Umbrellas & Softboxes – Part 3

This series of posts are my notes for a flash workshop I am teaching to the members of The Oakville Camera Club.

With the addition of a relatively inexpensive softbox or umbrella on a stand and a flash with a remote unit you can shoot professional quallity portraits with your camera just about anywhere.

Photography is all about lighting and it’s really not as much about gear at all. This often comes as a surprise to newcomers to photogaphy.

If you’re considering a career in photography or your company needs some professional quality images for marketing of social media your digital camera and a flash and remote with a softbox or umbrella will get the job done and not cost a lot either.

When you’re first starting out you don’t need to spend a lot to get professional results. And be very careful not to fall for the marketing hype about what special XYZ device is essential for success.

A medium size softbox (2’X3′) defuses the light while controlling the light off the background. Set up close to your subject and placed on a stand (or hand held by a friend) just above your subject and aimed 45 degrees off centre and up 45 degrees and it’s hard not to get a good image.

BTW the larger the light source looks to your subject, the softer the light will be. This is why small direct flash results in a harsh lightwhile a big softbox near your subject will create a soft pleasing look.

One thing that will make your image look more professional is a background. A cheap black backdrop from Amazon costs as little as $30 and this includes the stand.

This dual colour collapsible backdrop (59″ X 78.7″) suitable for portrait work or even as a background for streaming video is just $60.

What about softboxes?

Softboxes have a layer of diffusion fabric inside the box and with the box itself you can feather your light. It results in a more modelled look.

You can easily create a photographic portrait studio in your own home using two softboxes or two umbrellas.

So the cheapest basic setup is a pair of umbrellas which can be had for just a few dollars and with two flashes and a remote you’ll have a setup you can use for years.