you can narrow by partially closing the umbrella. that is what photographers like Joe McNally did. Westcott also offers umbrella with cover that you use the limit the spread of light

BEST umbrella tutorial I've ever seen! Thanks so much for this!

Love my umbrellas-portable/versatile/cheap! One hint- you will get a wider light spread by using a different reflector on your strobe- the 'standard' that you had on limits the light spread too much for the 70" (necessitating you having someone hold the umbrella- not very practical!)- I use a wider angle reflector for that reason with umbrellas....

I use shoot thru umbrellas for group shoots out of the studio. easy to set up. even light across the group. Thanks for sharing

This is seriously legit. I'd only considered umbrellas when I want flat even lighting everywhere, like in certain commercial jobs. But this is a great primer on how to use them to sculpt lighting the way I would normally do with softboxes and other more directional modifiers. This is great because there's one advantage to umbrellas that you didn't mention: they're very quick to set up. So this will help when I'm pressed for time, and don't want to waste any of it pitching tents on the set.

I love shooting with umbrellas. When I am on a ediorial shoot with a client, it is like having a portable window with you. Looks totally natural and you get perfect light every time

Great video. I use a 70" on a separate stand from the light, otherwise it wants to tip everything over because the center of gravity isn't over the shaft of the stand, even with a large stand. Takes up a little more space and requires another stand, but I don't worry as much about it falling over.

Wow I watched sooo many lighting videos this was the BEST & easy example straight to the point with examples side by side I finally understand thank you ❤

Nice video. One thing about a shoot through is that it's easier the umbrella closer to the subject than a bounce umbrella, just because of the umbrella shaft direction of the shoot through is pointing away from the subject.

Great reminder of why umbrellas are so versatile and useful. I routinely combine umbrellaed lights WITH softboxed lights to take advantage of their characteristics. Also, umbrellas with front diffusers give you some of the added control of a softbox with umbrella versatility and cost. Great video, thanks J.P.

Love this video...its so true people start with umbrellas then forget about them as they move to soft boxes (thats me) but recently started using them again. They are great light modifiers. Thanks for another superb video.

Umbrellas are good for time-constraint location photography, such as a wedding or family shoot in the park. Chuck a Godox magnetic head speedlite on a stand with a dome diffuser and shoot it into an umbrella. You don't want the couple and everyone to have to wait for you to set up your giant octobox. Speed is essential as you are providing an experience for them, not just nice pictures.

Umbrellas are the perfect answer for outdoor lighting in sunlight and overcast. Use umbrellas to to follow the light. * Ambient rim lighting can be extended with an umbrella and strobe. * Flag or diffuse the umbrella and strobe over the point of the sun.

So grateful for this channel. I recently graduated from art school (not for film, but I dabble in it) and I’m currently starting my first ever project without access to my school’s photo department & all its equipment. So great to see what I can do for cheap & how to do it instead of thinking I can’t do anything without replicating the expensive collection of equipment at college.

I admire her keeping the lovely smile all the way through ❤

Regan is so cute and gorgeous! 😍

Always learn so much from Jay P! He is always so clear and concise, and the SUPER HELPFUL comparison shots really illustrate differences. Thank You!

Hi TSL fam! Does your studio lighting suck? Have you tried using umbrellas for photoshoots? So many questions! Answer mine and I'll be here to answer yours! - Jay P

"#4: They're smaaaall!" He say's with a 7ft. umbrella behind him. Lol

oh my gosh she is ADORABLE

I've been using umbrellas and getting harsh lighting on people's skin (shiny skin with pores way too visible), and I couldn't figure out why for the longest time. 2:51 really explained that for me. Such an easy thing to get wrong. Glad I found this video!

I didn't expect the shoot-through umbrella to be more directional than the white interior!

As an umbrella fan I have to say this is one of the best video's explaining the goods and bads of umbrellas and the difference between fabrics and shooting inside and through them. Chapeau and thanks for sharing.

My favorite channel. I love umbrellas but may get a soft box to experiment.

