I'm a natural light photographer, which basically means I don't use any artificial lighting, like a flash. I don't even own a flash. I've chosen this route for a few reasons. I'll be the first to confess that one of those reasons is I simply don't want to delve into the huge arena of lighting just yet. I'm having plenty of fun learning more and more about natural light and natural reflectors, and am really enjoying the kind of work that tends to go with that--mostly outdoor, non-studio kind of work! I also like the realistic results achieved with natural lighting.
As always with these "how to" posts, I feel compelled to state up front that I do not at all consider myself an expert! These thoughts come to you from the land of "what I think I know", so read at your own risk... ;0)
With portraiture, capturing catchlights (see those sparkles in Samantha's right eye, at the top of the post? Those sparkles are called "catchlights") in the subject's eyes is all-important. They help an image feel "alive". Here are a couple more examples:
Without catchlights, the image can look flat:
I love the setting here, and the contented expression on sweet little Sierra's face, but I didn't have any way to reflect light back into her eyes (we were out in an open field, with the sun setting behind her back), so the resulting image looks flat compared to those above. See the difference?
I use walls, water, sand and such as natural reflectors, and I also use a reflector disc whenever I can. Lots of people have asked me how to use a reflector disc, and there are lots of brilliant ways to employ them, but I keep it pretty basic. For those who are interested, here are 4 of the simple ways I use mine...
Actually, I'm getting ahead of myself. If you're wondering, like I did when I first heard the term "reflector disc", what is that? Let me explain: It's a round disc, usually about 36" to 48" in diameter, that has gold, silver, white, black, or transparent material. I don't have a picture of one handy, but if you google "reflector disc", a bunch of 'em will pop up. They fold up (in such a way that it requires a whole new skill set, but is easy once you get the hang of it), and usually come with a carrying case. The basic ones are often white on one side and silver on the other, or gold on one side, and silver on the other... there are fancy 5-in-ones and such, too. The basic two-sided reflector discs like mine can be had on eBay for about $20.
Okay, so back to my train of thought. Here are 4 of the simple ways I use a reflector disc...
1) To fill in the shadows when my subject is backlit by the sun:
The sun was BLAZING behind Mistie here, so I had her Mom stand beside me and hold the white reflector toward Mistie's face, to bounce the light into her face. As the person holding the reflector disc is tilting the reflector this way and that to best fill the shadows, I watch my subject's eyes and holler "stop!" when I see the catchlights light up!
2) To fill in the shadows when my subject is sidelit by the sun:
The sun was setting to Gena's right, so I had her hubby stand to my right and hold the white reflector angled toward the left side of her face. See how the right side of Gena's face and the catchlights in her right eye are super bright, due to the direct sunlight? The left side of her face is quite well lit, too, thanks to the reflector, but you can see that it's a little dimmer than the right. Without the reflector, the left side of her face would have been completely shadowed, because it was really dark outside at this point.
3) To fill in the shadows when my subject is backlit or sidelit by a wall or other natural reflector:
In this case, the window was providing more light than anything else in the alleyway, so I propped the reflector on my camera bag to Jordan's right. The reflector bounced the window light illuminating the left side of her face back into the right side of her face.
Now, I have to interject here that sometimes I purposefully don't use a reflector disc, because I like the depth and contrast provided by the shadows:
For whatever reason, I tend to like the shadows and contrast more when I have a male subject, and also when I'm "seeing" an image in mica or pumpernickel.
One last way I use a reflector disc is...
4) To see if I can better the image, just for kicks! Because you never know when it might help! Sometimes it's not so obvious exactly where the light is coming from, but if I have an extra pair of hands along, I always like to try the reflector. As we were doing the W's Session at the beach, it was unbelievably foggy. I didn't think the reflector would do a thing. But my Mother-in-Law, referring to herself as "Reflecto Granny", was determined to do her job, and kept that reflector disc trained on the W's like nobody's business. I'm SO glad she did! There must have been a lot of light bouncing around in that fog, and off the sand and ocean, because the disc lit them beautifully:
I'll leave you with another list; this time a list of 5 random reflector tips, many of them learned the hard way...
1) Don't despair if you don't have an assistant! When I'm doing headshots, like with a HS Senior, I just have them hold the reflector, roughly at a 45 degree angle, in front of them:
(I'll let you in on a little secret, if you promise not to tell... See the teensy smidgen of black at the bottom right hand corner of the pic? That's the edge of the reflector!) Oh--And this "have them hold it" technique is why the post could be alternately titled "Ritzing"... As I had Samantha holding the gold reflector to her face, she laughed, "I feel like the character on the Ritz commercial!" (Remember the Ritz Cracker Character "toasting" himself with aluminum foil?) Also, I sometimes plop the reflector down flat, and have my subject lie on it:
2) Don't ask anyone under age 10 or so to hold the reflector...
3) If in doubt, use a white reflector! I use white, silver, and gold, but my white reflector gets used more than any other. It casts a flattering, soft light that tends to obliterate blemishes and vastly diminish wrinkles. Seriously, it's amazing! I sometimes use silver with children, especially if they have darker skin. The silver reflector is stronger than the white, and tends to reflect back the exact same color that's hitting it. Think of it like a mirror, reflecting exactly what's standing in front of it. This is probably my all-time favorite pic of my kids so far:
I LOVE how the silver reflector picked up the color of the leaves and bounced it around my sweeties' faces!!! I have used a gold reflector the least, but plan to do lots more experimentation with it! I do love the warm glow, but it can easily be overdone.
4) Whip out your car shade! Or some foam board! Or a diaper box covered with tin foil...!? Yup, I've done all of the above. ;0) There are all kinds of free/cheap ways to experiment with reflecting. The first thing I ever tried was foam board. It made a difference and was fun to play with, but the result was pretty subdued compared to an actual white reflector disc. I think there's some shimmer to the white disc material that makes it more powerful. Then there was the time I couldn't find my reflector, and had to make do with my Mom and Dad's car shade. Fortunately, it was white on one side, and silver on the other! Unfortunately, it was a blustery day, and we couldn't hold it flat enough to do much good. We had some good laughs over it, anyway... And then there was the time that I spread tin foil over a diaper box...
5) Last, but NOT AT ALL least: Wait to set your exposure until after the reflector is in position. The reflector can make a significant difference in the light your camera is picking up, so if you set your exposure, then put the reflector in place, and then snap, it can be really bad news. Don't ask me how I know... I just do, okay? ;0)
So there you have it. I hope I've given you some ideas! Have fun ritzing!!!
To book a wedding or session, e-mail me at jamie.zanotti@gmail.com
