The Magsphere is an incredible tool that can lead to some pretty amazing images.  The truth is that this tool is often used incorrectly.  There is a misperception that the Magsphere will actually soften the light you are using on your subjects, and that is actually incorrect.

The Magsphere works in two distinct ways. First, it allows light to be spread out in a 360° angle. This is incredibly useful in a variety of situations. For instance, you would want to use it to make the light spread out to light up a room and increase the ambient light to flash ratio. Another way you could potentially use it would be to backlight rain or smoke as you can see in the video above.

The second way that the mag spear works is that it diffuses light coming from a speed light that uses a Fresnel lens. The light that comes from a Fresnel lens is typically specular in nature which means that it reflects highlights back from the subject into the camera. This can create unflattering...