The one CRITICAL thing not discussed or tested is the distance of the umbrella to the subject: think inverse square law. I find the distance more important kind of umbrella material. A large (70") shoot thru as close as possible to the subject is just about as soft and flattering as it gets: nothing beats a big, bank of light close to the subject.

Tons of thanks for these tips! Helped me to decide to go for the umbrellas - soft wide-spread light is exactly what I need.

I am a new photographer and I really enjoy and learn a ton from your videos and they always make me laugh! Thank you for your time!!

One of the better videos..I have been struggling with controlling over spill of light on subject and background!!

Really useful, thanks Jay P!

I use the Westcott 7 Feet Silver Parabolic Umbrella with diffuser all the time.

Typically I do video but typically I don't do much since I'm just still getting started and up and running business wise but I've been getting a lot of photography work and need to up my photo kit unlike my video lights which don't get as much use. I'm thinking of getting a large 65" umbrella for one of my B10's to help with quick, even and soft lighting for indoor group photos of HS sports teams. I feel like it's the easiest route to go and like I said they have to be quick. The schools aren't giving you all day to model with the students even if they want to, and they typically do with me. I've seen some examples doing just what I'm planning so I think it's a good choice to quickly light everyone evenly and not have to spend time setting up a larger soft box.

Thank you...best explanation on umbrella lighting. Love the comparison of the different types 👌👏👍😍

Thank you so much for the side by side comparison - so helpful!

And I need to add a very important comment. Excellent tutorial, as ALWAYS.

I was very sceptical about umbrellas, but since I got one.......... I shoot only with it and I love it. In combination with defuser it´s such a beautiful light. Great video btw :).

I only just now discovered your channel and subscribed as I LOVE your breakdown on this. As someone who has done his 10,000+ hours (more like 20,000+) I often shoot with an on camera flash or none at all, or even one umbrella and people ask, "How do you shoot without a ton of lights?" I laugh and ask them, "Do you like Sunrise and Sunsets?" They always nod or say yes. "How many light sources does God use? One, the Sun. Think of me as God with a camera". They laugh but that's just it. We ONLY shoot reflected light, we can't see anything (because it's refracted too when it hits the back of our eye). Red ring L series glass, yeah, the extra stops help, but you give me the prettiest girl you got (like your model for instance) and a flashlight, and I can turn her into a Halloween horror by having her place it under her chin. That said... Umbrellas are my preferred and it's what my mentor, Barry Druxman (MM #2484 and out your way in Woodland Hills) uses and for good reason... his work says it all. Thanks for a masterful tutorial and looking forward in going through the rest of your videos very soon!

Great video as always.. love the way you explain and show the results.. thanks for all the tips and info you kindly share.. jp

Very helpful tutorial on umbrellas. Thanks!

I haven't forgotten umbrellas, I used two of them last week. And Annie Leibovitz would be nobody without her Softlighter which is just an umbrella with a diffuser on the front.

great video. i particularly like the side by side comparisons. it's amazing to see the difference

Thanks a lot for this important and informative video about a very underrated type of light modifier, well done ! I`m an ambitious hobby photographer and a hobby "strobist" since the 1980s and I`m always using speedlites for nearly 80% of my photography under all conditions I like to use normal shoot-through umbrellas either with my speedlites next to my beloved metal beauty dish, I have no softboxes and I don`t miss them so far ... BUT if I want to avoid that the light goes everywhere I cover or wrap the entire construction (umbrella + speedlite) with light-proof black fabric and leave only a part of the umbrella free to transform the umbrella into a "softbox", maybe with the small flash diffusor cap on the head of the speedlite which comes with most speedlites ... maybe you have to attach a light rod from the upper edge of the umbrella to the head of the speedlite to prevent the fabric from shading or blocking the flashing light ... works fine for me and especially in small spaces with bright walls and ceiling around ... and this "construction" is very handy and very usefull if you have no "real" softbox available or if you`re on a budget for full length portraits I use two shoot-through umbrellas with the same light stand, one attached on top as normal and the second one attached with a Manfrotto Cold Shoe Spring Clamp in the middle of the stand, both speedlites in the same group and triggered and controlled as one, if needed I`m using two of these constructions, one on each side of the model, one as main light / key light and the other one only to brighten up shadows

also, in winter, they keep you DRY, ie: shade you from the rain outside, or in Summer, from the harsh sunlight.

