TMR Design
14th of March 2008 (Fri), 13:02
Have you looked at or heard of a device called the Triflector? Wondered what it does and how you would use it? Curious as to how your lighting will appear?
There are a few companies making similar products and they all do the same thing. They are used to return and direct light, sometimes evenly and sometimes not, to 3 locations within your subject area.
In most cases it would be used as the fill light, like that used in clamshell lighting, with a main light centered and coming from above the camera.
The 3 reflector panels are positioned so the center one is under the subject's chin and the 2 side panels tilt up to return light to the sides of the neck, chin and face. You get very nice, beautifully soft light.
The images below demonstrate how the lighting changes as you add the reflectors, with the final image using all the reflectors in addition to the main light. The final image also has the least contrast but is very pleasing. This style of lighting is fun to play with and opens up some creative doors if you want to get away from standard portrait lighting. The image with the fill reflector under the chin and on the left side has a bit more contrast than the last image, while still giving you nice soft light with a bit more shadow. You can also see that due to the angle of the side panels, I've returned some additional light to the top and sides of the head, creating a bit of hair lighting.
The other obvious thing that is happening is that the reflectors are acting as any other light source would and the more light that is being returned to the subject, the more light reaches the background, making it appear brighter as well. If you needed complete subject to background isolation then you would have to move the subject further from the background or bring the reflectors much close to the subject. This is no different from working with a powered light source.
Don't be afraid to play with unconventional lighting.
NOTE: I don't actually own any of the devices that are named 'Triflector'. I've simply adopted the term to illustrate exactly what it is. My triflector is simply 3 white foam core panels positioned as described, with the 2 side panels symmetrically placed for even lighting, side to side.
There are a few companies making similar products and they all do the same thing. They are used to return and direct light, sometimes evenly and sometimes not, to 3 locations within your subject area.
In most cases it would be used as the fill light, like that used in clamshell lighting, with a main light centered and coming from above the camera.
The 3 reflector panels are positioned so the center one is under the subject's chin and the 2 side panels tilt up to return light to the sides of the neck, chin and face. You get very nice, beautifully soft light.
The images below demonstrate how the lighting changes as you add the reflectors, with the final image using all the reflectors in addition to the main light. The final image also has the least contrast but is very pleasing. This style of lighting is fun to play with and opens up some creative doors if you want to get away from standard portrait lighting. The image with the fill reflector under the chin and on the left side has a bit more contrast than the last image, while still giving you nice soft light with a bit more shadow. You can also see that due to the angle of the side panels, I've returned some additional light to the top and sides of the head, creating a bit of hair lighting.
The other obvious thing that is happening is that the reflectors are acting as any other light source would and the more light that is being returned to the subject, the more light reaches the background, making it appear brighter as well. If you needed complete subject to background isolation then you would have to move the subject further from the background or bring the reflectors much close to the subject. This is no different from working with a powered light source.
Don't be afraid to play with unconventional lighting.
NOTE: I don't actually own any of the devices that are named 'Triflector'. I've simply adopted the term to illustrate exactly what it is. My triflector is simply 3 white foam core panels positioned as described, with the 2 side panels symmetrically placed for even lighting, side to side.