I bought a NEEWER kit of 2 shoot-thru, 2 reflectives and 2 lighting stands for about £25 / $30. I use Yongnuo flashes and triggers. The whole setup cost about £120 /$150 and produces great results. OK it's not Pro studio gear but is gets you started for a quarter the price of a Canon Speedlight.
Another winning tutorial Gavin 👍 Hands up all those who, like me, have almost took their eye out with the pointy end of the umbrella because they didn't see it sticking out 😁
Gavin, thanks for a great umbrella study. I have no soft boxes and use only umbrellas and reflectors with successful results. But only by watching this video have I seen an analysis of the variety and depth of their contribution. I should have known an umbrella video by Gavin Hoey would go way beyond my simplistic approach of "stick it there, shoot from here." Always learning from you, man, and enjoying every minute of it! Thank You! ⭐x5
We did a directory for my church. I am an amateur... completely. I chose the shoot through type umbrella... two of them. What I was looking for was lighting families so your comment of...flat, safe, sensible.....even lighting fit well and we got lucky. The directory worked and there were no complaints. I think I'll order the same size umbrella in the reflective type and give it a try. Fun video and best of all ... informative. I really didn't get to try the type of photography you did in this video.
One of my biggest goals as I'm learning studio lighting is to really make informed decisions as to what modifiers I want to use for a given situation. Videos like this really help, thank you so much!
Thanks for the video Gavin; very insightful. Always struggled with studio photography and when to use which umbrella, so this refresher was very useful!
Hey Gavin. I think you "covered" everything perfectly in this video. I like umbrellas myself, specifically shoot through. 👍. Thanks for sharing this one.
Dog gone it, as usual, you explained AND showed us how to properly use our equipment, including advantages and disadvantages of each. If dummies like me can comprehend your points, anyone can. Well done, yet again, Mr. Hoey!
Gavin you're my favorite Adorama guy and Sophie is amazing, she is now my favorite model on youtube. I like the fact that you take all these awesome photos with an Olympus.
Thanks for the kind words. Sounds like your on the right path to realising that for studio flash work, the lights are doing almost all of the work and the camera is along for the ride 😉
@@GavinHoey Yes Gavin and I really enjoy your studio flash series. I’m half way there and still need to master and refine lighting techniques. But you give me a lot of great ideas as my studio is almost the same size as yours.
I believe that your videos are not only instructive and easy to watch, funny but, they feel real since things not always go perfectly smooth. Regarding umbrellas you also have the reflective white ones that are not specular. My suggestion is that you include them in any new umbrella tutorial. Also how the size and form of the umbrella affects the light
Hey great video! Could you tell me which it the brightest option or the least amount of light lost? From what Im gathering from the video -the face section looks to be the same, But the wall test would suggest the reflective umbrella was brighter
Excellent video, thank you to everyone in the team! What you also regularly demonstrate is the need to start slowly, test and evaluate/understand each new technique or gear. It is so tempting when one only has a 10 or 60-minute slot, to just rush in, set up the model and shoot away.
Great vid as always, thanks Gavin! I recently started to shoot outdoor portraits with lightthrough umbrella and i got to say it makes life way easier especially when you deal with some weather conditions.
Thanks again for another helpful video. I appreciated the test shots showing the difference in lighting modifiers on the wall. I'm always glad to see one of your videos popup in my notifications list.
Great video as always. I see a double shadow on nose of the reflective umbrella image in your side by side, similar to what you said of the reflective pattern on the wall. Good to know to be on the lookout for that.
Man you are good ! What more can I say? Other than why after more than 50 years taking pictures (I am a hobbyist not a professional) I always go back to basics and end up with my faithful umbrellas and leave my other modifiers on the shelf (to mate I guess) and somehow they end up producing more modifiers that I never use.........Incredible, no?
Awesome! Simple and helpful explanation. My camera store sent me a Shoot through umbrella when i ordered a white reflective umbrella! So I'm pleased to know I only lost one stop of light as I was using the umbrella the wrong way around!! I'll experiment with a reflector and shoot through umbrella and see what i can get. Quite keen to learn what umbrellas or light modifiers to use when shooting large groups outdoors (flash as fill, daylight as key), e.g a wedding group.
