Are you a beginner photographer looking to elevate your photography skills with off-camera flash techniques? In this blog post, we will explore why the combination of a white shoot-thru umbrella and strobe is the ideal choice for beginners entering the world of off-camera flash systems. Discover the advantages of this setup and learn how it can enhance your images while providing a seamless and user-friendly experience. Let’s dive in and unveil why the perfect Beginner Off Camera Flash: White Umbrella and Strobe.
For beginners, cost is often a deciding factor when investing in photography equipment. The white shoot-thru umbrella and strobe setup offer an affordable and accessible solution. Our Cheetah Stand C8s and 36" White Shoot Through Umbrella and your favorite flash supplement your shooting so quickly. Especially the Automatic Light Stand, that product is designed to keep you moving and will make using your These 2 products in our line-up can go so far, that often we ourselves will default back to these, especially for weddings and portraits sessions. The lower price point of these products makes it easy for beginner photographers to start playing with off camera lighting!
What kind of strobe or flash should you get you might ask? If you already have a Nikon, Canon or Sony flash — your camera should be able to trigger them optically! Check out the manuals for your system to find out more or ask us by email. Otherwise, we’re a big fan of the Godox V1 to start with as they’re great both on camera and off-camera to start. Just purchase a transmitter as the Primary control of your Godox V1 remotely or better yet, an all time favorite among many is the Godox AD200. All you need to think about now is how to mount it and we suggest the Godox S2 Speed Bracket.
What about Light Stands to use? We’re biased here but for good reason. One of the most frustrating experiences in off-camera lighting is the frustration of moving your light source to a new location. With traditional light stands, you need to kneel down to fold the legs before you can move it to a new location. With Our Cheetah Stand C8 Light Stands, they automatically fold the legs when you move them. This makes your workflow better smoother and encourages you to go out and use your gear more often. This is often a game-changer for many photographers and film-makers.
As a beginner, simplicity and ease of use are crucial. The 36" white umbrella opens just as easy as it sounds, like an umbrella. Our white shoot-thru umbrella paired with a strobe, provides soft and diffused lighting, a hallmark of professional photography. This combination helps to soften harsh shadows, resulting in a more pleasing and natural look to your subjects. The shoot-thru umbrella’s translucent fabric allows light to pass through, creating a gentle and even illumination that enhances the overall quality of your images. Bonus, our 36" umbrella includes a blackout curtain in the back. This prevents light spillage from occuring on nearby walls.
This simple but mighty setup is one of our favorite setups here at Cheetah Stand and is in our opinion, the perfect setup for from novices to advanced professionals. This setup has powered many of our headshots, portrait sessions, engagement sessions and weddings. And once you master this simple setup that’s when you should start considering leveling up with multiple lights and having even more light control with our QSB softboxes and light stands as well!
Headshot lit with a 36" white umbrella, camera left. ISO100, F4, Godox AD200 with Cheetah Stand C8.
Wedding portrait lit with a 36" white umbrella, camera right. ISO200, F2.8, Godox V1 with Cheetah Stand C8
photographed by David at Cheetah Stand.