controlling reflector fill

So this is kind of a fine-grain question, but I'm sure some of you have dealt with this situation before.

At a recent shoot I was using a 28" soft box tilted straight down (coplanar with ground) basically putting light mostly straight down. I placed the (hair) model so that she was backed up a few inches from being directly under the softbox.

The good--light looks super dramatic and soft. The challenging: I wanted a little fill from underneath-especially in the eyes. So I have someone hold a large reflector (white) from below. The problem is that whilst this is in fact filling the eyes well, it's also filling in the neck--removing the darkness that helps define the chin well.

Are there any techniques for having a little better control of the reflector ?

Feather it, just like you would feather a softbox.

You should be able to move the reflector around so that the edge of the reflected light stops where you want it to. But you may have to be pretty close to get that sort of control, right at the edge of the frame.

I know your asking about a reflector, but I'm thinking that another light would let you direct the light better and control the power level.

frugivore wrote in post #16482165
I know your asking about a reflector, but I'm thinking that another light would let you direct the light better and control the power level.

I agree. Reflectors are nice, but sometimes its just easier to dial in the right amount of fill with another strobe, especially if you have a grid available.

Thanks a lot guys. There were a couple of other challenges here. I was only using a 5' wide backdrop (thunder grey paper) and so had to have it reasonably close to the model (maybe 6' away ?). Because of this I was concerned that a 'shadows' light (and really, this light would basically set the shadows on the subject--thanks, david hobby) in front would cast the model's shadow on the backdrop. I couldn't have this proposed front light off to the side either because of 1) space 2) the model was directly facing the camera and the only way symmetry could be achieved would be to have that light on-axis.

Edit: in this tricky situation (an on-location shoot at a hair studio) I think I could have feathered the light from the reflector by starting with it coplanar with the floor and then gradually tilting it up until I saw a change in the eyes.

Is part of the reason why (collapsable) reflectors generally lack control because they reflect light in a diffused way without a defined edge ? I'm going to have to practice with some other materials (mirror ?)

Christopher Steven b wrote in post #16482228
Is part of the reason why (collapsable) reflectors generally lack control because they reflect light in a diffused way without a defined edge ? I'm going to have to practice with some other materials (mirror ?)

I think so. And since the softbox also has diffused light, it makes the reflector even light pattern even more diffused. I found that a foam core board ($3 at Walmart) keeps the light reflecting off it directional.

[QUOTE=Christopher Steven b;16482228]Is part of the reason why (collapsable) reflectors generally lack control because they reflect light in a diffused way without a defined edge ? I'm going to have to practice with some other materials (mirror ?)[/QUOTE]


Use mirrored plexiglass. Much safer than glass mirrors and can be bought by the sheet (4'X8', 4'X4', 2'X4' etc..) or you can by smaller mirrored plexiglass tiles to use as they are or you can stick them to foam core that way you have mirrored on one side and white reflector on the other. Plus plexiglass is easily trimmable to what ever size and shape you need.