At about 6:27 you show photos of your light modifiers that illustrate how the strobe shines outside them. This is the best way to investigate how your umbrellas work. Adding to that, with soft boxes and reflectors, I would test shoot each light modifier (for each of its variants, like one diffusion panel, two diffusion panels, no diffusion) at, say, 2 meters or ~7 feet distance from a white wall and with the camera documenting the light circle/blob these variants put out. Then in your image processing software you can see how the light fall off happens. If you place a measurement indication on the white wall, then you have an easy size reference as well as an indication of how the vignetting evolves. The differences between different size modifiers will surprise you. And, as you measure the light output, you can place your camera at the test position of the light modifier and get an idea of the angle of the light output. Yes, that is in absence of proper modeling light.
Thanks Patty. Shoot throughs make great fill lights 👍
3 ปีที่แล้ว +1
Always interesting, entertaining and well presented. I enjoy watching them even when it’s about something I already know. One thing that never fails to be mentioned though is that shoot through umbrellas spill light everywhere. I know that’s true. However, it should be noted that much of this spilled light ends up being affected by the inverse square law before it gets back into the picture, same as any other light. So, it’s not necessarily that much of a factor.
Easy to understand and learn from, well done as always. Who would have guessed that Spohie went to a Swiss Finishing School and learnt how to balance books like that ?
Great video. Thanks Gavin! I have an umbrella 2 in 1. It is very convenient to have an umbrella that allows you to take pictures through and reflected. It is also lightweight and easy to carry anywhere.
Hi Adel. I also have several 2 in 1 umbrellas and your 100% right, they are great for travel. But of course I usually want the opposite type of brolly to what it's set-up to shoot! The low cost of umbrellas means I prefer one (or more) of each when working in my small home studio 😉
I have a question about the flash. During the video you kept switching between having the cone on the front of the flash and no cone. It seemed like when actually shooting the model, you always had the cone on, but when demonstrating the light pattern, you had the cone off. When using an umbrella, should you have the cone on the front of the flash? Clearly this would focus the light, but if using an umbrella it seems you would want more diffuse light source to fill up the umbrella. Very helpful video, lots of practical information.
Gavin used an evolv 200 pro with reflector ("cone") when shooting the model, but Explore 300 pro with built-in reflector when showing the pattern on the wall.
Thank you so much for your valuable information, I don't have umbrellas yet, but I'll try do to some exercises with my light bouncers. Greetings from Mexico, I love how didactic are your videos 🤗
Hey Gavin. Great video as always and very instructive, but could you do one with a model that wears glasses as I struggle sometimes with the umbrella showing too much as a reflection. Thanks
Hi, love you tutorials. I notice you have what looks like a small reflector to what I'm guessing is a AD200, or similar. is there an advantage to doing this?
It's nice that Sophie know how to move & pose her hands. When you put the books on her head it reminded me of a youtube Wiener Dog named Harslo the balancing hound from Ireland. Check him out. LOL Nothing as heavy as books but he is a cutie. Nice video guys.
Thanks for all your content. Loved it. Now not to be negative but I thought and learn my self that the level of the metal umbrella insert should be near to the end not the middle and not push closer to light. Due to size and the way light bounds back or go thru the modifiers has lots to manage and to take advantage to the way each of them is being made. Need input. I am sure that will to each photographer taste at the end but I know that the light is much better umbrella being hold the farther from light source. Thanks for any input and definitely you are one of my favorites in this channel.
Hi Roberto. Placing your flash at the end of the umbrella shaft can cause major issues. I cover that very point at 6:10 and demo the pattern of light from both ends of the umbrella... the results may make you do some further testing of your own!
@@GavinHoey thanks. I appreciated it. I got used to place the shaft at the edge like not sticking it all the way in like just barely holding it and yes without falling. I really like your creativity. Thanks so much. I enjoy your videos.
