Westcott 4634 7-Foot White with Black Cover Parabolic Umbrella for Photography, Studio Lighting, and Outdoor Portraits

As a professional photographer located in Southern California I own a lot of photography gadgets that help me in my business. Some are more fun and useful to work with than others and become mainstay's in my business while others end up at the bottom of a drawer or stuffed in a closet somewhere.After several months of ownership and several on location and studio photo shoots with the umbrella, I decided that it was time to post my review of this tool. Here are examples of my typical set ups using this umbrella. 1. In the studio, I use it with a 600w studio light triggered with Pocket Wizards and a couple of reflectors if needed. 2. On location, I have a flash bar that I mount from one to three Canon 580EX speed lights on triggers and reflectors if needed. One thing that everyone must know is that you need to own a large/heavy duty stand for this umbrella and a couple of sandbags.The umbrella does exactly what is designed to do, provide a very broad even light source that is amazingly soft light over a large area. On location shooting portraits or families it's usually the only lighting I will need. I sometimes shoot with the umbrella directly behind me and because the light source is so broad it does not cast a shadow on the subject. This is also true if the subject you're shooting is close to the background/backdrop, the light appears to come from all directions and envelopes the subject reducing or eliminating the need for a secondary flash.The materials and construction of the umbrella are pretty solid but if you take it outdoors you better make sure you secure it with sandbags or an assistant. The umbrella comes with its own carrying case and is packaged in a durable reusable tube, when not in use I keep mine stored in the tube. I have had great results with the umbrella and it is a very functional tool in my business. I will post additional reviews and links to pictures taken when using the umbrella if I can.