When is a Brolly not a brolly…when it’s a diffuser!
The umbrella (‘Brolly’ is a colloquial/slang term) is one of my favorite items in my kit. There are numerous reasons for why I like it:
- portability
- inexpensive
- shoot through
- shoot as a reflector
- usage as a prop
I did a corporate shoot last year. The brief was to get individual and group shots of the CEO, engineers and the sales team. This was not an easy task as most of the clients were hard to pin down and not exactly queuing up to get their mug shot taken! So time and space were major constraints. I decided to bring my 43″ white shoot-through umbrella, one lightstand and one speedlight.
Ideally, I would have preferred a set up to get a white seemless background using a couple of lights. This would have meant less time in post-production.
In general, I like to work fast when shooting people. The less time a client has to pose in front of the camera, the better the shot. The challenge for me was to achieve a good corporate look, not too austere with just the right amount of smile. All in all, I got my shots and my client was happy.
The uses of the umbrella are manifold. On one of my outdoor shoots last summer, it began to drizzle rain. One of the models used the umbrella to protect herself from the precipitation. It also diffused the light from behind quite nicely and doubled up as a prop as well. See the image below.
What are, if any, drawbacks to using umbrellas? I did discover the umbrella’s fragility while shooting outdoors. A gust of wind toppled the umbrella stand and broke a couple of the ribs and stretchers which subsequently tore some of the fabric. My own fault for not securing the stand in the first place!
Of course, a replacement umbrella didn’t cost the earth. Yet another plus point for why I like to use them in my shoots!
