PBase

Why I HATE Umbrella Lighting...

If you want to get me to fall a sleep, just show me some images shot with umbrella lighting. Now I am not talking Richard Avedon, because Richard Avedon did a lot more than capture images with a single umbrella, he captured a moment that is so his signature, that anyone else attempting to copy would be dwarfed by the sheer magnitude of what Avedon accomplished.

Umbrella lighting is the 'WalMart' or the 'Ford Pinto' of lighting for me. It is the horrible gig at the Holiday Inn, where some dried up ex alcoholic is attempting to make a come back singing 'I will Survive" to a bunch of totally miserable accountants congregating for their annual convention.

Umbrella light is that really bad hair do or dress that can only be seen in some totally kitsch boutique in Boise, Idaho. It is that Wedding photo that we have all grown to, ah, hmmm, Love?

It smacks of hey, I am now a photographer because I now own a couple of studio lights and have to have this because if I don't I won't be considered credible and it will impress anyone who doesn't know any better and the bigger the better types...

Ah, give me that umbrella to be very, very safe and to not upset the REAL serious photographers out there that believe that you have to have a reflector to kick in some light in to "THAT" shadow area, otherwise it is NOT a technically good image.

What is even worse is that those who MUST HAVE an umbrella, will almost certainly have a..."Da Da, a Soft-box!!!" Now THAT is really impressive. Every time I see a set up with a soft-box and the "UMBRELLA" I pop the proverbial CHUBBY and have to sit down, as to not expose by excitement.

Now, if somebody were to say to me, "Hey check out what I did with this umbrella!" that would totally blow me away, I would be so F'ing pleased. But at this point in time, I have seen nothing but flat, boring, pedestrian, predictable, unassuming, dull and flat out knock me out with a VALIUM the size of a HOCKEY PUCK images.

Hey, but who knows. Given that surprises do happen, I'm open to the possibilities.

Surprise me.

http://www.benjaminkanarekblog.com/?p=814

Your post made me laugh. It sounds kind of like me ranting after a good bottle of red.

It takes a lot of effort to hate something though. Being bored by something or disliking it is easy. Proper hatred is draining!

But I'm not going to impress you with some fantastical umbrella lighting pictures, cos I don't have a clue how to play with artificial lighting

You could argue that there's plenty of photographers that use light as a crutch. Dull subject,? light it. Get the grids the snoots and the cookies and there's a dull photo lit well. I think you're bringing a fashion photographers way of thinking & applying it to everything. But what good would your way of lighting be to Alec Soth-with his 8x10 and one light? No good at all . Martin Parr blasts his subjects with on camera flash-flat even light a strobists nightmare but it works. It's what's right for the content always has been always will be.

You're a fashion photographer, you know that many photographers find it vacuous. Pj's and documentary photographers especially. You know that rather then asking to be shown one good umbrella shot they'd ask to be shown a fashion shot that means anything beyond selling a product. They would look at fashion photographers with their snoots and cookies & gels- stylists make-up artists and art directors in the same way you're looking at the little guy trying to get by with his poor kit. With disdain and as much boredom as you find in umbrella shots.

I'm playing devils advocate here, Ben. I don't use an umbrella, I don't shoot fashion, but I don't hate either.

thecellartroll wrote:Your post made me laugh. It sounds kind of like me ranting after a good bottle of red.

It takes a lot of effort to hate something though. Being bored by something or disliking it is easy. Proper hatred is draining!

But I'm not going to impress you with some fantastical umbrella lighting pictures, cos I don't have a clue how to play with artificial lighting

You are absolutely right..I could have used terms like "Not Very Appealing or Unbecoming"...I guess, I had a negative epiphany.

Here's Joe McNally who has to be one of the worlds most successful commercial photographers doing much of what you described. He's the author of the moment it clicks one of the best selling photography books of recent times. This guys a star of the photography world and he often uses a single umbrella/soft box and a single light (or many as you'll see in the link) but it's how he uses them that's key, If any photography knows how to manipulate flash/strobe light it's McNally. That might see him use ten strobes one day and just a single strobe the next. An open mind is surely as important as an open eye, Ben.

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2008/05/jo ... shoot.html

http://portfolio.joemcnally.com/

Then you've got a photographer that's made quite a name for himself and that's Zack Arias with his one light workshop.

http://www.onelightworkshop.com/

Keep shooting

Sean

Umbrella Light is just one of hundreds of responses to solving a creative challenge. It might be used exclusively or in tandem with other creative possibilities. I sy this to highlight the importance of defining your goals first, i.e. themes, intention and outcome. In response to these goals, the response might be, define the location, props, styling if any and emotional intention and impact desired. On the basis of these criteria you then decide which lighting tools will I employ to realize my goal. If it happens to be a single umbrella with a mix of ambient light etc...Why not? I am just concerned about automatically choosing this tool without any forethought.

Well, that's no good. Here I was ready to post this photo:



and figuratively stick my tongue out saying "Here's an image shot with a single umbrella you won't find at Walmart", and then I read your last posting and you say something perfectly reasonable that I can definitely go along with....

I agree absolutely with your last post: any lighting scheme is a tool in the box, and the best photos need the right mating of vision and tools. That's one of the reasons I like photography: I like puzzling out how to achieve what I envision. I have lots of photos I have not taken (or taken and not shown) because I haven't solved that perfect matching yet.

Sometimes it is good to limit one's self to a single lighting scheme, and a single lens or camera setup to help stretch the creative eye, but it needs to be done by choice and not by dogma.

Interesting discussion that made me think (even if your last post ruined my chance for a good rant ).

Peter

I have to agree with Peter.
Some of us are still learning photography and I believe you have to conquer steps to get to the top(as far as learning) and it also has to deal with how you use your lights and what people want.. I do not see anything wrong with umbrellas and softboxes. TONS of people use them.. I also use snoots, grids, gels, barndoors, and flashlights.. does that make me any less of a photographer?
I see your point in what makes or breaks a photographer but Im not the walmart photographer either.. Walmart and sears and such are all preprogrammed set ups.. the set your kid down and press the button you get what you get.. me as a photographer actually moves my lights, interacts with the people.. and when your talking that kind of photography your talking basic portrait.. they are not there looking for the artsy stuff. trust me I have done some and they usually go for the plain photos.. but whatever ever the client wants the client gets.. Im always open for new ways to light! so please share!

I rather like umbrella lighting actually. How come Mr Avedon is allowed to enoy it too, but everybody else who uses it is inferior in your (lofty?) opinion? Not your best post.

All shot using cheap Alien Bees umbrellas.......

[quote="benjikan"]Why I HATE Umbrella Lighting...

Hey, but who knows. Given that surprises do happen, I'm open to the possibilities.
Surprise me.

I hear your passion. Your last lines say it all, and I understand. Seems others may have missed the point.

Last time I was impressed with the image behind an "brelli" was by a certain lady on stage. But I digress.