While they are convenient and easy to work with, you don’t really need to go out and buy a set
of reflectors, virtually any reflective surface can be used... I’ve actually used the side of a white
van to reflect light into a portrait subject. However, be very cautious about colors. If you are
using a colored surface as a reflector, it is going to impart that color to the subject.
A gold reflector is usually used to impart a bit of golden color and warmth to a subject. A black
one is used to cut down on the light and increase or darken the shadows. A white one is generally
used to fill in and lighten the shadows on the side of a subject opposite to the light.
When it comes to increasing the actual amount of light in our photos, our best options are to use
a silver reflector or sometimes even an actual mirror.
Since our subjects are so small, it’s kind of overkill to buy a large reflector. Tape some tin foil to
a piece of cardboard and it will work admirably.
A mirrored surface like; a piece of Mylar, a smooth piece of tin foil or an actual mirror, will
reflect the most light into your subject but you have to be careful of the specular highlights.
“Okay”, you say. “But what are specular highlights?”
They are “hot spots” of light. A mirrored surface will tend to create more hot spots than one that
isn’t. When you are creating your reflectors, tape a flat piece of tin foil to a bit of cardboard for a
mirrored surface. Then, take a piece of tin foil, crumple it up, then smooth it out and tape it to the
other side of the cardboard. The creases will help to cut down on the hot spots.
While reflectors are a viable option for some of your macro/close-up work, most of us prefer the
additional control and extra light we can generate by using a flash.