Hey Gavin. Great insight on the umbrellas. Looking at your camera set up in the video it looks as if it is set low. When taking portraits I typically focus on the eye. With your set up are you still focused on the eye?
Great photos, as always. One thing I did notice is how much warmer and brighter Sophie and her sweater were in the video, but they were quite muted in the photos themselves, especially in those where the leaf blower was used. Perhaps this is due to TH-cam compression or something else, but the colour differences are much more noticeable here than in your other videos. Thoughts?
Hi David. The test photos are straight out of camera. The final photos are edited usually in the way I preplanned. In this case we choose the orange jumper as it's a colour that takes desaturation really well.
Apart from all the fantastic images you create the thing I love most of all about your videos is the lack of waffle. Simple demonstrations of the right way to do it but also showing can be incorrect. No long winded facts and figures just simple representations oh and you get to work with awesome models such as Sophie and Jade Lyon.
One of the best instructors of photography on TH-cam. Well done as always.
He is the best
Perfectly efficient tutorial. Thanks for putting this together.
Hands down the best instructor on TH-cam
I bought a NEEWER kit of 2 shoot-thru, 2 reflectives and 2 lighting stands for about £25 / $30. I use Yongnuo flashes and triggers.
The whole setup cost about £120 /$150 and produces great results.
OK it's not Pro studio gear but is gets you started for a quarter the price of a Canon Speedlight.
I never thought I'd be remotely interested in studio photography, but.......... Thank you Gary, I'm enjoying it.
Loved this! Detailed and engaging to watch. Thank you
Another winning tutorial Gavin 👍 Hands up all those who, like me, have almost took their eye out with the pointy end of the umbrella because they didn't see it sticking out 😁
Great video, thank you! Would these techniques work with just a couple of small hot shoe flashes? I don't have the big 300's yet.
Thanks again, you and the models would have a great collection of images from the many shoots you have done.
Gavin, thanks for a great umbrella study. I have no soft boxes and use only umbrellas and reflectors with successful results. But only by watching this video have I seen an analysis of the variety and depth of their contribution. I should have known an umbrella video by Gavin Hoey would go way beyond my simplistic approach of "stick it there, shoot from here." Always learning from you, man, and enjoying every minute of it! Thank You! ⭐x5
I really do like the way Gavin unpacks a photo shoot. Another one to try at home!
Bloody love gavin! Thank you so much for this tutorial,… I’m sat surrounded by tripods, umbrellas, camera, flash, triggers and scratching my head ❤
We did a directory for my church. I am an amateur... completely. I chose the shoot through type umbrella... two of them. What I was looking for was lighting families so your comment of...flat, safe, sensible.....even lighting fit well and we got lucky. The directory worked and there were no complaints. I think I'll order the same size umbrella in the reflective type and give it a try. Fun video and best of all ... informative. I really didn't get to try the type of photography you did in this video.
the leaf blower really added a whole different dimension !
One of my biggest goals as I'm learning studio lighting is to really make informed decisions as to what modifiers I want to use for a given situation. Videos like this really help, thank you so much!
Hi Stephen. You're think about modifiers like me. I have my favourites of course, but there's one modifier that will do everything.
@@GavinHoey I think you meant: there’s “no” one modifier
You are a true magician mate. Been following you for years now.
Sophie is an incredible model! Gavin you have the best videos!
Have been deliberating over which setup to start with, so thanks that was really helpful!
Thanks for the video Gavin; very insightful. Always struggled with studio photography and when to use which umbrella, so this refresher was very useful!
Hey Gavin. I think you "covered" everything perfectly in this video. I like umbrellas myself, specifically shoot through. 👍. Thanks for sharing this one.
Best short video showing how versatile umbrellas really are. Well done.
i love your photography style so much .. U R the best
Great balancing act by Sophie 😁. Fantastic tutorial Gavin 👍
Another great informative video! my first modifier bought is the shoot through umbrella ))))))
Great video Gavin, Sophie looks wonderful as ever. The sound in this post was superb
Thanks Martyn 👍
Thanks, Gavin! Some really important info here.