I bring one on every shoot though sometimes I don't use them. I have a shoot on Saturday and I'm leaving the 24x32 inch softbox and 12 x 36-inch stip-bank at home and going with umbrellas.

This is so helpful, thank you! Love the comparisons

great stuff! I own just one 60x60 softbox as mainly use umbrellas, small and very large, shoot thru and reflective - and just got today to try out a reflective umbrella with a cover on it should make things a bit smoother still!

Thanks for the tutorials. Very helpful!

umbrellas are awesome i have all kinds of lighting boxs dishes grids n stuff ! but an umbrella goes in a backpack tripod bag , to narrow the throw bounce light off it , good for outdoors in mountains where carrying extra crud is a pain in the neck litterally ! , plain white please , to increase to affect of moonlight on long exposures ,

Here is an interesting note: With strong light sources coming from one side I have noticed repeatedly that one of the subject's eyes (the one opposite to the light source) drifts so their eyes point in different directions. You can see that effect in most of these (but I believe more prominently in 3:48 than 7:55) - I believe there is some fascinating biological explanation for that, but for now it's just a fascinating observation I've made on several occasions. Wow, I love how these shoot throughs soften the specular highlight on the forehead.

one of the best tutorials on the subject of umbrellas :D

I love my umbrellas and use them all the time in my little portable studio. When I'm in a professional studio I'm lost trying to use any other light. When I ask anybody to tell me if my photos were taken in my little portable studio or a professional studio they can't tell the difference.

I love umbrellas there inexpensive easy to setup ,transport

Another great video J.P. I haven't ventured into the world of Softbox and I'm not too sure if I need to. So far umbrellas have worked alright for me. I like the effect of natural lighting they provide. Keep up the great work and thank you for your time😁👍

obrigada e parabéns pela animação. kisses from Brazil

Great video, your umbrella videos always remind me WHY in the world am I carrying all of this stuff(large soft boxes) on jobs when umbrella will do the job, thanks so much

Didn’t know that silver umbrellas are more directional by nature 😲☂️

Now that's a wondrous video!!!

Perfect explained and very helpfull as well. Thanks for your effort. I directly subscribed ... 👍

Thanks for bigging up umbrellas!

That was very informative! Well done.

Great video as everyone stated prior! Thank you so much!

I'm surprised at the lack of light hitting the background. That was the main reason I did not want to use an umbrella. You may have saved me some money on my next modifier :)

Great advice, thank you and greetings from Puerto Rico!

Umbrellas suck if you're in a cramped room with white walls. Light bounces everywhere and your control is limited. Definitely useful but more limited than say, softboxes. Also, umbrellas are quite restricted in shape, meaning that you can't have a perfectly round or rectangular reflection in a product/eye.

I started doing, closing the umbrella so it narrows down the beam of light, simulating harder light/snooted light...

You can put a grid on an umbrella.Try !

But the 70" umbrella linked costs over $4k! For the price of it on B&H, you could get over 200 of the 40" umbrellas. It does make a great soft picture though.

Great example comparisons!

There are only 2 kinds of people who use umbrellas-people with no idea what they are doing or people who know exactly what they are doing. All kidding aside the best thing about umbrellas is there is no diffusion material. This can give me specular highlights. Top end Beauty and Fashion photogs use them as a result. Softboxes are lazy 'average' light. Big BRON Paras...are just an umbrella really. Learning to light is a lifetime endeavor.

I’m conflicted cuz I want the white umbrella but a silver one would be perfect too 😢

I'd call the results he's getting acceptable but a bit flat for my own taste, which runs toward Rembrandt lighting. All I can say is the first time I used a grid I felt like I finally had the directionality and control I wanted. I may do some more experimenting at home but I probably won't be using shoot-throughs at least much for portraits any more-too much spillage. If you can't control the light you're not really lighting, is how I see it.

