The light has to be positioned properly, your aim needs to be on, and you need to use more exacting control of light to umbrella distance to control the focus point.īecause umbrellas are so forgiving, their falloff is very smooth, unlike a para or a soft box where the falloff is quite abrupt. For this reason I never recommend parabolic umbrellas because to get decent light from them is a lot more work. If your umbrella aim is a bit off, you won’t notice because a regular umbrella does not have a focus point. Silver provides the advantage of more working distance.Ī general umbrella is very forgiving. White is less reflective so you need the umbrella in closer than with silver for the same exposure, but because it requires the umbrella to be closer you may find that because the source (umbrella diameter) is now closer, the light is softer. When looking at the reflective option, you will have a choice between white or silver for the internal lining. This means that it can be used as a reflective umbrella and as a shoot through umbrella. I will always recommend that your first umbrella be a 2 in 1 design. Fibreglass flexes, but metal bends and once bent the wrong way, it’s trash can time. I also prefer fibreglass rods to form and hold the umbrella shape over metal. From a construction perspective, I recommend a metal centre shaft that is more solid than hollow. When looking at an umbrella, you do not have to spend a lot of money. It works with hotshoe flash, strobes and even LED lights if they have enough power to light the subject effectively. The umbrella is the fastest, simplest to use and most forgiving of all light shapers. In the last month I have done a session on why every photographer should have an umbrella in their kit for the KelbyOne CommunityLIVE! web show and a presentation and live demonstration for my local camera club.
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