How a Cheap Umbrella Can Produce Professional Photographs

Lighting modifiers are a necessary tool for working with artificial light, but they can be quite expensive, and building a library can quickly drain your wallet. However, the humble umbrella is highly affordable, and you might be surprised by the shots you can create with them. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to create professional profits using an umbrella. 

Coming to you from our good friend, Pye Jirsa, this excellent video tutorial will show you how to light a portrait using an umbrella. Umbrellas are incredibly affordable compared to other modifiers, making them ideal for cheap experimentation or anytime you are worried about damage. But that being said, they can be used in normal scenarios as well, particularly to create lovely diffused light. The biggest issue with them (and the reason why a lot of photographers move on from them) is spillage, as they tend to throw light everywhere. This makes them less than ideal when you want precisely focused light, but perfectly workable for a lot of other uses, especially if you are just starting to learn. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Jirsa.

And if you would like to continue to improve your lighting, be sure to take a look at the tutorials in the Fstoppers store!

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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