When we think of umbrellas, we usually picture a rainy day, but the truth is that a good umbrella can be a photographer’s best friend in more ways than one. The wrong umbrella can leave you soaked and disappointed, but the right one can add just the right amount of light to your images. We researched the most popular options on the market to help you find the perfect one for you.
Keep reading to learn more about photographic lighting umbrellas, including how to choose the right one for your needs.
Our Editor’s Best Photographic Lighting Umbrellas Reviews
- 【41"/104cm Black/Silver Parabolic Reflective Umbrella】 This 41"/104cm deep parabolic camera umbrella softbox reflects a more intense and focused light, ideal for situations where you need to cover longer distances or overpower the ambient light. Comes with a black exterior and a silver internal coating on the nylon cloth that softens and reflects more light than the black/white version, resulting in a more contrasty light to create more defined shadows
- 【Detachable Soft Light Diffuser】 This white diffuser minimizes the overly bright highlights that may occur when using a silver umbrella, and achieves an extremely soft and flattering light for scenarios like portraits or beauty photography. Attach or detach using touch fasteners for a swift and simplified setup
- 【Umbrella Like Quick Fold & Unfold】 Effortlessly opens and closes like a real umbrella, and conveniently collapses to fit into the included storage bag when not in use. This photo umbrella is ideal for portraits, product photography, YouTube videos, TikTok vlogs, filmmaking, live streaming, video conferencing, online teaching, and more
- 【Built in Handle】 The built in handle allows easy attachment to light stands, continuous lights, or mounting brackets with umbrella holes, including NEEWER Q4 Vision 4 CB200B RGB CB60 MS60B MS60C MS150B S101-300WPRO/400W Pro flash strobes studio lights and continuous lights, compatible with Godox ML60Bi SL60w Aputure 120D 60D Amaran 100x 150c 600d, etc.
- 【Durable Build】 The black exterior and silver interior are nylon built for a long lasting life. 16 highly resilient ribs offer an impeccable parabolic shape that withstands tens of thousands of presses without deformation, and are heat resistant to high temperatures and other demanding weather conditions
- Complete studio lighting kit for portrait photography or video recording
- The Professional Umbrella Lighting kit is to provide prefect shooting light, to satisfy high requirement of shooting light
- (3) x 45W 5500K Energy-Saving lamps Continuous Photography (CFL) (3) x single-head support lamp
- (2) x 83 inch and (1) x 33 inch photographic light holder
- 1 bulb transport bag. 1 sturdy transport housing. Store the entire tool kit
- 🔅 【Contents】 (2 x) 33-inch White Umbrella / (2 x) 33-inch Black & Silver Umbrella / (3 x) LED 36W Bulb & Socket / (2 x) 83-inch Light Stand / (1 x) 30-inch Light Stand / (5 x) Cable Tie Strap / (1 x) Bulb Bag & Carry Bag Case
- 🔅 【Enhanced LED】 3,600 Lumen Super Bright LED / 5,800K-6,500K Color Temperture for Neutral Day Light / Color Rendering Index > 95 / Energy-saving Round Bell Design / Minimized Light Loss, Maximized Light Efficiency
- 🔅 【Quality Umbrellas】 White Umbrella with Soft Texture Spreads Light so Evenly & Creates Subtle, Soft, and Diffused Light Effect / Black Umbrella for Dramatic Concentrative Highlight Effect with Maximum Reflection
- 🔅 【Light Bulb Sockets】 UL Listed Safety Proven Bulb Socket with Umbrella Install Lock / 11 feet Cabel Length Upgraded for Convenient Use and Flexible Positioning, Compared to 8 feet Long Market Standard
- 🔅 【Sturdy Light Stands】 83 inch Tall Light Stand with Easy Height-adjustable, 1/4 in. Metal Stud on Top, Highly Compatible and Flexible with Any Light Mounting / 30 ft. Tall Mini Light Stand for Low Positioning Light
![LimoStudio [2 Pack] 33 inch Diameter Double Layer Black / Silver Photo Umbrella Lighting Reflector for Contrast, Concentrative Light, AGG127](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41mFbBfP2QL._SL160_.jpg)
- 😎2 x 33" Diameter Photo Studio Reflective Umbrella
- 😎Custom Made High Quality Photo Fabric Material
- 😎Inner Lining: Silver for Evenly Distributed Soft Light, for Contrast and Increased Highlights
- 😎Outer Lining: Black for Keeping Unwanted Lights from Being Reflected into Your Photo
- 😎Works Well with Flash/Strobe Lights to Diffuse and Spread Lights Evenly, Eliminate Glares and Spots
![[2 Pack] 33'/84cm White Translucent Soft Umbrella Kit,Photography Umbrella Lighting Kit for Studio/Outdoor Photo and Video Lighting Accessories (2 * 33' White)…](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31KuunufOYL._SL160_.jpg)
- 【Kit Includes】2x 33inch/84cm Soft White Translucent Umbrella.
