Shoot through or translucent umbrellas can be cheap, quick to set up and ultra portable light modifiers. Compared to just the basic flash, an umbrella can radically alter and dramatically improve your lighting and in this video photographer Gavin Hoey shows you exactly how it’s done.
Starting with a simple lighting set-up that would work great for moving subjects (such as pet photography or fast moving kids) Gavin refines the position and power of his single umbrella and speedlight to get control over the light on his model and the background in his small home studio. In total Gavin shares four different looks that you can easily achieve using just one flash and a single shoot though umbrella.
Want to learn more about portrait photography and lighting? Check out these guides on 42 West:
- Softbox vs. Umbrella: Which One Should You Use?
- Best Lighting Kits for Photography in 2021
- How To Shoot Golden Hour Portraits with the FlashPoint XPLOR 600
- How to Control the Lighting in Portrait Photography
- Lens in Focus: Audrey Woulard’s Favorite Nikon Portrait Lens
PRODUCTS USED:
- Olympus E-M1 Mark ii
- Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro
- Glow EZ Lock Wing-Like Umbrella (60″”)
- Zoom Li-ion Speedlight
- Glow S-Type Speedlite Bracket With Bowens S-Mount
- Flashpoint R2 TTL Transmitter
- Sekonic L-308X-U
- Flashpoint 10’ C-Stand and Boom Arm
PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT USED:
- Olympus E-M1 Mark ii
- Olympus M. Zuiko Digital 17mm f/1.8 Lens
- Olympus LS-P4 Audio Recorder
- Sennheiser Wireless Lavalier Microphone System
- Godox 100W LED light
