Outdoor photography seems simple as if you just have to take photos of a person or a moment with automatic camera settings. In reality, it is not. When you want to do some portrait photography outdoors, you need to have proper control and balance on everything that you are using. Some portraits cannot be taken directly with automatic settings. You might have to use extra equipment like reflectors for outdoor portrait photography.
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It is equipment with a highly reflected surface to provide proper light to a person’s face. With the use of this reflector, the light bounces back at the same angle as it strikes the reflector. By doing this, you can change how light falls on your subject. A single light source can be utilized in numerous ways with the help of reflectors. They frequently replace an additional light source.
Regardless of this introduction, if you are new and you don’t know how to use reflectors for outdoor portrait photography, then this guide is for you.
First, understand What is a Reflector?
When photographing people in natural light, reflectors are a great tool. They serve the purpose of enhancing the lighting on the face of your subject. In this way, they look better in the camera, and better portraits can be achieved as a result of this. For instance, you can get illumination from both sides of the light source on the subject’s left side, and a reflector is placed on the right. You may change the reflection angle and manage the lighting effect by moving the reflector.
They function just as well in continuous and flash lighting in artificial and natural light. When photographing people in difficult light conditions or those that move about a lot, you can ask an assistant to hold the reflector.
Portrait photography aims at capturing the personality, character, and emotions. It can either be candid or artistic. Portrait photography requires more than just the ability to understand your camera settings, lighting, and composition.
You must also possess the ability to connect with your subjects and capture their unique qualities. So, it is a difficult but rewarding genre of photography.
Click Below to read a comprehensive guide to learning and mastering the art of portrait photography.
How to Use a Reflector for Outdoor Portraits
To use a reflector for outdoor portraits, you might need some help. You can either ask your client to hold the reflector at different angles when you are taking portraits of him, or you can get an assistant to do it for you. To start, you will need a light source in front if you want to take a backlit outdoor portrait. Otherwise, the details of your subject will be hidden by shadow. To create equal illumination, try placing a reflector immediately in front of the subject.
Move the reflector to one side to play with how you may manage shadows to produce a dramatic effect. Tell your subject not to look at the reflector directly. After all, it bounces intense UV light. The reflector can be used in almost as many different ways as there are different reflector types. You can hold the object yourself, have a helper hold it, have your subject hold it, or lean it against something.
You can also get a stand designed just for holding objects. Even having your subject sit on it is an option. Sometimes, you will need to take a few pauses because holding a reflector over someone’s head for a long time can tire someone out. These reflectors are useful for photographing in low light when taking pictures outside. Examples include shooting in the shadow or on a cloudy day.
Just remember that avoid having your subject look straight at the silver or gold side whenever possible, especially in direct sunlight. You definitely don’t want to momentarily blind them. Using a reflector made of gold or silver makes it simple to see where the light is falling. Using a white reflector makes it a little bit more difficult.
How to Choose a Reflector
Reflectivity and color are the characteristics of reflectors. While a reflector with a matte surface reflects less light and produces a soft, even light, one with a shiny surface produces dazzling reflections. There are lots of options in reflectors that you can choose for your photo shoot. The natural light will have a different effect with each type of reflector being used. Typically, they come in white, silver, or gold.
Reflectors made of gold appear somewhat warmer than those made of white or silver, which don’t change the color of the light (e.g., sunset light). Silver has the maximum reflectivity of any color. They come in a wide variety of forms, dimensions, and kits with all available color options. They are frequently foldable, so you can transport them. Consider your photographic equipment and workflow to decide which is best for you.
Before selecting a reflector for outdoor pictures, it is important to understand a few things.
Size
Your images will be impacted by a reflector’s size. When you utilize a big reflector, the light is softer. Therefore, if you want a particularly delicate, mild, and even impact, you can consider selecting a larger reflector size. However, because you don’t want to carry around something the size of a wall, larger reflectors are far more difficult to handle. Because of this, you’ll usually have to choose between portability and size.
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Color
The hue of your reflector can drastically change your photos. It can tell you whether you want a reflector that is highly specialized or one that is multipurpose. Currently, there are only a few common colors, but if you look long and hard enough, you can locate reflectors in just about any shade.
The typical reflector colors and some explanations for their use are as follows:
- White: When used as a fill light source, white surfaces generate a uniform bounce light that is neutral in hue.
- Black: Black reflectors operate more as a flag to block or remove light than they do to bounce or reflect it.
- Silver: A silver reflector can enhance highlights and produce a high-contrast image, which is ideal for black-and-white photography, product photos, and video.
- Gold: A gold reflector creates a warm, natural fill light that works great for inside photos or sunset sessions. If at all, use gold sparingly because the color cast can appear unnaturally orange.
- Transparent: To create a broad, gentle light source, use translucent fabric as a diffuser. This substance is used in scrims.
Effortless Use
Reflectors don’t require any technical knowledge to be handled. They are easy to manage and take away during the outdoor portrait sessions. As long as it’s the proper size and color, you might be tempted to grab the first reflector you come across, but we advise you to take a moment to weigh your options. Certain reflectors have helpful qualities that make them much easier to work with, even though all reflectors are really just fabrics made to bounce light.
With the use of reflectors, you may improve lighting without really using artificial light. Therefore, if you’re shooting outside on a cloudy day, you might want to utilize a reflector to better highlight certain parts of your subject. Later you will notice how the model’s face was made brighter by using a silver reflector or any other type of reflector.