- 【Translucent White Umbrella】Softly diffuses studio flash and continuous light for a gentle, evenly spread, and low contrast illumination. Perfect for portrait and product photography in a studio setting.
- 【Enhance your photography】The translucent white umbrella can be used either as a shoot through or bounce light to reduce shadows and produce an even, soft,low contrast light over a relatively large area.
- 【Material and Design】Crafted from high-quality nylon material with an aluminum shaft, these umbrellas are lightweight yet sturdy for ease of use.
- 【Portable and convenient】The umbrellas are designed to be easy to use and carry, making them perfect for on-the-go photographers.
- The Photographic Lighting Umbrella features a 7 feet Mega size for maximum coverage.
- Crafted with a 16-rib fibreglass framework and double wall shaft for durability.
- The white translucent and white interior design enhances the lighting effect.
- Durable fiberglass ribs and long throw capability offer optimal light control.
- Comes with a handy carry bag for easy transportation on location shoots.
- 【Photography Reflector Umbrella】 The white translucent soft umbrella can diffuse the light from flash light, strobe light and constant light, reflect and spread light stream evenly to reduce glare and spots in shots.
- 【Reliable Materia】 Made of quality soft light fabric, the photography reflective umbrella is reliable, durable and tear-resistant, and the alloy umbrella frame ensures repeated use without breaking.
- 【Dimension Details】 The protable light diffuser umbrella measures 20 inch in diameter when opened and 14.5 inch long when stowed, the umbrella handle is 0.3 inch in diameter. Ideal for small photo studios or traveling photographers.
- 【Soften the Light】 This soft lighting umbrella is very suitable for shooting highly reflective bright objects, effectively dissolving hard light and softening shadows, making the picture effect better.
- 【Package】 Includes two collapsible diffuser umbrellas, perfect for indoor or outdoor portraits & object product shooting. Portable size is perfect for traveling photographers. (Umbrella only, bracket and light NOT included)
- A perfect fit for professional studios.
- The Black/Silver Umbrella softens all light sources while maximizing light spread, and reflects more light than a translucent umbrella or soft-box.
- Delivers great skin tone and contrast control.
- Ideal for eliminating warmth from an object or subject.
- Easy to assemble/disassemble. Compact and easy to store. Note: the light stand is not included!
- 【Good assistant】This Black Studio Umbrella is perfect for your setup and would be a great addition to your studio.
- 【Soft light】This umbrella works well to diffuse the light from any flash, creating a soft even light for your subject.
- 【Diffuse light】Works well to diffuse the light from any Flash/Strobe Light and Constant Light.
- 【Color temperature】Black Umbrella can produce neutral color temperature.Make your work more appealing.
- 【Widespread use】Suitable for all studio flashes. Ideal for Portraits & Object Product Shooting for Portraits & Object Product Shooting.
