Large modifiers

[BenLZW]

Large modifiers have the advantage of producing a large forgiving light. You can almost not make a mistake using a larger modifier - if it is suitable for the subject.

Here’s a Broncolor Para 222 (a seven foot umbrella) camera left, and a couple strip lights in back for rim lighting. The very efficient Para’s strobe fired at about 200ws

--
Do not copy or edit photos

 

[Travis Burnside]

I’m on the cheaper end of the scale, so for me it’s a 7 foot Westcott silver umbrella (the PLM clone.) That said, I couldn’t agree more. I mostly use it diffused, where it is utterly foolproof for full length shots. But I do also shoot it undiffused, and while it’s not anything like a “true” parabolic, it produces great punchy light when I get the focus right.

 

[BenLZW]

I’m on the cheaper end of the scale, so for me it’s a 7 foot Westcott silver umbrella (the PLM clone.) That said, I couldn’t agree more. I mostly use it diffused, where it is utterly foolproof for full length shots. But I do also shoot it undiffused, and while it’s not anything like a “true” parabolic, it produces great punchy light when I get the focus right.

Yes, Another advantage is the above model moved around quite bit. A smaller modifier- would not have illuminated her properly as she would have moved in and out of a smaller modifier’s footprint. The larger modifier easily handled her movement.

 

[Jacques Cornell]

As an event shooter - not a studio shooter - who occasionally does portrait days on location for corporate clients, my faves are Paul C. Buff's medium and large silver PLM parabolic umbrellas. Without diffusion they're super-efficient - I could use a speedlight, and a 200WS Godox AD200 is plenty - and, being parabolic, they don't spill light all over the room. With diffusion, they become soft box replacements. Short shaft allows close placement. Well-built and dirt-cheap.

 

[Jacques Cornell]

I’m on the cheaper end of the scale, so for me it’s a 7 foot Westcott silver umbrella (the PLM clone.) That said, I couldn’t agree more. I mostly use it diffused, where it is utterly foolproof for full length shots. But I do also shoot it undiffused, and while it’s not anything like a “true” parabolic, it produces great punchy light when I get the focus right.

The now-discontinued Extreme Silver PLM was, indeed, effectively parabolic. The light cone from it was only a foot bigger at 10' than it was at 5', and exposures at 7' were only 0.2EV less than at 4' - great for small group portraits.

The current Silver PLM gives up a bit of this effect by scattering light more, but it's still much more focused and efficient than a standard silver umbrella.

 

[Travis Burnside]

PLMs are incredibly useful and versatile. Talk about efficient - I miss my old “extreme silver” version, which they no longer make. It was like a laser. The soft silver are probably more realistic for most use cases, I’ll concede.

 

[BenLZW]

I have their large PLM. Only used twice. Really a nice umbrella. Hope to give away someday as it’s been unused for years. It deserves some exercise.

 

[Travis Burnside]

I love them for punchy, high-contrast full length shots. Which, admittedly, I don’t do very often. But I’m keeping my Westcott knockoff.

 

[BenLZW]

One of the amazing things the Para 222 can do by moving the strobe to the Para’s focused position is getting a spotlight look out of it. It looks close to a fresnel kind of effect. Here’s the same Para 222 in the original post:

--
Do not copy or edit photos

 

[Travis Burnside]

The Paras seem like an amazingly versatile modifier... definitely on my bucket list.

 

[ronscuba]

I’m on the cheaper end of the scale, so for me it’s a 7 foot Westcott silver umbrella (the PLM clone.) That said, I couldn’t agree more. I mostly use it diffused, where it is utterly foolproof for full length shots. But I do also shoot it undiffused, and while it’s not anything like a “true” parabolic, it produces great punchy light when I get the focus right.

I have the large and mid size PLM umbrellas. They both are very efficient and good at combining soft with punchy light.

I also really like my 65" Glow deep umbrella with pebbled finish. The pebble finish seems to scatter the light more and gives a more diffused light vs the PLM. The deep sides are good for feathering with the added benefit moving the light further into the umbrella for different looks.