Behind the Scenes: Lighting with Reflectors
Ever wonder what to do when the natural light isn't working in your favor? Is the sun too powerful that day? Are you getting weird shadows on your subject? It happens all the time here in Arizona. So how do you fix it? Do you use lights? Reflectors? What if you need compatible equipment on-the-go?
Well, let me tell you about my favorite item to use on any photoshoot... it's my 5-in-1 reflector I got off of Amazon.
If you like portrait photography, you need this reflector! I use it at almost every photo session to add, take away, and manipulate light where I see fit.
I'll use the gold and silver sides to reflect, the white translucent piece to soften and defuse, and sometimes I even just use this large circle (any side) to shade my camera. This prevents lens flares and washed out lighting from ruining your photos. Seriously you guys, this is the best!
Just take a look at my set up from Horseshoe bend this last weekend where I used two 5-in-1 reflectors to manipulate the light in order to get my desired shot.
Notice in the image above how my model, Kaylee's face is shaded, and her hair is blown out and too bright where the sun hits it.
Now take a look at my set up. I have my friend, Trinity, on the left, defusing the light with the white translucent defuser in order to prevent Kaylee's hair from being too over exposed. And on the right I have my boyfriend, Jonah, reflecting the light from the sun back onto her face with the silver side of the 5-in-1 reflector. (Thanks, Trinity and Jonah, for being such helpful assistants!)
With these 2 simple fixes, I created the right lighting balance to capture this image...
Compared to that first image of Kaylee without the manipulated light, this image is way better! Kaylee's face is now evenly lit without shadows. Her hair is also properly exposed and not blown out from the powerful sun. This creates a beautiful soft light that highlights all the important features on the subject.
Convinced, yet?
Here's another shot of Kaylee with this same set up. Her camera is creating a soft shadow on her face now, but she is still mostly illuminated and more importantly, her hair doesn't look like it's on fire.
I love my 5-in-1 reflector, and if you're a photographer looking for an affordable piece of equipment that will make a big difference in your images, I highly recommend you looking into purchasing one for yourself.
Have any questions? Maybe some suggestions for a blog post about a new skill you'd like to learn? Contact me, and let's chat!
