb grid plus 3 yn560 flashes for a 3 light kit?
Also do you prefer the original YN560 flash or the newer YN560 II flash?
In addition to these I was wondering if there is a remote shutter release that you prefer? Thanks so much for your help!
I love using the Flashbender setup as a 3-light kit, if you want to keep things portable for traveling. It gives amazing results for the size. The newer YN560 II flash has a faster recovery, so I prefer if for macro water drop photography when I have to have better synch. But for most flash photography, the older YN560 works great especially if you can afford to get three flashes. However I think one of them should be the newer II model. It is only what.. about $30 more. So I like to pack two of the older units and one newer one, so I have one that can work for faster synch when I need it. (not very often.) I hope this helps. Any remote will work fine. They all have different features, but I use the basic Nikon remote and it was under $20. Good luck!