Reflectors

[PIXI_666]

Hi All

I am over using my car shade as a reflector, it just doesn't give off the right effect i want haha (AND it looks tacky). I am about to buy some, and wondered what the difference is between a gold, silver and white.

My own guess would be the gold gives off a nice orange glow, silver you can bounce heaps of light off and the white is just good for an all rounder - filter the sun and also bouncing light?

A better explanation would be appreciated :)

Thanks

Del

[tim]

I think your explaination is pretty good :) I don't use reflectors much, never for a wedding, but i've found little or no difference between silver and white bounce umbrellas other than silver is more efficient.

[PIXI_666]

Thanks Tim, with it being summer and the sun where it is at the time of day people are getting married now...i almost always have the big bright sun in my way and reflectors seem to filter or block it to elimante crappy harsh shadows...i feel ill be using then a lot!

:)

Del

[SR071]

If you want to minimise shadows then the white would probably be a better choice than silver. In direct comparisons you'll see the silver is a more 'harsh' light (there's also more of it). Gold will give people nice tans, but can play havok with white wedding gowns!

White is my preference, but each to their own! If you're going to be using it a lot, then a cardboard backing may be preferable - particularly if windy, the collapsible ones tend to...well....collapse.

If you find silver is giving you enough light, and white not enough, get a bigger white one... *grin*

[PIXI_666]

I was thinking of getting a 5 in one 80cm...white, black, silver, gold and i forget the other colour hahaha

Great idea's....think ill purchase them today :)

[Wedding Shooter]

Hi Del,

I will show you mine when you drop over next week - it is one of the things I really need an assistant for.

How much are you going to pay? I might be able to save you some money.

Cheers,

Chris

[PIXI_666]

Thanks Chris - i was going to get one off ebay (My saviour - no camera places around the BUSH haha) so was going to pay about $40 - $60.

[Jessica_Schultz]

A really great place for photography equipment is Calumet in Chicago IL. The people there are very knowledgeable and you have your stuff the next day sometimes the same day they are great! check out their website: www.calumetphoto.com
another thing the black side of the reflector is used to take away a little light great for window lit pictures to get a better shadow highlight ratio. hope this helps!

[Jessica_Schultz]

A really great place for photography equipment is Calumet in Chicago IL. The people there are very knowledgeable and you have your stuff the next day sometimes the same day they are great! check out their website: www.calumetphoto.com
another thing the black side of the reflector is used to take away a little light great for window lit pictures to get a better shadow highlight ratio. hope this helps!
Oh yeah im sure they service where you are too didnt see where you live at first!

[BLINN]

Del just be careful with the reflector. You don't to waste to much of your time fregin with it while you could be shooting.

[rvt1000]

check out bh psjan sale on impact...i got one and it's fine for me..
psmar only has the photoflex which costs more then the impact...

[PIXI_666]

Hubby is assistant for me on these little side jobs - so he has the reflector so i won't be frigging around with it hahaha but then again for Chris - i will be frigging around with it FOR him. :)

[Wedding Shooter]

Del,

Price sounds good. Mine is a bigger reflector than that and so cost a bit more.

Cheers,

Chris

[llaamaboy]

I think your explaination is pretty good :) I don't use reflectors much, never for a wedding, but i've found little or no difference between silver and white bounce umbrellas other than silver is more efficient.

Fow what it's worth,
Normally becasue of the material used, the Silver is more reflective so the light is not as scattered and is a tad "colder" and "harsh" (deeper shadows?) while the white is not as reflective. At least that is what I have been taught.
On the field, I can not tell the shadows but try to match the color of the reflector to the natural light.

The concept of getting gold for everying thing may not be the best idea except for late afternoon sessions. I would suggest matching the first set of reflectors to the color type you find yourself in more often.

When I was using the North Window every day, I used white and cream mounting board depending on the time of the session. Reflctive surfaces were used with darker clothing or backgrounds and it was on the verg of getting too late to photograph.

ADDED Later: We found that reflective umbrells made for flash units made interesting reflectors also.

Hope that helps ... :D

[PIXI_666]

It does thans Llama Boy, that's why im thinking of getting a few different colours so that i can determine the difference in the times and days etc.

Del

[llaamaboy]

another thing the black side of the reflector is used to take away a little light great for window lit pictures to get a better shadow highlight ratio. hope this helps!

The black "reflector" (scrim) is good for subtractive lighting. Used with great success when you are outdoors and need to create a light direction as opposed to light coming from every direction.
I saw a demo where a photographer actually took people out doors and placed a black scrim directly above the subject. The results were amazing. Every day Im digging out more and more of my equipment and hope to show some examples of some of his more unusual lighing ideas. I never adapted the system because it was just more equipment to adjust and found additive lighting (reflectors, fills) to be easier to see. However, having now used the new 5D for a few shots before the sun abandoned our spot on earth , the digital preview may just change that assesment.

Since window light is already a directional light, so using scrims for _facial_ lighting ration may not be the best use. However, using scrims to tone down white clothing or hands closer to the light source (to name just a few) makes a lot of sense and definitely save the hightlight to shadow ratios.

Yea I like light ... no I LOVE light ... :D
Give me light or give me death.