shooting a singular portrait you may needonly a small
reflectorandyoumaymanagethisyourself.Howeverifa
larger grouping or more complex set-up is needed an
assistant may be required to position the reflector.
Reflectorsareparticularly usefulinshadedsituations,for
pushing light intoan areawhere itwould not normally
reach. For example, if your subject is wearing a hat a
reflectorcanbeusedunderneathtopushlightintotheeyes,
which would otherwise be dark and lifeless.
White reflectorsarethemost neutral wayto bouncethe
lightwhenthephotographerisconsideringhowtoproduce
the most natural skin tones. Silver reflectors are more
efficient at bouncing the light than white reflectors;
however,thephotographermustbemindfulthatthelight
can sometimes be overpowering, especially if used in
brightersunlight.Becarefulnottoplacethereflectortoo
closeto thesubject; thereflector should be usedto fill
shadowsnaturallyandlook‘real’,andifheldtooclosethe
resulting image will look overlit and unnatural.
Thelightthatsilverreflectorsbouncecanalsobecoolerin
naturethanawhitereflector,andmaylendamorestarkair
totheportrait.Goldreflectorshavethesameeffectasthe
silver reflectors; however, as they are warmer in their
treatmentofskintones,theycanbeusedtogreateffectto
emulate the warmth of the sunlight and of the golden hour.
Other reflectors mayhave a mix of two colours, either
white/silverandwhite/goldorgold/silver,andthesecanbe
more usable in a variety of situations.