- White reflective interior provides soft, natural look; Black backing prevents light leaks or spills
- 16-rib fiberglass frame creates circular shape for better catchlights and spread of light; Included 1-stop diffuser turns umbrella into softbox style modifier
- For use with studio flash units or continuous LED lighting; Great for lighting large groups and spaces
- Constructed from premium grade photographic materials, designed to be heavy-duty; Includes travel bag
- Limited 2-year manufacturer warranty; USA based customer and technical support
Best Photographic Lighting Umbrellas Buying Guide
Before choosing the best photographic lighting umbrellas you should consider following options:
1. Size: The most important factor to keep in mind when choosing a photographic umbrella is size.
Unfortunately, the standard umbrellas that you buy at the local hardware store are not suitable for photography use. You will need a larger umbrella to create a sufficient amount of diffused light.
In general, the recommended size is 40-inch. This measurement is equivalent to a standard umbrella, which is convenient for carrying and storing.
It also ensures that the lighting effect is softer than with smaller umbrellas, which can cause harsh shadows.
2. Shape: Another important factor to consider when choosing a photographic umbrella is the shape.
As you probably know, umbrellas come in various designs.
Some have rounded tops, while others have flat tops. In addition to their shape, umbrellas can be categorized based on the number of panels.
A standard umbrella has one panel, whereas a 42-inch umbrella typically has two panels.
Three-panel umbrellas have a more intense lighting effect. Keep in mind that umbrellas with more panels take up more space and are harder to carry.
3. Durability: Photographic umbrellas are subject to heavy use, so it’s important to choose a model that’s durable.
The best umbrellas are made of ripstop nylon and come with a double-riveted steel shaft.
These materials ensure that the umbrella can handle the constant opening and closing of the shaft as well as the wind.
In addition to durability, it’s also important to consider how easy the umbrella is to carry. If you’re going to be working in a location that’s far from your car, you’ll want to have an easy-to-carry model with you.
4. Cost: Photographic umbrellas are typically expensive, although there are some affordable options on the market.
If you’re on a tight budget, you can opt for a small, collapsible umbrella that you can carry with you.
What else you should know about photographic lighting umbrellas
1. What are the best lighting umbrellas for photography?
There is no definitive answer to this question as the best lighting umbrella for photography will vary depending on the specific needs of the photographer. However, some of the best lighting umbrellas on the market include the Westcott Rapid Box Octa XXL, the Profoto RFi 1×1′ Octa Softbox, and the Phottix Indra500 TTL Studio Light.
2. What are the benefits of using an umbrella for photography lighting?
Some benefits of using an umbrella for photography lighting are that it can create a soft, diffused light; it can be used to bounce light off of the ceiling or walls to create a more subtle light; and it can be used to create a backlight by placing the umbrella behind the subject.
3. How do you set up photographic lighting umbrellas?
Photographic lighting umbrellas can be set up in a variety of ways, depending on the desired effect. For a traditional studio setup, the umbrella is placed above the camera, pointing down at the subject. The light is then bounced off the umbrella and onto the subject, providing a soft, diffused light.
4. What are the different types of photographic lighting umbrellas?
There are several types of photographic lighting umbrellas, including:
-White umbrellas: These umbrellas reflect light and are often used as a main or key light.
-Black umbrellas: These umbrellas absorb light and are often used as a fill light or to create shadows.
-Silver umbrellas: These umbrellas reflect light and create a bright, specular highlight. They are often used as a hair light or accent light.
-Translucent umbrellas: These umbrellas diffuse light and are often used as a softbox.
5. How do you choose the right size umbrella for your photographic lighting needs?
You need to take into account the power of the light source, the size of the area you need to cover, and the distance from the light source to the subject.
Conclusion
On the market, there are numerous best photographic lighting umbrellas. Hopefully, the list of the top ten best photographic lighting umbrellas will save you time researching and deciding on the best one for you.