Reflecting light
Using reflectors in your photography
*A reflector is something that reflects light; a surface that the light bounces off.
Shiny, blank, metallic and light coloured surfaces reflect the most amounts of lights…like aluminium foil for instance or a mirror.
Dark colours and matt surfaces absorb light and have the opposite effect to a reflector…like black velvet.
*When light rays hit a perfectly flat surface at an angle of 45 degrees it also bounces from the surface at an angle of 45 degrees.
Examples of commonly occurring reflectors
In nature:
- Water
- Light coloured stone
- Meadows
- Deserts
*The more intense the light is, the stronger the reflection
Man made reflectors you could easily find:
- Any surface that is light coloured
- Shiny and glossy materials
- White and metallic coloured fabrics
- Metal
- Trucks and cars in light or shiny colours
- Fridge doors
- Buildings with glass facades or with a light and shiny surface
- Ponds and fountains
- Aluminium foil
- Pots and pans
- Mirrors
- Shiny tiles
- Taps
- Glass
“Man made reflectors can be bought in a photo shop or online. Try Lasolite www.lastolite.com a reputable and reliable brand with a big range of good quality reflectors in all sorts of sizes shapes and with many different reflective colours.”
You could also use any shiny surface you can find…but it’s a lot harder when they are fixed, to rigid or to soft.
Working with natural (with the sun as the only light source) and man made reflectors
*Sun light have different temperatures depending on the time of the day, what type of light shapers are between the camera and the sun…will talk about colour temperatures in another post.
For more info on light shapers, how to understand and use natural light:
Here are some examples:
Window on the right, gold reflector on the left. Photo: Ami Elsius
The same light conditions as the previous photo. Photo: Ami Elsius
Can you see where the light source is located, and where the reflection is comming from? Photo: Ami Elsius
Only sunlight and a sunfire (a mix of gold and silver) reflector. Photo: Ami Elsius
White coral sand working as a reflector. Without the effect of the reflector, there would be dark shadows in his face. Photo: Ami Elsius
When you have the sun facing you it's recommended to use a reflector or a fill light. Photo: Ami Elsius
Here the model has his back to the sun and you get a nice halo effect around his contour. Without a reflector or fill light, the model would either have been totally dark, or the background totally washed out. Photo: Ami Elsius
With oil, and certain types of make up...like here a gold body paint, the skin becomes a reflector. Light will bounce of pasts of the body to create more defenition ans smoother skin. Watch out for my lessons on what a photographer should know about using different types of make up in different types of lights. Photo: Ami Elsius