Photography Reflectors – The Unsung Heros!

We all know that photography is about capturing light. We all know that the basic setup for a portrait requires three lights…Now for the ugly part – buying good quality studio portrait lights is expensive! Enter photography reflectors…

If we can’t afford to get a top quality 3 light system, the best option is to buy just ONE good quality light (rather than 3 cheap – and mostly useless – ones). Then we replace the other lights with reflectors that cost next to nothing. We could even make them ourselves!

Here’s what you do…

First: Set up your one studio light at around 45 degrees between your subject and the camera. Make it about 45 degrees above them as well. That’s one light. (BTW – your one light could even be the sun if you are outside!)

Second: Set up one or more large white photography reflectors near to the model on the opposite side of your light. This will bounce light back into the shadowed side of the face. That’s light number two.

Third: Position a mirror above and behind your model. Angle the reflective surface to be pointed at the top and back of the model’s head and reflect light into his or her hair. That’s the hair light…light number three.

To avoid accidents and breakage, you can use mirrored plastic. Safety comes first. Or, in a pinch, you could use aluminum foil taped to a piece of poster board.

Fourth: Using a larger mirrored surface (The mirrored plastic sheets come in sizes up to 4 feet!) angle it to push light onto the background. With the judicious use of gels and cookies, you could “project” colors and patterns on the backdrop too! This is your separation light. Light number four.

Fifth: Using a smaller piece of the mirrored material, have someone hold it (or mount it on a stand) to kick some additional light into the face. Now if you expose for the light hitting the face, it is more than the light hitting the rest of the scene. So the rest goes slightly darker and subtly forces attention to the face. This is a MAJOR pro tip! This one is called a kicker and is light number five…

Need I continue?

You could light an entire set – with as many light sources as you want – with only one actual light and homemade or inexpensive photography reflectors. Try it, it’s fun and you will learn a TON!

About the Author

I know how hard it can be to try and capture your creative vision with a camera, but if you really want to be creative you’ll need to learn a couple methods that work amazingly well…They are simple to pick up, work right away and don’t take any practice – you can read how to do it in my free ebook “7 Secrets To Creating Stunning Photos!”

Don’t give up hope, it’s NOT impossible. To learn how to put that elusive “WOW” factor into your photography – go here: http://www.OnTargetPhotoTraining.com

Photographer Noah Fallis – BTS Look Book Lighting for Bridal Wear – Lis Simon

Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography $24.99 Visions of Light is not just for film buffs. In fact, if the presentation of the Oscar for Best Cinematography is your cue to take a bathroom break from the Academy Awards, then this exhilarating documentary will help you see movies in a whole new light. Named Best Documentary by the National Society of Film Critics as well as several film-critic associations, Visions of Light traces the history a…

Understanding the Canon Speedlite 580EX II/430EX II $19.98 This DVD uses the same material as our original 580 EX/430 EX DVD. Demonstrations of Speedlite operations have been updated to show the 580 EX II/430 EX II models. Your new EX II Speedlite from Canon can be the most powerful accessory in your camera bag! Understanding how the Speedlite’s controls work is important, and this DVD takes you through its operations, step by step. Your host, Tim Mantoa…

Cinematographer Style $13.49 Can 110 men teach you everything you want to know about the moving image? If they are Michael Ballhaus, Roger Deakins, Caleb Deschanel, Richard Edlund, Jack N. Green, Owen Roizman, Dante Spinotti, Vittorio Storaro, and other top cinematographers, they can certainly give you a good start. This remarkable documentary offers insights from these cinematic wizards that are profound, humorous, and unexp…

Portable Laptop or LCD privacy and anti glare sun shade – hood for 12-17 Laptop or Slim profile LCD monitors. Compatible with Sony, Toshiba, Dell, Gateway, Asus, Apple Macbook, Macbook Air, and Macbook Pro $19.99 Laptop or slimline LCD monitors 12″-17″ sun shade or hood. Ideal fro working under bright light conditions or for those who prefers privacy at work. Easy store away case included….

ASUS UL20A-A1 Thin and Light 12.1-Inch Silver Laptop – 7.5 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) $599.00 Style and Performance in Perfect Harmony The energy-efficient, slim and stylish ASUS UL20A-A1 notebook redefines ultraportable notebooks. Free yourself from power cords and start exploring with up to an amazing 7.5 hours* of all-day battery life. Powered by the ultra-low-voltage Intel® Core™2 Duo processor SU7300 and optimized with 2GB of DDR2 SDRAM, the UL20A-A1 takes you further than mo…

ASUS UL20FT-B1 12-Inch Laptop (Silver) $699.00 NB i3/4GB/500GB/NO ODD/12.1″/W7HP…

Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 $52.97 Organize edit create andshareProductInformationAdobe Photoshop Elements 10 lets you celebrate your unforgettablemoments with high-quality consumer photo-editing software. Powerful editing options make great photos a snap – and youcan quickly share in unique ways in print on the web and on mobiledevices.  Get even more editing power and greater ease of useto make all of your photos look a…

Corel PaintShop Pro X4 Ultimate $43.42 Streamlined workspace–easily make powerful adjustments and quick fixes. View larger. Professional tools for photo editing, image composition and graphic design. View larger. Fill Light/Clarity filter: brighten shadowy image areas without changing the rest of the photo. View larger. Large preview area helps you quickly assess your adjustments. View larger. Man…

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 [OLD VERSION] $97.60 Simplify photography fromshoot to finishProductInformationAdobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 lets you focus on what you love aboutphotography an intuitive digital darkroom and efficient assistantdesigned for serious amateur and professional photographers. Easily organize and manage your growing photo collection. Experiment fearlessly with nondestructive editing tools thathelp you create incredi…

Rosco The Strobist Collection, Strobist 55 Piece Cinegel Filter Kit, 1.5 x 3.25 to fit most Shoe Mount Strobes. $7.46 Rosco, the worldwide leader in color filters has assembled the essential collection of filters for use with your on-board flash. Rosco has been manufacturing color filters since 1910 and our Cinegel range of color filters has earned two Academy Awards. Working with David Hobby, the founder of www.strobist.com, The Strobist Collection contains the Cinegel filters photographers need, properly sized …