Fabulous instructional video. Best yet, Gavin. Thank you.
Dog gone it, as usual, you explained AND showed us how to properly use our equipment, including advantages and disadvantages of each.
If dummies like me can comprehend your points, anyone can.
Well done, yet again, Mr. Hoey!
Thanks Randy. You watched and learned... So you're no dummy IMHO.
Such a great instruction video from the master 👏 I've learned massively from him over the years, big thank you Gavin.
Hi Phillip. I'm glad I've been of help 👍
Thank for making photography easy to understand!
Dude amazing tutorial 🙏🏾🙏🏾
I was wondering if Gavin can do another product photography also? Great instructor!!
You are absolutely the best instructor and photographer!!!!! You make everything so easy 🤓 Thanks for all your efforts and videos.
Gavin you're my favorite Adorama guy and Sophie is amazing, she is now my favorite model on youtube. I like the fact that you take all these awesome photos with an Olympus.
Thanks for the kind words. Sounds like your on the right path to realising that for studio flash work, the lights are doing almost all of the work and the camera is along for the ride 😉
@@GavinHoey Yes Gavin and I really enjoy your studio flash series. I’m half way there and still need to master and refine lighting techniques. But you give me a lot of great ideas as my studio is almost the same size as yours.
As always, you have nailed it yet again. AWESOME JOB.
Loved the book balance pic and the leaf blower!! Great easy tip!!! Thanks
Thanks Annette. I think Sophie made book balancing while modelling look easier then it is!
Wonderful example of both modifiers. Thank you for the inspiration.
Great video really like learning about umbrellas I am a fan of the Wescott FJ 400 Products they are great would like to know what do you use usually
Great refresher on umbrellas. Thanks Gavin!
Mate! Gavin is such an amazing instructor, so easy to watch and learn!
I’m here Gavin! Yay watching lol and learning!
Hi Venus, thanks for watching 👍
Very clear demonstration, Gavin! ...and Sophie is striking, as always. :)
Thanks for the wonderful lesson
Great tutorial. I was looking for this solution because I’m tired of lugging my soft-boxes around, I’m moving to umbrellas. Thanks’
So 👍 beautiful 🌷 and creative use of soft box with umbrella 👍😂nice information 🌷🌷🌷🌷🙏🌷
Thanks a lot Gavin, I thought I knew what type of umbrella I wanted until I saw your video. Now it looks like I'm getting both. Cheers!
I have several of both kinds including an older Larsen Reflectasol square shoot through umbrella. All very useful. Thanks Gavin, Sophie and Sam 😎👍🇨🇦
Sounds like you have more brollys then I do Alan 😁
@@GavinHoey I think I have around 6 of them! 😀
I believe that your videos are not only instructive and easy to watch, funny but, they feel real since things not always go perfectly smooth.
Regarding umbrellas you also have the reflective white ones that are not specular. My suggestion is that you include them in any new umbrella tutorial. Also how the size and form of the umbrella affects the light
Hey great video! Could you tell me which it the brightest option or the least amount of light lost? From what Im gathering from the video -the face section looks to be the same, But the wall test would suggest the reflective umbrella was brighter
Really great video - very informative - Best Wishes Jono.
This was great and very helpful
Great video, thanks Gavin.
Excellent video, thank you to everyone in the team! What you also regularly demonstrate is the need to start slowly, test and evaluate/understand each new technique or gear. It is so tempting when one only has a 10 or 60-minute slot, to just rush in, set up the model and shoot away.
Hi Ian. Thanks for the kind words and you're spot on about building your skills by experience.
Gav is back, yay!
Great vid as always, thanks Gavin! I recently started to shoot outdoor portraits with lightthrough umbrella and i got to say it makes life way easier especially when you deal with some weather conditions.
Thanks again for another helpful video. I appreciated the test shots showing the difference in lighting modifiers on the wall. I'm always glad to see one of your videos popup in my notifications list.
