Seeking Advise - Reflectors. What should I look for?

Seeking help and advise on what I should look out for with reflectors.

I'm hoping that you can share your tips and learnings on what you found when you started to add reflectors to your indoor/portrait shots.

I totally acknowledge that I know nothing about the subject right now...so even any basic information would help.

Thanks in advance.

I guess it depends on how you plan to use it...

• there are combo reflectors that gives you different colors or reflection strength
• something small and portable? Or large for more power?
• some say 42" in a good medium starter size
• if you have it on a stand... think about sandbags to secure it...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/358608-REG/Impact_R1142_5_in_1_Reflector_Disc.html

There's an inherent problem starting asking for general information on a product without having a photographic need or want identified, especially when it comes to lighting. What are you hoping to accomplish, and what equipment do you have already lighting-wise? Do you have studio strobes already? or are you planning on using ordinary speedlights or hot lights? PC cabled control, or wireless RF (Pocketwizard or Canon or similar), or wireless IR (Nikon CLS or similar)?

jec6613 said:

There's an inherent problem starting asking for general information on a product without having a photographic need or want identified, especially when it comes to lighting. What are you hoping to accomplish, and what equipment do you have already lighting-wise?

Click to expand...

I'm hoping to start dipping a toe into portrait photography. It's one of the areas of photography that I haven't taken any real time to learn how to shoot. I'm not planning on doing it professionally or anything....but I have a number of friends that have asked me to attend functions and shoot portraits for/with them. One of them does charity work and he sets up a number of formal functions through the year. They do set up an area before the formal festivities for people wanting pictures taken as additional fundraising and for fun. The people attending are happy to pay for the shots because it's just a momento of the night...and 100% of the money goes to the charity (which then takes it direct to the communities in the Philippines. It's one of those church things.).
I recently did a shoot with him and was looking at the pictures. The critique in me think there are dark shadows on people's faces and I was thinking reflectors might come in handy for the next one.


When not taking portraits, I do a bit of food photography at home. The reflectors might come in useful to balance out the lighting.

jec6613 said:

Do you have studio strobes already? or are you planning on using ordinary speedlights or hot lights? PC cabled control, or wireless RF (Pocketwizard or Canon or similar), or wireless IR (Nikon CLS or similar)?

Click to expand...

Speedlight, for now. The friend that does the charity function fundraiser has PC cabled control. I can work it out with him.
If I get more serious about it, then I'd think about studio strobes.

xlxo said:

I guess it depends on how you plan to use it...

• there are combo reflectors that gives you different colors or reflection strength
• something small and portable? Or large for more power?
• some say 42" in a good medium starter size
• if you have it on a stand... think about sandbags to secure it...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/358608-REG/Impact_R1142_5_in_1_Reflector_Disc.html

Click to expand...

Thank you. I like the combo reflectors. Might be a good starting point.

PrincessInOz said:

I'm hoping to start dipping a toe into portrait photography. It's one of the areas of photography that I haven't taken any real time to learn how to shoot. I'm not planning on doing it professionally or anything....but I have a number of friends that have asked me to attend functions and shoot portraits for/with them. One of them does charity work and he sets up a number of formal functions through the year. They do set up an area before the formal festivities for people wanting pictures taken as additional fundraising and for fun. The people attending are happy to pay for the shots because it's just a momento of the night...and 100% of the money goes to the charity (which then takes it direct to the communities in the Philippines. It's one of those church things.).
I recently did a shoot with him and was looking at the pictures. The critique in me think there are dark shadows on people's faces and I was thinking reflectors might come in handy for the next one.

When not taking portraits, I do a bit of food photography at home. The reflectors might come in useful to balance out the lighting.

Speedlight, for now. The friend that does the charity function fundraiser has PC cabled control. I can work it out with him.
If I get more serious about it, then I'd think about studio strobes.

Click to expand...

Some thoughts...

• how many pictures do you plan to take during the night.... will your flash batteries last the evening? Will the flash get too hot and over heat? It's one reason why I went to the a strobe.
• dark shadows on faces? Sounds like the lights are not setup properly. Do you have a sample picture of your setup?
• powerful strobes allow for more diffusion options like umbrellas, softboxes

xlxo said:

Some thoughts...

• how many pictures do you plan to take during the night.... will your flash batteries last the evening? Will the flash get too hot and over heat? It's one reason why I went to the a strobe.
• dark shadows on faces? Sounds like the lights are not setup properly. Do you have a sample picture of your setup?
• powerful strobes allow for more diffusion options like umbrellas, softboxes

Click to expand...

I think we were lucky to do 25 pictures on that night because I got there late and my friend was run off his feet with other organising things. It really isn't a professional set-up and there is low expectation of the outcome (it really is a fundraiser). I just thought we could do better next year; and there usually is two functions organised per year. I can't share any pictures because they are of 'strangers' that I don't know and I don't feel right about sharing pictures of individuals without permission.

Looks like more research.....and more money is required!