One direct flash at 28 inches (a random distance, seemed about right).
Harsh - the usual sharp dark shadows. Some reflections on the eggs. The contrasty light shows the detail of the imperfections of the egg shell surface (this example is like human skin imperfections and wrinkles). Note that a speedlight flash head is a very SMALL diameter light source.
So this is the problem.
Click an image to see a larger image
(More additional detail there, and you can page through this material there too - recommended, more text is there - but come back here and scroll down too)
One 40x32 inch double diffused softbox, fabric at 18 inches.
Note the reflections on dish in front of eggs are reflections, not shadows. The shadows are soft and vague (under dish, for example). The large light source wraps light around the eggs and under the dish. The way it does that is because the 40 inch softbox (or umbrella) is 18 inches from the 7 inch dish (big and close), so light comes to the egg from the left and from the right, and from every which way, which fills its own shadow. This is how large light sources work, by being close in order to become relatively large. And large is what makes soft. The softness smooths skin, which is good for portraits.
There are reflections of the eggs on the dish, but notice the soft light also lightens the dark canyon between the eggs.
One 45 inch shoot-through umbrella, fabric center at 18 inches.
Very nearly the same light as the softbox (but curved shoot-through umbrella edges are not as close as the flat panel softbox). The egg shell texture is minimized (no shadows to show it), and especially notice how the light wraps around the dark end of the eggs (more than in 1 because this is large, and more than in 4 and 5 because this is close). Imagine this contour was a nose or chin or cheek on a face. This "wrap around" is what soft light is, and large and close make it happen.
And this is just one light. Two umbrellas can essentially eliminate all shadows. The second fill umbrella near the lens axis really helps minimize wrinkles.
One 45 inch reflected umbrella, fabric at 40 inches (a distance not exceeding the umbrella diameter by much).
Almost as good, and 18 inches is not always practical. The greater distance fills less well than if it were closer, the shadows are slightly darker, but the difference is subtle. The umbrella shaft does prevent it being as close as shoot-through can be, but reflected is a wider light for larger subjects. As close as possible always applies, and the umbrella "diameter" is a typical close distance for portraits - the sitting subject typically can reach out and touch the light stand pole of the main light (not the fill however, it has to be more back with the camera to be out the way of the lens).
One 45 inch reflected umbrella, fabric at ten feet.
Shadows darker yet, not bad, still better than a direct light, but fading fast. The light source is becoming small at ten feet, and this hurts softness. But groups do require a greater distance, for the wider width of the light beam to cover them. However closer is always better when it is possible (closer to be a relatively larger light source). Do not place the umbrellas at ten feet for a head and shoulders portrait. Should ordinarily be about as close as possible. However too close means the light falls off fast behind the subject. 12 or 18 inches will have little depth behind, but 30 or 40 inches is pretty reasonable.
One speedlight directly bounced on ten foot ceiling. Flash was pointing up about six feet distant from the eggs. The light is even more flat and even, has much appeal, but it is coming from overhead. Which is sometimes appropriate, but maybe not for portraits.
The ceiling is more than 7 feet above the eggs, but the ceiling is larger than the umbrella to compensate, and a large light is what works. Bounce flash is an extremely powerful general purpose tool, however umbrellas are easier to aim than ceilings.