Great video as always. I see a double shadow on nose of the reflective umbrella image in your side by side, similar to what you said of the reflective pattern on the wall. Good to know to be on the lookout for that.
Really enjoyed this Gavin. You make learning so much fun mate. And as always, beautiful images 👍😊
Man you are good ! What more can I say? Other than why after more than 50 years taking pictures (I am a hobbyist not a professional) I always go back to basics and end up with my faithful umbrellas and leave my other modifiers on the shelf (to mate I guess) and somehow they end up producing more modifiers that I never use.........Incredible, no?
Said it before and will say it again, you sir, never cease to amaze! Awesome control with umbrellas, who'd a thought. Thank you for enabling us.
I use 1 shoot thru and 1 white inside bounce umbrella for my portraits..❤
Great video gavin 👏 👍
As usual a great tutorial. Thankyou
Gavin, eres genial, gracias por compartir tus conocimientos, saludos desde Colombia
Awesome! Simple and helpful explanation. My camera store sent me a Shoot through umbrella when i ordered a white reflective umbrella! So I'm pleased to know I only lost one stop of light as I was using the umbrella the wrong way around!! I'll experiment with a reflector and shoot through umbrella and see what i can get. Quite keen to learn what umbrellas or light modifiers to use when shooting large groups outdoors (flash as fill, daylight as key), e.g a wedding group.
At about 6:27 you show photos of your light modifiers that illustrate how the strobe shines outside them. This is the best way to investigate how your umbrellas work.
Adding to that, with soft boxes and reflectors, I would test shoot each light modifier (for each of its variants, like one diffusion panel, two diffusion panels, no diffusion) at, say, 2 meters or ~7 feet distance from a white wall and with the camera documenting the light circle/blob these variants put out. Then in your image processing software you can see how the light fall off happens. If you place a measurement indication on the white wall, then you have an easy size reference as well as an indication of how the vignetting evolves. The differences between different size modifiers will surprise you. And, as you measure the light output, you can place your camera at the test position of the light modifier and get an idea of the angle of the light output. Yes, that is in absence of proper modeling light.
Well done sir.🙏
Thanks for this. I have both. Now I'm going to try to use the shoot through as a fill light. I just love your videos.
Thanks Patty. Shoot throughs make great fill lights 👍
Always interesting, entertaining and well presented. I enjoy watching them even when it’s about something I already know. One thing that never fails to be mentioned though is that shoot through umbrellas spill light everywhere. I know that’s true. However, it should be noted that much of this spilled light ends up being affected by the inverse square law before it gets back into the picture, same as any other light. So, it’s not necessarily that much of a factor.
Fair point when the umbrellas are at a distance Pierre. I like to keep mine just out of frame, so on head shots light spill can be an issue.
Thanks really enjoy your informing videos!!!
Do you ever use diffuser for reflective umbrella portrait shots or without is fine.
Very informative thank you!
I love using umbrellas. But I don't get anything as great as you do Gavin. Not yet anyway! One day!!
My top tip Brad... Get the umbrella close to your model and then, move it a little closer!
You are the best and a model is amazing.
Very good, thanks adorama, thanks Gavin.
Easy to understand and learn from, well done as always. Who would have guessed that Spohie went to a Swiss Finishing School and learnt how to balance books like that ?
Hi Alan. Sophie is full of surprises 😁
This is the best video about umbrellas
Great video. Thanks Gavin!
I have an umbrella 2 in 1. It is very convenient to have an umbrella that allows you to take pictures through and reflected. It is also lightweight and easy to carry anywhere.
Hi Adel. I also have several 2 in 1 umbrellas and your 100% right, they are great for travel. But of course I usually want the opposite type of brolly to what it's set-up to shoot! The low cost of umbrellas means I prefer one (or more) of each when working in my small home studio 😉
@@GavinHoey Hi!
Outside the studio, he can save from the rain.😉
I have a question about the flash. During the video you kept switching between having the cone on the front of the flash and no cone. It seemed like when actually shooting the model, you always had the cone on, but when demonstrating the light pattern, you had the cone off. When using an umbrella, should you have the cone on the front of the flash? Clearly this would focus the light, but if using an umbrella it seems you would want more diffuse light source to fill up the umbrella.
