Quick Review Umbrella Vs. SoftBox

In this episode, I show the major difference between an umbrella and a softbox for flash photography

What is an Umbrella?

Well, the Umbrella is undeniably the most famous light modifier there is. As a matter of a fact, when one imagines a photographer’s studio, the first image that comes to mind is some Umbrellas which sometimes do not even point towards the subject being photographed. It looks like a regular umbrella, it is often the same price and can be used either with the flash shooting through it or bounce from it. Through it or bounce off it what is the difference? While I will cover that in a future episode, this referring to this two types of scenario:

What is a Softbox?

A Softbox is a black box with only one side letting the light out. There are different shape: Rectangle, Square, octagonal…

What are the similarities?

• There are both light modifiers what are used to defuse the light and transform the natively hard light of emitted by the flash into a nice soft light which is often ideal for Portrait Photography.
• They both can be used in combination with Speedlight or studio strobe.
• There are sometimes build in the same fashion. My softboxes are foldable like an umbrella.
• Some Softbox and Umbrellas models can be used both as shoot-through and bounce-off. Mine are like that. For the Softbox, it means the flash is either directed toward the subject or facing the silver back of the inside of the Softbox.

 

What are the differences?

• • Directional light. Given the Softbox is black and only let the light through on one side, it obviously prevent to light up the room you are in.
  • Umbrellas are cheaper (starting from as little as under £10) than Softboxes (starting from £25), especially when comparing equivalent sizes.
  • Umbrellas are more subject to fly in windy condition, especially if the wind blows towards the inside.
  • Umbrellas usually take less space to carry.

• Umbrellas offer a broader diffusion space which depending on your need can be seen as spilling more than Softboxes:

• Softboxes produce a narrower diffused light. Often used to mimic a window.

• Softboxes enable to lit your subject while shielding the wall to produce a dark background without having to move your model 5m away from the wall:

When to use one or the other?

Umbrella

• When shooting a group of people given its broader diffusion space.
• When shooting outdoor as a fill light.
• When one wants a rather even soft light across a room.
• When in need for a background lightning.

Softbox

• When in need of more control over the directional of the light.
• When shooting with multiple flashes and especially in a small environment.
• When shooting outdoor as a fill light.

My personal conclusion/preference

My choice of one over the other has mostly been dictated by the shooting environments I have been: Rather standard house rooms where, to be very creative with the light (i.e. transform a white background into a dark one) Umbrella was not adequate. To this day my first choice of light modifier when setting up is my Softboxes. However, should I need to get a broad diffusion like at a wedding to light up a room or capture a group of people, the umbrella is my tool of choice. Remember, there is no bad or right tool per se but only bad or right tool for a given task.

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