Question: Full length portrait lighting

[Aze]

I'm using my 430ex in conjunction with a reflector and natural lighting (where available) for full length portraits and I find that I'm getting lighting drop-off from my speedlite. My best guess is that my umbrella is too small because moving the light back just makes the lighting harsher than I'm looking for, at least I think this is the problem. I think what I need is a larger umbrella, mine is something like 40" or so. I'm looking at getting a 60" umbrella and shooting through it.

Am I on the right track? Is lighting drop off caused by having too small and umbrella?

 

[tirediron]

The falloff is likely caused by too small a light-source, but are you sure that you have your flash positioned correctly? That is, so that the light fills the whole umbrella, but doesn't spill out. To check this, take a picture of your flash/umbrella and make sure it's evenly lit from edge to edge. If there's a centre hot-spot, move the flash further from the umbrella, and if you see light "spilling" over the edges, move it closer. A 430 is a bit of a small unit to try and fill a 60" umbrella with, IMO - have you considered stacking two smaller umbrellas, one on top of the other? I have a 60" brollybox that I like, but I don't find that I get results with small speedlights.

 

[Aze]

When you ask about the 430 being too small, do you mean the size of the light source, or the amount of power?

I will take a picture tonight to test that, that's a great idea.

 

[Big Mike]

I think you are just asking too much of both your Speedlite and your umbrella.
If you want very soft, full length lighting, you need a light source that is large, relative to your subject. A 40" umbrella is not really a soft light source by the time you move it far enough away for full body lighting.

You could get a very large umbrella or softbox, but you'll need a lot more power than what your 430EX can do.
Westcott 7 Feet Parabolic Umbrella, White/Black 4634

 

[tirediron]

What Mike said, more clearly and eloquently than I was able to!

 

[KmH]

A 430ex even at it's widest angle beam spread won't come close to filling a 60" umbrella, but 2 of them could.
I used iShoot radio triggers specifically because I could mount 2 hot shoe flash units on each trigger.

A tactic one could use is to mount the 430ex so the long axis of the flash head is vertical rather than horizontal, because you don't need the sides of the umbrella filled. You need light that is tall and narrow for a full body portrait, which is what tall narrow softboxes are so often used for.

 

[Village Idiot]

The closer a light source is to the subject the more fall off it will have.

The farther away the light source, the smaller it appears and the harsher the light from that source.

The farther away the light source, the more power is needed to provide an adequate exposure.

If you can move the light source away right now and still turn it up enough to provide a good enough exposure, try a bigger umbrella first. I use 43" and with my 580ex II at 24mm, it easily is wide enough to spill from the edges of an umbrella on a subject. That's with the umbrella out as far as possible in the adapter. a 60" might not cover completely, but you'll likely have a more efficient coverage than with your 40".

 

[Mully]

Take an old white sheet and attach it to a pole on 2 stands ....set up 2 flash heads, one on top of the other and shoot through the sheet. You can back the heads away from the sheet for different amounts of softness. You may need a foam core fill on the other side of your subject. This will make a nice tall light .... you might have to gobo off some on the floor area. Good luck.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Take an old white sheet and attach it to a pole on 2 stands ....set up 2 flash heads, one on top of the other and shoot through the sheet. You can back the heads away from the sheet for different amounts of softness. You may need a foam core fill on the other side of your subject. This will make a nice tall light .... you might have to gobo off some on the floor area. Good luck.

+1

But be aware - white balance may be off compared to a real modifier

 

[camz]

The closer a light source is to the subject the more fall off it will have.

The farther away the light source, the smaller it appears and the harsher the light from that source.

The farther away the light source, the more power is needed to provide an adequate exposure.

If you can move the light source away right now and still turn it up enough to provide a good enough exposure, try a bigger umbrella first. I use 43" and with my 580ex II at 24mm, it easily is wide enough to spill from the edges of an umbrella on a subject. That's with the umbrella out as far as possible in the adapter. a 60" might not cover completely, but you'll likely have a more efficient coverage than with your 40".

What Village said. Look up the Inverse Square Law.

I've never really needed anything more than a speedlights to light up a couple, even during harsh sun. I use a 36in softbox with a reflective interior or the tripgrip diffusser as modifiers. However that's with the 580 ex II

 

[Village Idiot]

Take an old white sheet and attach it to a pole on 2 stands ....set up 2 flash heads, one on top of the other and shoot through the sheet. You can back the heads away from the sheet for different amounts of softness. You may need a foam core fill on the other side of your subject. This will make a nice tall light .... you might have to gobo off some on the floor area. Good luck.

This was done similarly with a shower curtain: