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can you reccomend an umbrella.
I am going to buy stands and mounts for my flashes and I was wondering what type of umbrella I should buy? I have seen white and silver and different types but I don't know which one to get. I am looking for a cheap one as well as one that will work well outside for example on the beach. This will be my first umbrella or I setup and I need some help thanks. Thanks! -peter Dec 31 07 11:05 pm Link I have a couple alien bee umbrellas... they work well (on the rare occasion that I use umbrellas) They are reversable (white and silver), and pretty inexpensive. Dec 31 07 11:11 pm Link I'd suggest the covertible type to start -- white with a removable black cover, so they can be used either for reflected or shoot through. Somthing like 42- to 48-inch is a good starter size. Photoflex is a pretty good brand, IMO, a good balance of price and quality. Dec 31 07 11:18 pm Link I really like the photoflex white satin umbrellas. They give a nice bit of specularity but not nearly as much as the hot silver and not quite as warm as their regular "white". The black backing is removable as well. Dec 31 07 11:27 pm Link JR Sprawls wrote: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4 … a_30_.html Jan 01 08 12:55 am Link PWPhoto wrote: My current sunset beach sessions are done with a Nikon SB-800 bounced into a Photoflex 25" white satin umbrella. Jan 01 08 12:57 am Link Jan 01 08 01:02 am Link PWPhoto wrote: Should work nicely. I work on location with Vivitar 283s, just a little less power than your SBs, and rarely feel a need for more power. Jan 01 08 01:05 am Link Christopher Hartman wrote: WOW. that is beautiful. just what i needed an example with the gear i use Jan 01 08 01:15 am Link Get one with a black cover -- less prone to flare. Jan 01 08 02:35 am Link As said before, the white satin umbrellas with removable black backs are great. They aren't as hot as silver reflective umbrellas, and can also be used as a shoot thru. Jan 01 08 02:39 am Link I use Photogenic Eclipse (different way of doing the center hotspot) and Photek Softliter (diffuser is pretty darn cool). Plenty of different umbrellas to choose from. Jan 01 08 02:39 am Link Softlighters give nice diffused light too Jan 01 08 02:40 am Link If you spend any time in the Pacific Northwest, you'll learn that there is no such thing as a bad umbrella! J/K. I've been using a 43 (or 45?) inch Westcott silver lined umbrella lately and I like the look of it. I also use a Photoflex shoot through in a couple different sizes. With smaller flash units, I believe the silver makes more efficient use of the light than a similar white umbrella, but I have no facts to back that up. Jan 01 08 02:47 am Link Michael Moe wrote: It does. Jan 01 08 02:50 am Link PWPhoto wrote: yes, reflected. Jan 01 08 03:47 am Link thanks a lot. the images are really pushing a sale. I think i will take a good look at the umbrellas and stands. I am thinking that the only thing that really matters is the quality of the umbrella. light stands and mounts dont matter as much i assume. -Peter Walkowiak www.peterwphoto.com Jan 01 08 05:22 am Link Get the 60' Photek Softliter. You can use it as bounce or shoot through, or bounced with diffusion, like a softbox but indirect so it has a somewhat different and more even quality. Jan 01 08 06:16 am Link PWPhoto wrote: Spend a little extra to get decent stands and mounts. This is sometimes a hard sell to beginners because people don't appreciate the difference until they've used the cheap stuff for a while and had a knob break off or a light fall. Jan 01 08 08:20 am Link Photek softlighter II Jan 01 08 08:27 am Link When would you recommend a small umbrella vs a larger one. For example 25in vs 45in? Thanks Christopher Hartman wrote: Jan 02 08 12:30 pm Link PWPhoto wrote: Since I'm often doing this at the beach, I'm not concerned about the stand quality. In fact, it's the stand I got with my Alien Bee AB-800. it does the trick. I had to buy an "hot shoe" adapter thing. it was like $15 from B&H. Jan 02 08 12:38 pm Link PWPhoto wrote: I'm the wrong person to ask. I went small for two reasons. Jan 02 08 12:42 pm Link Jan 02 08 12:44 pm Link I am partial to Photogenic Eclipses for their hidden ribs. Next in line would be the Westcott Halo. Jan 02 08 12:53 pm Link ok I can see what you mean about the wind... I think I am going to end up buying a small one as well as a large one. I don't see myself spending a lot of money on stands so that will end up working for me. Has anyone tried any ebay stands umbrellas or hot shoe mounts? -Peter Jan 02 08 01:21 pm Link PWPhoto wrote: I