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umbrella

How to control a 7-foot umbrella modifier and create beautiful ultra-soft light

Jul 19, 2022 by Alex Baker Add Comment
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What’s the most versatile piece of equipment you own? Aside from something like clips, I’d venture that it could be the umbrellas you have sitting in the back of your closet. It’s pretty usual when we start to learn studio lighting and off camera flash that we start out using umbrellas as modifiers, for a number of reasons. Then you decide to get a bit fancy and they are relegated in favour of things like octoboxes, parabolic softboxes and the like.

But the humble umbrella really can create remarkable portraits. In this video from The Slanted Lens, Jay P. Morgan shows us how he uses giant seven foot umbrellas, and tells us why they are a great modifier.

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Create magical portraits using just one umbrella with these 5 different set ups

May 20, 2022 by Alex Baker 3 Comments
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It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with options when you first get started on artificial lighting. There seem to be so many tutorials out there for four or five light setups. But many of us begin shooting with natural light, and often from a single light source (ie. a window). It stands to reason then, that the easiest way to learn to shoot strobes is to begin with just one light.

In this video, photographer Emily Teague shows us five different setups using just one umbrella light. There’s no shame in only using one light if you know what you’re doing to manipulate it. Often the results are incredibly beautiful, and if you’re on location there’s something to be said for bringing less gear with you!

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Glow has launched a new range of windproof lighting umbrellas

Jul 23, 2021 by John Aldred 3 Comments
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Umbrellas are probably the most common lighting modifier out there for those who work with speedlights or strobes. They’re lightweight, inexpensive and easy to get hold of. But if you want to get out on location, they all have one pretty fatal flaw. It’s the same flaw that affects umbrellas designed to keep the rain off your head, too. That flaw is wind!

Well, no more. Adorama has developed a line of new Glow windproof lighting umbrellas. Taking advantage of the natural reflectivity of aluminium fabrics, the new umbrellas are available in various shallow, deep and wing-style designs in five sizes from 33″ up to 65″ and use an open weave design to let the wind pass straight through them.

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Security stops photographer from taking photos of umbrellas outside a UK mall

Jul 26, 2019 by Dunja Djudjic 19 Comments
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Earlier this week, 150 umbrellas were put up in Culver Square, a shopping mall in Colchester, Essex, UK. Although photos have been all over Instagram and Facebook, one photographer was recently interrupted by security staff when he pointed his camera to the umbrellas. They allegedly told him that taking photos was forbidden and that he should have permission from the management.

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5 ways to use an umbrella for stunning portraits

Jan 7, 2019 by John Aldred Add Comment
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The umbrella is one of the most underrated modifiers in photography, I think. It’s one of the first that many of us usually encounter once we start working with speedlights or strobes, and Bowens even used to include umbrellas in their strobe kits.

But we often feel that we “outgrow” them, in favour of softboxes and beauty dishes. This video from photographer Miguel Quiles, however, demonstrates that we shouldn’t be so quick to discount umbrellas. He shows us five ways to use umbrellas to get some pretty amazing results.

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Light modifiers compared: when to use beauty dish, softbox or umbrella

Sep 18, 2018 by Dunja Djudjic Add Comment
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There are different ways to modify studio lights and adapt them to your shooting needs. In this video, Manny Ortiz compares three popular modifiers: a beauty dish, a softbox, and an umbrella. He uses all three in the studio to show you what to expect from them and how to use them to achieve a nice, flattering light.

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This “hands free umbrella” is either most genius idea ever for shooting in the rain or the dumbest

Apr 14, 2017 by John Aldred 32 Comments
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Shooting in the rain is a big concern for many photographers. Especially if you live in a country with somewhat unpredictable weather. I’ve shot in the rain plenty of times over the years, but I’m usually using weather sealed equipment that can handle it. In more extreme weather, I’ve even tried some of the DSLR raincoats. Sometimes, though, the raincoat isn’t practical, and I don’t really want to push the limits of that weather sealing.

Now, though, we have another option. The “Nubrella”, a hands-free… well, it says it’s an umbrella, but it’s more a backpack style mobile canopy. It’s a very unusual design, and it likely holds up well to the rigours of rain. But at what cost? How much is your dignity worth to you? Here, let Nubrella founder & CEO, Alan Kaufman, show you how it works.

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Studio portraits: What modifier for what light?

May 10, 2016 by Felix Barjou 4 Comments
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Santa Claus has you spoiled this year by offering you the studio of your dreams?  A kit of flashes, a backdrop support and even more rolls of paper?  It only remains to push the furniture in your living room out of the way to turn it into studio worthy of the name!

A single point hurts you in spite of all the new material, you do not know what light modifier to choose?

Beauty dish, softbox, stripbox, reflector bowl, umbrellas of all kinds and sizes, flash ring, etc…  It is a bit like choosing a new car, many choices but which really matches my expectations?

No worries, I’d be your dealer today to guide you by showing you the difference in all these modifiers!

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Use A 3D Printed Strobe Mount To Get Your Strobe 89% on Axis

Dec 31, 2015 by Udi Tirosh 10 Comments
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A few days ago we shared a cool way to mount a strobe to a tree using a 3D printed “dog bone” and a strap. It used a cool housing for the strobe that placed the strobe 100% on axis which was very cool. We actually got some mails about that flash mount from the video so we asked Chris Cameron for the brand.

Chris told us that it was not a bought mount, but that he printed it himself  and he agreed to share the (redesigned and improvbed) file with DIYP readers. YAY!!!

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Comparing 7 Common Light Modifiers

Apr 27, 2015 by Robert Mitchell 15 Comments
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Guest post by Robert Mitchell. Hit the bottom of the post to see his links.

When assembling a lighting kit, it’s very difficult to know which modifiers are best for the type of work you want to do, and sometimes you don’t know or are discovering what you want to shoot. There are reflectors, umbrellas, square and rectangular softboxes, octabanks and a wide variety of accessories to shape and alter the quality of light.

So how do you know what’s best for you?

In many cases you don’t. If you have no experience then you don’t have any preferences formed and most of the tech talk is of no use to you and makes little sense. One person’s preference may not at all be what you like and it may not work within your budget.

I’ve chosen 7 common light modifiers of varying sizes and shapes, and I’m using modifiers that are , for the most part, inexpensive. Nothing very small and nothing terribly large. This is not an in-depth review, nor is it a light modifier showdown.

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Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

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