Accessory for flash photography

Claim 1

An accessory for a photographic flash cube or flash bar having a structure dimensioned to fit on said flash cube or bar in any one of a number of positions, said structure comprising a number of light-controlling plates of which a first plate is formed with a lens to concentrate the light from a flash unit, and a second plate is constructed to transmit only a proportion of the light from a flash unit, said second light-controlling plate having a light diffusing surface on which is formed a pattern of light-interrupting areas, said first and second plates being located over a flash unit of the said flash cube or bar in a first and a second of the said positions of the structure, respectively, said structure comprising a hollow cube member molded of a synthetic plastics material which is substantially transparent, said cube member having four sides and an open bottom end for close fitting placement over a flash cube with any desired one of the four sides covering the front face of the flash cube, said first plate being a first side of said cube member and having formed therein a Fresnel lens for concentrating the light from the flash cube to increase illumination of a distant photographic subject, said second plate being a second side of said cube member and incorporating a first pattern of barlike elements defining said pattern of light-interrupting areas, the third side of said cube member having a further pattern of barlike elements to transmit a lesser proportion of the light from the flash unit, the fourth side of said cube member being at least substantially transparent to permit unmodified flash cube light output therepast, whereby the cube member can remain on the flash cube for illuminating photographic subjects in the range of distances therefrom including distances greater than, less than, and equal to the normal distance for flash cube operation, subject to reorientation on the flash cube in accord with the subject distance for a given photograph, the second side having a matt diffusing surface and said barlike elements comprise a series of opaque parallel bars printed on such matt diffusing surface, the area of said second side covered by said bars being such as to reduce the light output to about 50 percent of that through said fourth side, said third face also having a matt diffusing surface, said barlike elements of said third face comprising an opaque grid of intersecting bars printed on the matt diffusing surface thereof and covering such an area of said third side as to reduce the light output theRethrough to about 25 percent of that through said fourth side.