Editorial
By Eugene Struthers
Back to the Classroom.
Assistance and guidance in building a studio from scratch.
Following on from last months editorial. I have had a few requests from readers. Asking if I could simplify and make a quick and easy guide on how to use an
Exposure meter for available light and metering for strobes. So as always, I'm more than happy to assist and give fellow photographers a helping hand. Please check the studio section on the menu page for a link to this Light Meter "Step by Step" guide. I will try my best to give you all a break down easy to understand user friendly start up guide.
Which Reflector should you use?
If you plan on achieving great results and would like to capture images just like the professionals. You will need to purchase a few reflectors.
Reflectors come in a variety of colours (gold, black, silver, whilte). And they each have their own specific function.
Gold:- This reflector is designed specifically for outdoor photography "Portraits" to match the available warm colour of the sunlight. They will not
work in a studio because when the white light from your studio strobe lights hits the gold reflector, it casts a yellow shadow reflection and you will find
that the model will apear yellow from one side whilst the other will be studio white.
White:- These reflectors don't bounce nearly as much light. But they are ideal for portrait photography and function to achieve great results indoors
and outdoors. This type of reflector is mostly used for product and commercial photography.
Black:- This type of reflector is used to absorb light. It's main function is to cut reflections when shooting in an environment with any light that will reflect i.e.
light, like jewelry, glass, persplex, metal etc.
Silver:- This type of reflector, reflects the most amount of light and it doesn't change the colour of the studio light bouncing off it. This type of
reflector is mainly used by professional photographers who specialise in portraits.
So you want to try and purchase either a reflector which has one side white and the other side silver, or just two separate reflectors.
Where do you position a Reflector
The key to a successful studio setup lies in your use of a reflector. It will keep you from having to use a second light. And to be honest they are very
inexpensive at about £12 to £22 for all four colour reflector types. An invaluable tool to manipulate light and create artistic clear results.
Once you have purchased a reflector. Where do you put it? The main rule is that there is no corrct place to position your reflector. But we must understand
why we purchased it, in the the first place. Its main function is to bounce light from your studio strobe softbox lighting unit into the shadow area's
surronding your model. So it is of no use if it is only doing thirty percent of what is actually required. You will need to position the reflector to maximize its full potential. Firstly we need to remember that the relector should be placed a short distance from your model, so that the light is
allowed enough room to bounce back into the area required. A method most professionals use, is to place the reflector directly beside the model and on
the opposite side to your strobe softbox. So that it catches and then bounces the light back into the areas where there are shadows. In most portrait
photography studio setups. The reflector will be placed beneath or below the model so that light is reflected up and into the face. This is used to cover the
shadow area below the chin given off by the over head strobe soft box lighting. The light must hit the reflector directly for the full potential of the
reflector to be utilised. This is key to achieving a successful studio setup.
. Eugene Struthers Esq Thanks for all your support and comments. |