What do you think of this type of umbrella? Is it worth the money?

I’m on a tight budget, but would like to buy an umbrella for off-camera Flash Photography. Is it better to buy two umbrellas: one reflective and one translucent, or a dual one as in the photo (follow link)? What do you think about the latter?

Just buy the reflective umbrella, shoot through umbrellas waste light (you need every photon you can get and then some when shooting outdoors), and can pick up colour casts off walls and ceilings indoors. Reflective are much more directional and controllable, if the reflector is silver it will be direct light, if it’s white it will give softer shadows. but absorb some flash power – see below.

With umbrellas (and soft-boxes too) size matters, the larger the light source compared to the subject’s size the softer the shadows will be. If you can get one with a diffuser or make a diffuser for it, you have a portable soft-box, the mainstay of camera lighting.

Chris

Shooting with a translucent umbrella

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