my new tota light plus umbrella

[HerzogisGod]

wow. what a difference this light makes. I set up some test shots around my apartment. I used a 500w bulb. I also bought a 750w which i havent tried yet.

The umbrella softens things up evenly.

It's my first light. I still need blue and orange gels, but this one light makes all the difference.

[moonlitnite]

Hi Chris,

For sure, with a hard light like the Tota, if you're not using a softbox then you'll definitely need something like an umbrella to make the light indirect on your subject (or bounce it off the ceiling, etc). However, when you start adding gels that knock down the light a few f-stops, sometimes an umbrella isn't needed - in fact, even with an 800w Tota the gels/umbrella combo may not give you enough light as a key when placed across the room. But no doubt, umbrellas and softboxes are a must for most shots when using hard lights.

Regards, Michael