Digital Photographer - USA (2019-07)

Reflectorsarealighthack
gift, especially useful in
diffused light when you won’t
blind your model. A common
misconception is that where
thereappearstobedullor
littlelight,reflectorswon’t
workbuti find this is the
time they perform best. You
can still shape the light (and
shadows) with a reflector
by moving and tilting the
reflector to achieve the
desired effect. Personally my
colourpreferenceissilver,and
wheretheeffectistoointense
i move the reflector away from
the subject, or switch to white,
which is much more subtle.

usingflashindiffusedlightcanhelptoliftthe

overalllightintheimage,createcatchlightsand

infillshadows,orconverselytohighlightamoody

skyandcreatedrama.

Toadditsubtlyrequiresbalancingexposurefor

thenaturallight,allowingtheskiestobeslightly

overexposed.Thenaddingapopofflashtoliftthe

shadowsontheface.

Tocreatedramathebackgroundneedstobe

exposedtolookmuchmoremoody,closingdown

thelighttoshowcloudsandshadows,thenadding

amoreintensiveflashintotheface.Thiscanstillbe

featheredtoonesidetokeepshapeintheshadows

anddefinitionontheface.

Try reflectors

Usefillflash

Farleft

Only

naturallight

shotpurelyon

naturallight,

theexposure

isflatand

evenacross

theimage

Leftmiddle

Homemade

reflector

Diffusedlightat

sunsetisusedbehind

thesubjectandalarge

whitepieceofpaper

addsasubtleamount

backintotheface

Left

Usesoft

sunlight

Diffused

sunlightcoming

through

cloudoften

createsasoft,

flatteringeffect

BeFore AFTer

Above

Diffused flash

Use flash with a softbox to balance with the diffused and

moody light from an overcast sky

bAlAnce The lighT

Subject

Camera

Shard

Views

MoodySky

ethe skyxplore

Soft box2FT

Featheredlight

Terraceroof^