fine-tune your results more quickly than with flash. Additionally, you are not
limited to the flash-sync speed of your camera.
Surface.Reflectors range widely in size, color, and design. Typically, pho-
tographic reflectors have either a matte white, silver foil, or gold foil surface.
Themetallicsurfacesprovidemorelightintensityandcontrastinthebounced
lightthanthe matte white surface.Goldreflectors alsoadda warmcoloration
tothebouncedlight.Mirrorsareanothertypeofreflectortoexperimentwith.
Because they return almost all of the light that strikes them, they can actually
be used outdoors to turn backlight into front light.
Design.Round fabric reflectors on collapsible metal frames (often called
disc reflectors) are a very popular design option, especially for location pho-
tography. They are easy to transport and simple to position—an assistant can
simply hold the reflector in position, then adjust it according to your in-
structions. (Note:When I shoot on location, I typically bring a piece of white
cardboard to use as a reflector, along with a Westcott disc reflector that is sil-
ver on one side and gold on the other.) For studio photography, large, white
opaque reflectors (often called flats) are often moved into position on rollers
or casters. Once in place, studio lights can be bounced into them to create a
large, soft source of light.
For Fill.Reflectors are most commonly used to provide fill light, picking
up some of the main light and wrapping it around onto the shadow side of
the face to make the shadows less intense. To use a reflector for fill, place it
slightly in front of the model’s face. Direct the reflected beam of light grad-
ually toward the subject’s face until you get the desired results. Be careful
when doing this; the reflected light can actually be quite intense if you shine
it right in the model’s eyes. You must also avoid creating unwanted shadows
of the nose on the opposite cheek. This is best accomplished by positioning
the reflector to fill in the whole mask of the face.
Practical Example: Reflected Fill on Location.Let’s look at the differ-
ent effect you can create using a variety of reflectors for fill when shooting on
location. Image5-2(next page) shows the subject with no reflected fill.
In image5-3(next page), the assistant is holding a white card (which can
also be used as a gobo; see page 73). The white board reflects the same color
of light that is striking it and reflects back to the model a soft light that is
usuallyeasyonhereyes.Thiseliminatessomeofthesquintingassociatedwith
shooting in bright sunlight. Even if the reflected light is not intense enough
to increase the light value much in the shadow area, the reflector still creates
pleasing catch lights in the eyes. The disadvantage of using a white board is
thatitisrigidanddoesn’t reflectagreatdealoflightback tothe subjectcom-
pared to a silver reflector. However, its dual function as a gobo outweighs
the disadvantages. Additionally, since it is rigid, it can easily be leaned against
a tree or a stand while the assistant is busy or holding another reflector.
LIGHT MODIFIERS 69The reflected light
can actually be quite
intense if you shine
it right in the
model’s eyes.