Very helpful video, lots of practical information.
Gavin used an evolv 200 pro with reflector ("cone") when shooting the model, but Explore 300 pro with built-in reflector when showing the pattern on the wall.
Can someone tell me what is that tablet you project your tether? PS. thanks fot the nice video Gavin!
This is GREAT! Thank you Gavin for making these videos!
Excellent explanation which is Gavin's hallmark. Great learning 👍
Great video and very educational as always.
Thank you again Gavin, great stuff again .. :)
P.S. Well done Sophie, excellent Book balancing skills 😊
2:35 That is why I use a reflective umbrella but with a white surface inside instead of silver, so it is more diffusing.
Thank you so much for your valuable information, I don't have umbrellas yet, but I'll try do to some exercises with my light bouncers.
Greetings from Mexico, I love how didactic are your videos 🤗
Thanks for another awesome video. Would love to know what those backgrounds are (8:10). Unfortunately, not a word about them in the description.
They're the fluffy rugs that are usually on the floor!
Hey Gavin. Great video as always and very instructive, but could you do one with a model that wears glasses as I struggle sometimes with the umbrella showing too much as a reflection. Thanks
Holy!!! how can I make one of those corner backgrounds? is it fabric? vinyl ?
Hi, love you tutorials. I notice you have what looks like a small reflector to what I'm guessing is a AD200, or similar. is there an advantage to doing this?
Very beautiful video 👌👌
It's nice that Sophie know how to move & pose her hands. When you put the books on her head it reminded me of a youtube Wiener Dog named Harslo the balancing hound from Ireland. Check him out. LOL Nothing as heavy as books but he is a cutie. Nice video guys.
I see Gavin, I click.
Algorithms love comments. Always great Gavin.
They do indeed Robbie. Thank you 👍
great content as always !
Thanks for all your content. Loved it. Now not to be negative but I thought and learn my self that the level of the metal umbrella insert should be near to the end not the middle and not push closer to light. Due to size and the way light bounds back or go thru the modifiers has lots to manage and to take advantage to the way each of them is being made. Need input. I am sure that will to each photographer taste at the end but I know that the light is much better umbrella being hold the farther from light source. Thanks for any input and definitely you are one of my favorites in this channel.
Hi Roberto. Placing your flash at the end of the umbrella shaft can cause major issues. I cover that very point at 6:10 and demo the pattern of light from both ends of the umbrella... the results may make you do some further testing of your own!
@@GavinHoey thanks. I appreciated it. I got used to place the shaft at the edge like not sticking it all the way in like just barely holding it and yes without falling. I really like your creativity. Thanks so much. I enjoy your videos.
Awesome video!
Hey Gavin. Great insight on the umbrellas. Looking at your camera set up in the video it looks as if it is set low. When taking portraits I typically focus on the eye. With your set up are you still focused on the eye?
Hi Martyn. I always have face an eye detect turned on, so my focus point is ignored as the camera tracks they're eye... It's all very clever!
Great photos, as always. One thing I did notice is how much warmer and brighter Sophie and her sweater were in the video, but they were quite muted in the photos themselves, especially in those where the leaf blower was used. Perhaps this is due to TH-cam compression or something else, but the colour differences are much more noticeable here than in your other videos. Thoughts?
Hi David. The test photos are straight out of camera. The final photos are edited usually in the way I preplanned. In this case we choose the orange jumper as it's a colour that takes desaturation really well.
Apart from all the fantastic images you create the thing I love most of all about your videos is the lack of waffle. Simple demonstrations of the right way to do it but also showing can be incorrect. No long winded facts and figures just simple representations oh and you get to work with awesome models such as Sophie and Jade Lyon.
Thanks Paul. I have far more incorrect images then correct ones. The real skill is know which is which 😉
Great comparison. Just wondered if anyone has tried a reflector (even just white card ) behind the shoot through to see if it reduces the spill.