Shoot through umbrella vs Bounce?

How's the light quality different between a shoot through umbrella and a bounce umbrella? I'll be firing either a 580ex or a 430 ex into/through it at 1-3 subjects not too far from the flash

One difference, shooting thru, will allow you to get your light 50% closer to your subject.

Umbrella will be more flattering as you can have the light be more direct or 3/4 angle, rather than overhead, which can cause raccoon eyes.

I think he meant bounce from an umbrella. Not from the ceiling.
But I'm curious as well.

It depends on the shoot you are doing. If you want a large spread of light I bounce the light against the umbrella but the light tends to be more harsh. For softer light you can shoot through---this is my preferred way ---but you also --at least I do-- have the umbrella pretty close to the subject.
When shooting new people you have to slowly work to a comfort zone with the umbrella---because it will be close.
I did a shoot a few months back for a client who was appearing on "America's Got Talent" --she was very comfortable with how close the umbrella was to her--but not her first photo shoot.

When I need to travel light, I use shoot through. Easier to aim, think of it as a curved softbox

Well, if M powered says Shoot through...

I think I just might get two umbrellas of each, two shoot throughs (for softer light) and 2 shiney bounces (for harsher)

Mike,

You have to look at what is being said and understand that soft light with lower contrast is not the only or right way. Soft light is a choice, not a requirement. M Powered is giving a recommendation based on his preference and use of soft light. It's only one technique of many and too often people that are new to lighting just keep hearing about soft light and large diffused light modifiers. There's more to lighting than that and you that can be very limiting unless you have a specific market or clientel giving you that type of work.

There are times when more contrast and greater specularity are desirable. In a bright sun (which is specular light), if you're incorporating ambient light in the shot rather than overpowering it you'll find out that there isn't much you can do to soften the light with a shoot through umbrella at 4 feet. You may as well use a silver bounce umbrella or even a bare flash head. Save your batteries.

If soft light is your choice then certainly white shoot through umbrella's will give the softest and most natural looking light. If you wanted to create additional depth and enhance features or characteristics of the face then you might want to use lighting that is not quite as soft and gives a slightly harder gradation between highlight and shadow.

Rather than getting 4 umbrellas why not start with 2 that can be used as bounce or shoot through. The interior will be white and not silver but there's nothing that says a bounce has to be silver.

It all boils down to what I said in my second sentence.

Soft light is a choice, not a requirement.

TMR is right. What you want to use, depends on what you want as a final image. I have been known to use shoot through from one side and reflected on the other. (I doubt that is unique.) But I think you are doing the right thing when you said you would get 2 of both. That way you are covered no matter what.

Just get the convertible umbrellas, turn shoot through into a bounce; its got a black cover on it that velcros to the back. Its like $40 bucks or something.

TMR Design wrote in post #5974736
Mike,

You have to look at what is being said and understand that soft light with lower contrast is not the only or right way. Soft light is a choice, not a requirement. M Powered is giving a recommendation based on his preference and use of soft light. It's only one technique of many and too often people that are new to lighting just keep hearing about soft light and large diffused light modifiers. There's more to lighting than that and you that can be very limiting unless you have a specific market or clientel giving you that type of work.

There are times when more contrast and greater specularity are desirable. In a bright sun (which is specular light), if you're incorporating ambient light in the shot rather than overpowering it you'll find out that there isn't much you can do to soften the light with a shoot through umbrella at 4 feet. You may as well use a silver bounce umbrella or even a bare flash head. Save your batteries.

If soft light is your choice then certainly white shoot through umbrella's will give the softest and most natural looking light. If you wanted to create additional depth and enhance features or characteristics of the face then you might want to use lighting that is not quite as soft and gives a slightly harder gradation between highlight and shadow.

Rather than getting 4 umbrellas why not start with 2 that can be used as bounce or shoot through. The interior will be white and not silver but there's nothing that says a bounce has to be silver.

It all boils down to what I said in my second sentence.

Soft light is a choice, not a requirement.

Thanks for the write up. I am very aware of the qualities of light. comment was more sarcastic because I know M powered from another forum and have previously expressed my liking for his photography.

I had no idea, however, that you could use a white umbrella both ways.

Do you have a recommendation to where I can buy them?

M Powered wrote in post #5976912
Just get the convertible umbrellas, turn shoot through into a bounce; its got a black cover on it that velcros to the back. Its like $40 bucks or something.

Recommendations to where I can check these out?

just search for convertible photo umbrella and such. Found these at B&H, they also have more listed as well.
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_Umbrella_Silve​r_and.html
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …Convertible_Umb​rella.html

TMR Design wrote in post #5974736
In a bright sun (which is specular light), if you're incorporating ambient light in the shot rather than overpowering it you'll find out that there isn't much you can do to soften the light with a shoot through umbrella at 4 feet.

I understand what you're saying, Robert, and I know you would be aware of this, but let's not forget that you can use a shoot-through umbrella to soften sunlight, too. I only mention it because a lot of people get all hung up on shaping strobe light, and forget that they can also shape sunlight!

Rudi wrote in post #5981247
I understand what you're saying, Robert, and I know you would be aware of this, but let's not forget that you can use a shoot-through umbrella to soften sunlight, too. I only mention it because a lot of people get all hung up on shaping strobe light, and forget that they can also shape sunlight!

Now theres an interesting technique that I'm going try right away. Am I correct in saying that the shoot-thru umbrella would soften/reduce the sunlight enough so that it actually becomes the fill-light source and a strobe would act as the key? Or would the thru-umbrella sunlight still be bright enough that it would have to be considered the key-light and fill with strobe?

Can't wait to play around with it.

Umbrellas and diffusion panels work very well to soften and diffuse light and are great tools for subtractive lighting, when you want to reduce the output or control the effective brightness of the sun in your shot.