Home >> Hobbies >> Photography

DIY Umbrellas & Lighting for Photography

Whether photography is a hobby or a profession, indoor photographers must be able to manipulate lighting to create the effect they want. For years, photographers have harnessed the use of umbrellas to enhance lighting. The white insides and the curved shape of the umbrella serves to reflect bright light to a larger area. This creates a better light source for indoor photography and by manipulating the positions of the lights, photographers alter the shadows and bright areas of their subjects.

Things You'll Need

2 Umbrellas
2 Lamps
Duct tape (optional)
Microphone stand (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Mount a large photography umbrella on a stand. The photography umbrellas are black outside and white inside. The white inside enables them to reflect the light. If you do not have a photography umbrella, use a large umbrella with a white inside.
- 2
  Angle the umbrella so that the handle is aimed downward toward the subject. For a standard shot, the shaft, or the middle portion of the umbrella, should be aimed at the subject's nose. If it is too high or too low you create unwanted shadows. If you do not have an adjustable photography umbrella, adjust your normal umbrella and duct tape the handle to a microphone stand. Lower and raise the stand as you need.
- 3
  Place a lamp in front of the umbrella and turn it on. Study the light that is reflected on the inside of the umbrella. If the lamp is too close, the light will only throw a circle of light in the center of the umbrella. If it is too far away, the light will spill out past the edges of the umbrella. Move the lamp so that the ring of light it casts onto the umbrella is just inside the umbrella's rim.
- 4
  Move the umbrella and light closer to the subject to create hot spots of light. This means that some places on the client's face or person will be vastly brighter than others. Move the umbrella and light farther away to create a contrast between shadows and lighted areas, but less hot spots. Three feet away is a standard distance and will create a balance of light and shadows.
- 5
  Set up a second umbrella and light, called a fill umbrella. Position it off to one side of the subject. This will help to balance the light even more and you can adjust it to create different effects. The standard is to move it four feet away from the subject and to the left or right of the first umbrella.
- 6
  Take sample photos and examine the lighting. If you like it, take a picture of or sketch out the setup that you have so that you remember for future photo shoots. If you don't like it or desire a different effect, move the umbrellas and adjust the lighting until you are satisfied.

Photography