Orbis Flash System £179, $210

www.enlightphotopro.com

The ring flash is a firm favourite among fashion photographers wanting the most flattering illumination with minimal shadows. Dedicated ring flashes are pricey propositions, but the Orbis creates the same effect from your flashgun, funnelling its flash-burst into a ring of light surrounding your camera lens.

To use it you’ll have to hang your flashgun below the camera (using the Orbis Arm bracket included), and you’ll also need a flash cable to connect your flash to your camera. The end result is a pretty unwieldy set-up that’ll certainly exercise your arms on long shoots, but the quality of light is worth the workout; a conventional softbox modifier can’t match the supersoft, near-shadowless output of the Orbis, and its ability to help you shoot stunning portrait shots.