Reflectors

I talk a lot about using small speedlights for lighting in order to get some of the shots I get. However, this week I was reminded that at first, not everyone has invested in these lights and stands for them. So while we were taking pictures yesterday morning at the beach, I wanted to take one with no external lights and use a reflector instead.

For about $40, you can buy a two-sided reflector that collapses into a small circle carrying case. This is much cheaper than the more than $300 it costs for one of Canon or Nikon's top speedlights, and it works like a charm.

In yesterday's case, the sun had come up over the ocean behind my subject. I had my sister-in-law hold the reflector to camera left using the sun to bounce light onto my subjects face. No lights... no stands... and the result:



I'd say that's pretty good. Without the reflector, the right side of his face was a total shadow. This opened it up nicely and we pulled off a nice shoot with minimal gear. Always a plus!