Photo reflectors?

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Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
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  • #8134
    Eric DeWitt
    Member

    Anybody using any type of reflector or light disc?

    I was thinking about picking one up to play around with for portrait type work.

    #68553
    anonymous
    Member

    Hi Eric – I use these ones a lot – indoors and out. I have a pair that go inside my lightbox as side panels to crisp up highlights when doing studio bug stuff. The

    #68554
    Avatar photoChad Simcox
    Member

    I use them a lot as well on video shoots. Just yesterday I picked up the Wescott 4 in 1 for a documentary shoot for next week.

    White/Silver is my preference, however I like the white ones that can work as diffusion or bounce the best.

    http://society6.com/grainfarmer Fly Fishing and Landscape open edition Photography prints.

    http://grainfarmer.vsco.co/ iPhone photos
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    #68555
    Eric DeWitt
    Member

    What would you say about sizes?

    #68556
    Buzz Bryson
    Member

    Eric,

    I have one of the convertible discs.

    #68557
    Avatar photoBen Cochran
    Member

    For the money, Photoflex is hard to beat, the material is nice and tight providing better bounce.

    As far as size, that is more conditional to the type and engineering of composition, as well as the size of your subject. Remember that specular detail is determined by the size of the light source so, you may want a more narrow specular in some compositions with broader in others. You can move the reflector further from your subject, which reduces the size of the specular but you will also lose any wrap around lighting effect that you may have wanted. I have varying sizes and several different types but I would recommend 2 sizes.

    Also, the 5-1 is much better bang for the cost and the center diffuser panel is priceless. By having the 2 sizes you can use the larger for splash onto your subject while focusing the smaller for better density on your subject, as fill or key bounce, plus other effects.

    #68558

    I use white most of the time for it’s nice soft natural look, and silver if more grunt is needed, but gold looks very average IMHO.

    Bigger is better for fleckys except in the wind.. 😉

    The 5 in 1 I had didn’t last long and was heavy, though for occasional use they would be a good deal.

    www.dsaphoto.com

    A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.

    #68559
    Avatar photoBen Cochran
    Member

    I know what you mean about that gold, David. I don’t like to use it as bounce as much as I do love to use it more as a bounced spill, for evening or early morning feel. I once saw a Czech photographer using a bronze reflector panel, amazing results but I can’t find one anywhere.

    #68560
    lee church
    Member

    I bought a 5 in 1 off ebay last summer to shoot my cousin’s senior pix.

    #68561

    I know what you mean about that gold, David. I don’t like to use it as bounce as much as I do love to use it more as a bounced spill, for evening or early morning feel. I once saw a Czech photographer using a bronze reflector panel, amazing results but I can’t find one anywhere.

    Sounds interesting..

    Let me know if you find one, might be worth a fiddle..

    www.dsaphoto.com

    A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.

    #68562
    Avatar photoChad Simcox
    Member

    I’ve been using the 4 in 1 this week quite a bit. Silver for sure has seen the most use. I’ve been using it for fill light when shooting mid day interviews. I did use the white diffusion to knock out the blotchiness of the light on the host’s face when shooting mid day in the trees.

    http://society6.com/grainfarmer Fly Fishing and Landscape open edition Photography prints.

    http://grainfarmer.vsco.co/ iPhone photos
    http://instagram.com/chad_simcox Instagram

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