How to Use Reflectors in Photography

By Steve Campbell


Photography is mostly about controlling the light which underpins the vital key to storytelling in pictures with good solid composition. Working with available light, both natural and artificial you need to consider its quality and how to manipulate it. Colour film or your digital SLR is unable to see light the way our eyes do and there is a difference between natural and artificial light centred on the feature of white balance. However, a mixture of these two light types can be beneficial to good composition.

Using reflectors in photography can be very beneficial in providing a second source of light that helps reduce contrast, eliminate shadows, balances the lighting and might change the look and feel of your image. Reflectors have a distant advantage of producing a softer light that would be often preferred over fill-flash which could produce harsh shadows, particular when manipulating natural light.

Reflectors can be as simple as an A4 white card or perhaps an expensive fold- away unit from your local photographic supplier. The advantage of a fold away compact reflector is storage and portability. Reflectors are not limited to being white and can be either circular or square. Inevitable while using reflectors outdoors you will require some help in holding them, whereas in a studio setting you are able to probable have them mounted.

A common use of a reflector is outdoor portrait photography where you want to illuminate shadowy areas of the face and even-out the light across the face. Hold the reflector at about waist height parallel to the ground. Then slowly adjust it by angling the reflector towards the subject's body observing how the reflected light affects the light distribution across the face. You are reflecting the natural sky light to decrease shadows with a white reflector. Just be sure to position the reflector so that it is away from the field of view of your picture.

Using Reflectors in Photography is not limited to reflecting light from one position as they can be used to reflect light from a number of positions depending on your light source and subject position. The reflectors could also have different finishes. Use gold to add warmth and a silver finish for cooler reflections. Silver also helps give an extra sparkle to eyes if you are close enough. For convenience you could have different finishes on different sides of the same reflector.




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