How umbrellas work is that they are either for shoot through, or for reflecting the light. The latter can be either a silver reflector, that will cast a strong and hard light, or another reflecting umbrella type, which can be for example a golden colour. This will give your subject a nicer look in skin tones. The shoot through are mainly made of a white translucent material, it will soften the light, and because they are so easy to take with you, they are good to have in a travel kit, for shooting portraits outside. Maybe using a portable studio setup, consisting of speed lights, with some selected light modifiers, where the umbrellas are good because they are lite and very useful. It is a wedding photographers chosen tool.

Information Umbrellas for photography are just like those you use in rainy weather. Without a handle and the fabric mostly of a white translucent colour. Used for sending the light through the umbrella.
Other umbrellas are made of a silver or golden plastic, on the inside, and are meant for bouncing the light, back off the umbrella, on to the subject.
On Amazon, a set of three umbrellas can be found from £18.00 (white, silver and golden).

Foreword	Macro	Bellows	Extension tubes	Macro filters
Macro lenses	Reverse ring	LED ringflash	Sliderrail	Tripods
Barndoors	Beautydish	Light modifiers	Reflectors	Reflectors, std
Snoots	Homemade gel	Softboxes	Speedlight gels	Umbrellas
Umbrellas, white	Umbrellas, silver	Umbrellas, golden	Backgrounds	Cameras
My studio	Flashmeters	Night photography	Stands	Studio strobes
Macro flashes	Trigger systems	Printers