Using parabolic and flash

Hi folks. I've just taken delivery of a 62 inch Lastolite Mega silver parabolic umbrella. I also have recently bought the UK version of the Godox ( Cheetah ) 360 flash. I'm new to both of these so I'm on a bit of a curve.

Can someone please give me a couple of basic pointers as to how to use the umbrella. I'm guessing I want it pointed a bit above, to the side and angled down towards the subject as per normal and I'm guessing this umbrella would function best a few feet away rather than close up; maybe about 10ft. Does this sound about right?

I'd appreciate a correction if I'm on the wrong track here.

Second re the flash. I've loads of power in this one and I'm guessing I should use it bare bulb ( without the supplied reflector ) to bounce the light all over the surface area of the umbrella. Does this sound right?

Again if I'm wrong, please correct me.

Thanks for your help

Usually, the purpose of a large parabolic is for the very soft light it produces, since it is so large. large light = soft light. Placing it far away from the subject makes the light harder. It's best to put it close the subject. But if you have to place it far away for certain reasons, the parabolic is always a better choice than a tiny light modifier.

As for positioning/angle, you should first read up on lighting basics. It'll give you a good idea. There are TONS of ways to light a subject. You can go from directly in front of the model but slightly above head height pointing down... the parabolic is so large that the shadows will be very soft and faint. Just be careful with using a large parabolic up close, some photographers think the lighting becomes too "flat" and even. But it's all based on your preference. For some shots, I like even lighting. For others, i like dark harsh shadows.

I have no idea about the cheetah light, so can't say anything about that.

Hmm, the purpose of the parabolic is not so much soft light (although it will definitely be softer than bare bulb or bowl reflector) but collimated light. The centre spot will be way hotter than the edges, and the fallout will be more pronounced than with a standard umbrella. Bear this in mind when positioning it. If your flash has an umbrella reflector, I'd use it rather than bare bulb. Get the flash as close to the centre of the brolly as possible to avoid spill. Does that flash have a modeling light?

Hi and sorry for the delayed response. The flash doesn't have a modelling light I'm afraid. I will experiment when I have access to a larger area. Re the soft light thing, I appreciate that is the case with standard umbrellas but as Alveric said, it's a bit different with these types of umbrellas and not having used one before I'm a bit confused.

Maybe I'm making too big an issue of it and I will just try some experimentation in due course.

Thank you both for your responses.

You might also do a search in the "Small Flash & Studio Lighting" section of this forum - there might be posts or entire threads about using that modifier.

willie45 wrote in post #16479625
Hi and sorry for the delayed response. The flash doesn't have a modelling light I'm afraid. I will experiment when I have access to a larger area. Re the soft light thing, I appreciate that is the case with standard umbrellas but as Alveric said, it's a bit different with these types of umbrellas and not having used one before I'm a bit confused.

Maybe I'm making too big an issue of it and I will just try some experimentation in due course.

Thank you both for your responses.

I tried the parabrolly recently. Take a look:

This was the setup. 7' Westcott parabolic to camera left, and 32" white regular umbrella to camera right.

The final composition (unprocessed file). Note that the lighting on the girl is hotter than on the man on the left of the frame. The light is soft, but focused on a centre point; the man in the back is ~1 stop darker than the girl as well. The woman on the right is litten by the 32" white umbrella, as the light from the parabolic barely reaches her. Both men required dodging in the final photo, while the girl's face and hand required burning.