Umbrella Size for Lighting Backgrounds?

[Jason_Lazaroff]

I'm going to be buying some umbrellas for use specifically in lighting the backgrounds in order to keep the light off the person being photographed but on the background and was wondering which size would be best for a normal 10 foot wide backdrop? I would be using TWO Alien Bee AB800s on small backdrop lightstands on either side of the background for high key blown out white background photography as well as simply lighting regular backgrounds from time to time.

Thanks in advance for any pointers on this subject. I couldn't find anything on it when searching the forum.

[PeterBerressem]

Jason,
if you'd ask me, I wouldn't use umbrellas at all. Too much troubble in keeping the light off the subject, too much of distance needed to do so...Remember, the light spreads in 360° from an umbrella, half of it has to be shielded against the subject.
Better are strip lights or even standard reflectors with a barndoor (black wrap if you haven't got barndoors)IMO. Those are much easier to flag.

[Jason_Lazaroff]

I'm new to this game so bear with me here....

My understanding was that it would be better to use an umbrella for doing this simply from a perspective of when trying to light the background fully white, the umbrella was a good choice because if spreads the light so much that it will cover more area (which is what you want to do with the blown out white backgrounds?)

Is this incorrect?

I want to be able to blow the background out enough that I don't have to spend a lot of time in post processing fixing problems with an uneven white/grey (where the light didn't reach enough) background.

It actually shows the technique using (2) 36 inch umbrellas in the "Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers by Christopher Grey"

[Dave_Harding]

Depending on how big an area you need to do...And if you have room to spare...
You can use a large softbox for headshots, set 2 stops above your main. The softbox is your background.
And, doubles as a hair light...
Use diffusion material in a frame, lit from behind, again, 2 stops above.
Use white background and your 2 Bees with standard reflectors & flagged on the subject side.

While you may be able to use umbrellas like that, it will be very difficult to control.

[Scot_Perry]

Umbrellas work fine just use good quality umbrellas with black blockout backs 36" or little larger work fine. The light will only come out of the umbrella at 180 degrees or less if you have the flash heads at the right distance in the umbrella. Soft boxes work great too but take up alot more space in your kit. Raw heads work fine also but are a little harder to get right without hot spots especially if you only have 2 heads and are doing full length. Of course I'm no authority but it's what I've used for white backgrounds ever since I attended a Douglas Kirkland seminar I think you can trust he's been at it long enough to know the fast easy way to get the job done.

Scot Perry

[Sean_Armenta]

ditto scott's comments.

i use two 45" umbrellas to light my cyc. they work perfectly.

i used to use 11" reflectors, but found i got the spread more even with the umbrellas.

[Darnell_Wilburn]

I agree with Dave. I've had subjects stand in front of my softbox before.

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