Using a Reflector January 25, 2010
Posted by Nicole : Before & After, Food Photography, Photography, Tips & Tricks , trackback
When I photograph food I do my best to use as much natural light as possible. The images above both have natural, diffused sunlight coming in from the right with a reflector to the left, but there is a slight difference between them.
Can you see it?
In the image on the left there isn’t enough fill-light hitting the subject. The reason for this is that the reflector wasn’t pointing to the part of the image that needed light. It was angled the wrong direction – completely parallel to the window (you can see that the background is a bit lighter in that shot). I needed the light to hit the glass at an angle, so I turned the reflector so it was facing the front-left part of the glass that was in my view. (See the diagram to the right for the final setup – click on it for a larger view.)
It’s important that you not only have your reflector filling in the subject opposite the main light, but also that you make sure it’s angled in a way that it’s pleasing to your photograph. You don’t need anything fancy to use as a reflector – a large piece of foam-core will do the trick. But if you do have a traditional reflector (this is the one I use) then you are also able to bend and warp it to wrap more light around your image.
Comments»
Wow! That really does make a difference! I am definitely a beginning photographer and it’s easy to get bogged down by all the terminology and equipment. This post was short, sweet and VERY helpful! Thanks!
Thanks for the tip! I don’t do much photography that requires setting up much…but this I will use! Out of curiosity, what color on the reflector did you choose to use and why?
This is how I spend my lunch break :)
-Ryan
Ryan – for this setup I used the silver side of my reflector. When I photograph food it’s what I use most often.
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I used this exact set up to take a food shot for my wife’s recipes she’s compiling. Your posts have been helpful in thinking of new presentation, lighting and processing for these food shots. Thanks!
What a difference! Do you have any more tips on how to create your own reflector? You suggested using a large piece of foam core… what would you suggest covering it in? Aluminum foil?
Amy – you could just get a piece of white foam core, and wouldn’t need to add anything else to it to get a reflection. The white will make it a very soft light. If you wanted more reflection you could add aluminum foil to it as well. :)
Hi Nicole, this is such a helpful article. I noticed Amy asked about the white ‘foam core’ you mentioned. Do you mean like the big pieces of white protective foam one might find in say a T.V. that is being shipped, etc.? -Cam
You can get them at craft or office stores – they are large “display” foam boards.
Great post. I use a white binder (yes, a school binder) as my reflector, and so far, it has worked just fine. I would love to upgrade one day, though.
I’m looking forward to more tutorials.
That was really helpful! Especially the diagram!
Thanks, Nicole! I just ordered a Canon XSi (my old camera, a point and shoot, recently died) and I look forward to trying out this little trick with my new gear.
Really great post… thanks for the great advice on bounce…it’s most generous.
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Thanks Again. Great Tips