noob question - black umbrellas

[Reverend]

Recently bought an AB kit, and it came with a white/black reversible umbrella. I'm wondering what you'd use the black side for.

...simulating ambient light or something?

School me.

[Reverend]

While I'm at it, here's a quick list of the light modifiers & boxes that came in my kit. I'm trying to figure out which one to use for the hair light, since I don't have a snoot yet. My first thought would be the smaller softbox. Any suggestions are appreciated.

24" X 36" Medium Soft box
35" Octagon Soft box
47" Octagon Soft box
32" X 40" Large Soft box
48" Silver/White Bounce Umbrella
48" White/Black Bounce Umbrella

[PacAce]

Recently bought an AB kit, and it came with a white/black reversible umbrella. I'm wondering what you'd use the black side for.

...simulating ambient light or something?

School me.

Is it a white umbrella with a removable black covering? If so, you use the white without the black when you want to shoot through the umbrella (flash pointed towards the subject and the ouside of the umbrella facing the subject). And you use the umbrella with the black cover on when you want to use the umbrella to reflect the light off the inside white surface (flash pointed away from the subject and inside of umbrella facing the subject).

[Reverend]

Told you it was a noob question... You're right, the black is removable, making it a shoot-through. D'OH!

Now about the hair light...

[PacAce]

Told you it was a noob question... You're right, the black is removable, making it a shoot-through. D'OH!

Now about the hair light...

Hairlight? Just roll a black contruction paper into a tube and tape it in front of one of your flash or strobe units until you can get yourself a proper modifier to use. :)

[René Damkot]

Hairlight (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=320005&highlight=hairlight)

[TMR Design]

As seen in the thread that René posted the type of modifier used is a personal thing and depends on the desired effect.

Small softboxes are great for a nice glow over a section or the whole topd of the head. Barn doors, grids and snoots are used to really define that area depending on where you want the length of the hair on the side to be lit all the way down to the shoulders, or if you wanted a tight spot up on the head, opposite the main light.

No matter what modifer is used you always want to make sure to keep that light off the nose and face, so as not to disturb or influence the lighting you've already created with a main and fill light source.

[Reverend]

No matter what modifer is used you always want to make sure to keep that light off the nose and face, so as not to disturb or influence the lighting you've already created with a main and fill light source.

Good point. I wouldn't have thought of that.