Light in Photography - LIGHTING - FLASH LIGHTING -

Studio Flash Lighting - ACCESSORIES - Reflecting Umbrellas

A white or silver coated umbrella is used to collect light light from the flash and then reflect light back from the umbrella from a multitude of directions to provide a wider and softer quality of light. It is the concave parabolic curved shape of the umbrella that bounces the light in a manner that softens it. However, because the light is traveling a longer distance and it is also covering a wider area (as well as the absorption of the umbrella surface) the intensity is greatly reduced when it reaches the subject. Some photographers have made their own reflective umbrella simply by spraying a norman black umbrella with silver of white paint. Sometimes gold paint is used to produce a warmer colour of light reflected onto the subject.

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