umbrellas: quick question

I'm just getting into using my flashes beyond the times when the pop up isn't enough. How close to the umbrella (30" I believe) should I place the flash for shoot through and reflective positions?

n8, there's no right answer. Depending on the reflector size on your flashes (if you're even using reflectors) and the distance from the umbrella, you'll simply get different lighting patterns and coverage. General rule of thumb is: the closer the flash unit is to the umbrella, the tighter (narrower) the light will be for both bounce as well as shoot through. The farther, the broader the light...