✦Convertible. The third type of
umbrella is a convertible umbrella.
This umbrella has a silver or gold
lining on the inside and a remov-
able black cover on the outside.
You can use these umbrellas to
bounce light or as a shoot-through
when the outside covering is
removed.
Photographic umbrellas come in various
sizes usually ranging from 27 inches all the
way up to 121⁄2feet. The size you use is
dependent on the size of the subject and
the degree of coverage you would like to
get. For standard headshots, portraits, and
small to medium products, umbrellas rang-
ing from 27 inches to about 40 inches sup-
ply plenty of coverage. For full length
portraits and larger products, a 60- to 72-
inch umbrella is generally recommended. If
you’re photographing groups of people or
especially large products, you will need to
go beyond the 72-inch umbrella.
The larger the umbrella, the softer the light
falling on the subject from the Speedlight is.
It is also true that the larger the umbrella,
the less light that falls on your subject.
Generally the small to medium umbrellas
lose about a stop and half to two stops of
light. Larger umbrellas generally lose two or
more stops of light because the light is
being spread out over a larger area.
Smaller umbrellas tend to have a much
more directional light than do larger
umbrellas. With all umbrellas, the closer you
have the umbrella to the subject the more
diffuse the light is.
For setting up a wireless/portable studio,
I’m convinced that the umbrella is the way
to go. They fold up nice and small, are sim-
ple to use, are relatively inexpensive, and
attach to the light stand with an inexpensive
bracket which is available at any photogra-
phy store for less than $15. This bracket also
includes a shoe mount for attaching your
Speedlight.
Chapter 5 ✦Setting Up a Wireless Studio 89
5.2 An SB-600 with a standard umbrella
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