Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 Classic Lens Sample Pictures

The Canon Speedlite 270EX II is a small and low-powered flash, but it does work in an umbrella. And umbrellas create great soft light. The 270EX II is not my first choice for an umbrella flash, but if it is all that you have or all that you have at the time, it works.

Aim a Canon Speedlite 320EX into a 60" umbrella and this is the lighting you get. The subject is positioned near a white wall. The close distance to the wall prevents the light from falling off too much - keeping the wall relatively bright.
 
Good portraits do not require a straight-on look from your subject, but good portraits usually need both eyes in the frame. Do not let the subject turn their head far enough for the nose to block an eye. A white reflector was used to bounce some fill light into the picture.

The setup used for this portrait is about as simple as studio-grade lighting gets. One 60" umbrella with an inexpensive Canon Speedlite 320EX fired into it. The flash was remotely triggered by the Canon EOS 60D. The background is simply a white wall with the light feathered down over it. A white reflector was used to bounce some fill light into the picture.