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Blessings Captured.
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May 22, 2021 at 11:18 am #62672
Blessings Captured
ParticipantDoes using a shoot through umbrella with a flash cut the power of the flash?
I have a flash with a guide number of 58. So if I use the formula of distance=guide#/f-stop; I can use my 5.6 lens with the flash at 10.36 ft. Does using an umbrella change that any? What about if I turn the umbrella around and have it bounce the flash?
I’m going to be taking family pictures at an indoor wedding. How far away do you normally put your umbrella for group pictures? The biggest group is going to be 20 people (half children). I was wondering if I was going to need a second flash.
I’m new at flash and am trying to figure it all out. 🙂
June 9, 2021 at 11:03 am #63127James Staddon
Keymaster@blessingscaptured, yes, using an umbrella over the flash does cut the power of the flash. However, I am not familiar enough with off-camera flash at the moment to know exactly how much.
In order to use reflected light using an umbrella, I think best results would come from using a black cover over the outside of the umbrella so less light would go through the umbrella and more light would be reflected back.
I place the umbrella-diffused flash only as far away from the subject as needed to prevent it from showing up in the photo. The closer the better. For large groups like you mentioned, usually yes, you will need two lights. Using one, if you place it 45 degrees to one side (in order to get the directional light), then there will be significant light fall off noticeable on the subjects on the opposite side. In order to get the attached photo, it absolutely required two lights, 45 degrees to the right and left, just off camera.
I haven’t fully read this article, but it seems like perhaps it could give you some more detailed answers than I could give: https://scantips.com/lights/umbrellas3.html
June 9, 2021 at 12:07 pm #63130Blessings Captured
ParticipantThank you @jamesstaddon. That was very helpful.
I think what I’m going to do this time is use a powerful flashlight with my other light stand and umbrella for the other side. I need to test it out to see how bright it is compared to my flash.June 22, 2021 at 6:01 pm #63286James Staddon
KeymasterWow! Very creative. Would love to hear how it works out!
June 22, 2021 at 9:08 pm #63297Blessings Captured
ParticipantWell, even though the flashlight was 600 lemans it couldn’t compete with the speedlight. It only worked to light a subject that was Right next to it. So I diffidently need a second speedlight.
I also need to practice gelling the flash. How do you tell what color the ambient light is?
How did you get the bride and groom to be just as evenly illuminated as everyone else?
July 8, 2021 at 10:54 am #63599James Staddon
Keymaster@blessingscaptured, sorry I’ve not been responsive! Not quite the end of Convention season yet. 🙂
Interesting about the flashlight. Now that I think about it, it would need to be diffused also, which would reduce it’s brightness. I guess you’d need a very powerful flashlight.
I do not know of any way to tell what color the ambient light is other than going and looking at the lightbulbs that are providing the light. Some research on the general color range of different types of lightbulbs might actually be pretty interesting!
About getting the bride and groom evenly illuminated, part of it had to do with post processing. You’re right, since there are subjects closer to the flashes, they are going to be brighter. In post, a slight radial filter was used to bring the exposure up by about half a stop.
July 19, 2021 at 9:13 pm #63731Blessings Captured
ParticipantThanks @JamesStaddon! I’ll have to play around with gelling my flash.
That makes sense about using radial filter to brighten up those farther away from the flash.
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