Using Umbrellas as Light Modifiers

Video Transcript

"Hi! I'm Joey Gunz and you can check me out on line at www.joeygunz.com. I'm here today to talk to you about 14 of our 16 part series on improving your photography and today's subject matter deals with the category light modification. Well we are going to talk about our handy dandy umbrellas. No ladies and gentlemen, it's not raining in the studio and I'm not wet but I've got 2 umbrellas. Now umbrellas are a light modification unit and these particular umbrellas will attach to the front of your mono lights, just like so. So you put this in place, the light from your mono light or your flasher will reflect into the umbrella, that light cascades out across your subject and it creates a broad, very bright light source that really helps to bring out specular highlights. Those little areas of cascading light that go across your subject skin. So if you really want to get on set and do some real professional light modification, get you a couple of umbrellas, these things are relatively inexpensive, you can beat them up, comes in a variety of sizes to fit whatever your need is. Now remember you want to be creative. You can use this white one as a shoot through, you can aim this thing to your strobe directly through it and put it on your subject to get a different type soft light or you can turn it around and shoot your light into it and let it reflect back down onto your subject. So just remember basic light modification of an umbrella, they pack up really small, really nice, you can take them on location, they are cheap and inexpensive and you really can't go wrong with them. So I'm Joey Gunz. Be sure to check me out on line at www.joeygunz.com. For Expert Village, I'll see you next time."