A "Ring Flash" can be a very handy modifier to have in your bag of tricks. I was commissioned to photograph the Assistant VP & Branch Executive Economist at the Denver Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Beside shooting what I would consider the safe shot (a standard portrait), I placed my subject into a narrow elevator and photographed her there.
An elevator is a wonderful place to consider shooting your subject, often the interior of an elevator is the nicest looking area in an office environment. The brushed metal interior and the pattern on the back wall made for a perfect backdrop for this portrait.
Using a ring flash in this instants made sense to me. A ring flash is a light modifier which fits around the lens on your camera, it produces shadow-less light. Well nearly no shadows, unless your subject is inches away from a wall. The resulting shadow would look like a cookie cutter shadow around the subject.
An elevator is a very narrow space, no room for typical light stands or modifiers for lighting the subject. The ring flash by it's very nature, places the highlight or reflection of the light source directly around the subject. This actually helped me to focus the attention of the viewer directly at the subject.