Beginner OCF Umbrella Light bounce FAIL

rusticblonde

rusticblonde

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Name
Kirsty
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Hi,

So this is an example of a failure, and i am fully aware. I tried to attempt an umbrella lightbounce, and it failed royally. There is a couple of things i can take away i believe as to why it went wrong.

  • The umbrella was seethrough, therefore the light pretty much escaped
  • The shape of the umbrella was mushroom, so therefore it didnt really go anywhere.
Queue critique as I really want to learn how to do this. Speedlight was behind boy and pointed at 45 Deg angle. Note, i was going to (when it arrives, apply a similar setup, however apply a fill flash on front, however i felt it may overexpose the subject.

View attachment 94074
 
It might be a see through brolly, but that material looks like it is quite reflective also.
 
Hopefully your fill flash will have adjustable power? How about a reflector in front but to one side (if that makes sense) to provide some fill?

<pedant mode>Sorry but i think you mean cue, not queue</pedant mode>
 
Hi Kirsty,

Cool idea...

I would think the umbrella is reflecting the light back away...you might have to move the light more round to the front and feather to the back of brolly. Or if you have another Flash leave as is and fill light the subject from front or other angle. Good luck!!!
 
The brolly is transparent, I hate to say this but whilst you're experimenting with light, it'd help if you remembered your primary school science and art lessons, the basic principles of how light bounces, how colours work etc.

Edit to add.

Please ignore anyone who doesn't understand that light goes through a translucent object, there is no measurable light bouncing from that brolly.

Also, adding fill light at the front will do something, but probably won't be required once you have a proper umbrella (the shape of the brolly will alter the light but wouldn't stop it working) and just the existence of fill flash shouldn't mean you'll get overexposure. Exposure is within your control.
 
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sirch said:
Hopefully your fill flash will have adjustable power? How about a reflector in front but to one side (if that makes sense) to provide some fill?

<pedant mode>Sorry but i think you mean cue, not queue</pedant mode>
Click to expand...

Oops, hahah my bad, its been a long day. Yes it has adjustable power, i will try a reflector next time :)
 
Phil V said:
The brolly is transparent, I hate to say this but whilst you're experimenting with light, it'd help if you remembered your primary school science and art lessons, the basic principles of how light bounces, how colours work etc.
Click to expand...

Its something i have to brush on admittedly, and i had a feeling the transparent umbrella may have partially something to do with it.
 
Danzaroonie said:
Hi Kirsty,

Cool idea...

I would think the umbrella is reflecting the light back away...you might have to move the light more round to the front and feather to the back of brolly. Or if you have another Flash leave as is and fill light the subject from front or other angle. Good luck!!!
Click to expand...

Thankyou. I was merely having a play with this, so its all a learning curve.
 
sk66 said:
(y)
Click to expand...

Also looking at it, it may not have been high enough. A person showed me a shot with a clear umbrella and it lit them perfectly :) I thihk me trying to shoot this down a very very dark alley with little ambient light didnt help XD
 
To check the realty of what's happening, why not try shining a torch on the brolly, maybe in the dark, and see where the light goes. Glass is transparent but reflects light does it not? Although I'm obviously not a science teacher....
 
It has a lot to do with angles... if you light a transparent surface at a shallower angle less of the light will go through it and more will be reflected, but the light will leave the surface at that same shallower angle. Even lit perpendicularly some light will be reflected back... how much is dependent on that specific materials characteristics. Because so much light is being lost, what remains/reflects has *much* less power.
 
sk66 said:
It has a lot to do with angles... if you light a transparent surface at a shallower angle less of the light will go through it and more will be reflected, but the light will leave the surface at that same shallower angle. Even lit perpendicularly some light will be reflected back... how much is dependent on that specific materials characteristics. Because so much light is being lost, what remains/reflects has *much* less power.
Click to expand...

Indeed.
 
juggler said:
I reckon.. you should get familiar with a proper photographic brolly used in a conventional position before getting sophisticated with unusual angles and complicated transparent ones with coloured edges. And adding a second flash at this stage will just make your life much more complicated than you realise.
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As Simon said, there's some basic errors that really need to be rectified before you start on learning new simple techniques, the more complex stuff is lots easier once you've grasped the basics.
 
Phil V said:
As Simon said, there's some basic errors that really need to be rectified before you start on learning new simple techniques, the more complex stuff is lots easier once you've grasped the basics.
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Hi Phil, totally agreed, i just used the only umbrella i have atm, and ive realised it isnt what i need. Ive got one on order :)

juggler said:
I reckon.. you should get familiar with a proper photographic brolly used in a conventional position before getting sophisticated with unusual angles and complicated transparent ones with coloured edges. And adding a second flash at this stage will just make your life much more complicated than you realise.
Click to expand...

Got one on order, i just grabbed the only one i had in order to have a play. Obviously it failed and i will wait for the white one (standard photographic brolly) to come before i have another play :)
 
Plus i dont think this helped that the brolly was at an angle? Trying to convince my nephew to hold it upright proved difficult, it was more interested in setting up the shot as he thought it would be better. Budding young photographer in the making, dont want him learning bad habits like me mind XD
 
Phil V said:
You'll find when you use the right brolly it'll be difficult to get the angles so wrong it'll be lit incorrectly.
Click to expand...

Well im hoping not. After all, its something new, and im watching some material on it also. Watch this space *hides face*
 
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