This needed to be a 30 min tut. You barely touched on how deeply you place the light source into the umbrella changes the quality of light. Not mentioned is that there is no law that says that you need to fully open an umbrella. A partially open umbrella now throws a different type of light, almost focused. And then there are umbrellas with removable backs so the can switch from reflective to shoot through. And if you only half remove the back... So, yeah, umbrellas are massively underrated. Except when they turn into sails outdoors. Very versatile.

Thank you.

Great video! Any info on that black/white flag you are using at 2:22 ?

Thank you

Very interesting and informative video. I'm curious to know which Godox light you used in this video and at what power level were you shooting? Thanks in advance...

Brilliant video once again!

Awesome, How can I rig it to the stand without using the flash, because I want to use it in exterior shooting to soften harsh sunlight

The reflector on the flash must be smaller when using umbrellas

So which one would you buy first?

What's the difference between black silver coated and white umbrellas

I like the look of the shoot throughs. Thoughts on shoot throughs vs soft box? Thanks JP

Is there something you don’t know??! 😂 you are the Master

Question. Can you use the black side of a black umbrella as a flag?

Have you tried a different reflector, like the Cheetahstand 'Hubcap' to help fill the entire area of larger umbrellas?

​ @The Slanted Lens Thank you for sharing this ;-) QUICK QUESTION: I want to have a good versatile modifier to use for branding photoshoots indoor and in dfferent environments. It has to catch the person and the environment/room (not necessarily the entire room but like for instance a ceramist working in her workspace - close ups and full body + a bit of environmen.). I have already a white shoot-through umbrella around 100 cm and a Godox 120 cm octabox. I am considering getting a 135/150 cm white interior bounce umbrella (doin't know what it's called but where the flash is pointing in to the umbrella and not towards the model) with diffusion since I have an idea this would spread the light better than the two options I have now and use for other purposes. What are your thoughts? For lights I have 1 Godox AD 600B + 1 Godox AD200.

Thanks for sharing this. What about a 30" reflector umbrella + diffusion? Not sure what is it exactly called, umbrellas softbox? Would it get better light quality, with less space? I am new to lighting. I noticed in a lot videos with regard to continuous LED lighting, people just throw on all kinds of softbox with bare LEDG lights. Why not put on the reflector which can generate lot of light and use an umbrella softbox? There might be some limitations I don't know, or that layer of diffusion doesn't help much?

Would a diffuser on the front be the same a shoot thru umbrella?

Thank you :)

slam dunk! I had to stop to give you thumbs-up just off your title. Great job...

How about group portraits with shoot through? Since they throw the light everywhere. Any advice on lighting ratios doing such?

You guys are awesome

Hi I have an AD400Pro, what would be the best reflector to have on it, when using it with the umbrella? The one that comes built in or something that looks more like what's in your video or something else?

False. You can throw a grid on them... Some of them anyways. They have come out with these "umbrella softbox" hybrids. It folds out and sets up like an umbrella but it has the ability to throw on a sheet of diffusion and even some grids. They come in a BUNCH of sizes as well.

Could you please help me to choose? Im just a beginner. I have a crop camera, and just bought a light 300w light. Want to take some pictures of my familly. Or film a interview for two people sitting next to each other. As i have a crop camera- i get less light in. Should i take silver umbrella then? But also if i put on diffuser on silver umbrella as i want a softer light - How much f stop i loose with or without diffuser? Maybe i should go for white reflective umbrella then? A bit confused and cant find an answer

I just got my new Umbrellas in the mail and i was real excited. But then i turned them on and started doing a test video recording. I looked like a monster :( I had a white wall directly behind me. Maybe a foot away. After doing some research, I tried again. This time with a wall about 10 feet away. Much better, thank God. I guess the close wall bounced everywhere and showed shadows on my Face.

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I am not even watching this video.... dropped a like just for the title😂🤣

Why you dont take out sile

Hi Jay, I have a quick question. I'm an amateur photographer starting to dabble in studio lighting. Which one would you recommend for starters: a black and white reflective parabolic umbrella with diffusion cover or a white diffusion parabolic umbrella?

What type of reflector is that