recommend a good investment in quality light stands and a sand bag. If you are on location (e.g. beach, urban downtown area) wind is a factor and it would a shame to see an expensive light and umbrellas crash and burn in wet sand, saltwater, or cement due to a lightweight, unsteady stand helping to secure your valuables. Heck the granddaddy of location stands (the Avenger Century Stand 40" base, 10"riser) is only $124 - add a 25lb sandbag and your good-to-go. Jan 02 08 01:58 pm Link Christopher Hartman wrote: I suppose some day I'll be good enough to look at a photo like this and know how it was lit, but in the mean time let me ask a dumb question - was this with one umbrella? Where was it placed, and how high off the ground? Jan 02 08 08:44 pm Link Chicago Digital Images wrote: You can tell everything from hey shadow. One light on the Left side mid height a few inches above her head? The thing that amazes me is the color! Jan 02 08 10:16 pm Link Using shoe mounted flash, I would consider a softbox. They can help get more light out. Light has to travel the length of umbrella shaft then bounce to the subject. The less distance travelled the more foot candles you get. The other thing softboxes help is control the light at better degree. Photoflex makes some of the best. They have one the LiteDome xs which was made for shoe mounted lights. That's just one dumb guy's opinion. What ever you choose, find the best way to create your own trademark lighting setup with it and enjoy the results. Jan 02 08 10:30 pm Link Chicago Digital Images wrote: Camera left...mostly straight on. And probably as close to the ground as possible. Quite honestly, I don't remember. Jan 02 08 11:00 pm Link I got a few Westcott 43" umbrellas. The one's that collapse to about 15". I use both the silver and white and have no real complaints. The most important thing for me was really the size. The less space my equipment takes up when carrying it around the better. $20 I've had a few stands. I recently got a set of Lowel Uni-To 8ft stands that collapse to around 21". They're sturdy enough and are made completely of aluminum so they'll last. I had a set of Bogen 6ft stands and didn't like the construction or the plastic knobs, although they did collapse a bit smaller and weighed less. $50 Haven't tried any of the hot shoe/umbrella mounts from Ebay. I looked at them, but if I remember correctly the plastic ones I got from BH were similar priced or cheaper and work well enough. They're pretty sturdy and have never given me any problems. Oh yeah, advice on stands, make sure the collars aren't plastic. In my experience, they break. Aluminum collars are well worth a extra $$ Jan 03 08 01:14 am Link What do you think about soft boxes for the flashes? One like this? http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4 … Small.html Thanks! Jan 03 08 03:28 am Link On E-Bay: I just love this seller. This is the fourth or fifth time I have purchased from them. Very happy every time. I got 3 Brollies for under $60 down total. They are good quality and have very nice travel sleeves. The shipping discount is very fair. Never had a quality complaint on anything I bought from them. They do sell some cheap stuff but a lot of inexpensive stuff that is not cheap. It is fairly obvious in the listings where the quality is. Highly recommended. http://cgi.ebay.com/Umbrella-Softbox-So ⦠dZViewItem Jan 03 08 04:04 am Link Just wondering what focal length and camera body you used for this shot? Thanks Jan 03 08 04:20 am Link What do all of you think of this setup for a newbie? Jan 05 08 01:04 am Link bump. Jan 05 08 10:20 am Link I have a 32" white/silver one from Alien Bee and a 45" shoot-through from Westcott. Like all modifiers, it doesn't make sense to buy the most expensive, in my opinion, as they will eventually break, rip or bend. Some might argue about light color quality, but if you do your white balancing properly, there shouldn't be a problem. Also, one thing to consider, especially if you're on the beach, is that the larger the modifier, the more wind it's going to catch. While this shouldn't dictate what size you use, just remember to have your stands weighted down, either with sand bags, or your portable power packs. You don't want your head taking a digger in the sand. Jan 05 08 10:32 am Link PWPhoto wrote: You might find a taller stand more versatile in the long run. Something to think about. Jan 05 08 10:35 am Link I am using older embrellas from Larson..LARGE 6'..in the studio. Soft white, so I can bounce, or shoot though (which I prefer)..you can have directional , soft light, and have more feathering ability. Jan 05 08 10:36 am Link |