Beach and reflectors

[naeno]

Ok, I have a maternity shoot coming up on Saturday. It will just be mommy and me (I've roped my husband into being assistant too.) We are doing it at the beach just before sunset (4:30 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. est) on the US east coast. I'm planning on making this reflector, maybe. I've also kicked around the idea of picking up one of the pop-up sunshades for your car.

So...to the questions
#1 at that time of day, will I need a reflector (I do not have an external flash)?
#2 if so, I've been reading that the wind on the beach will cause reflectors to bend causing hotspots and uneven lighting. Would a sunshade do the same thing or worse with the wind going? Would the other reflector hold up better?
#3 For shoots in the future, is it easier to have an assistant hold the reflector or use a light stand?

Thanks gurus!

[SusanH1970]

Originally Posted by naeno

Ok, I have a maternity shoot coming up on Saturday. It will just be mommy and me (I've roped my husband into being assistant too.) We are doing it at the beach just before sunset (4:30 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. est) on the US east coast. I'm planning on making this reflector, maybe. I've also kicked around the idea of picking up one of the pop-up sunshades for your car.

So...to the questions
#1 at that time of day, will I need a reflector (I do not have an external flash)?
#2 if so, I've been reading that the wind on the beach will do funky things to the light coming off reflectors. Would a sunshade be more of a pain than it's worth with the wind going? Would the other reflector hold up better?
#3 For shoots in the future, is it easier to have an assistant hold the reflector or use a light stand?

Thanks gurus!

Not a guru, but I can try to answer your questions, LOL!

1. Yes, most likely, you will. With the sun being to one side, you're likely to get shadows on the opposite side. The reflector will fill those shadows in for you. If your subject is backlit, you'll need the reflector in front of her so she's not underexposed (if she's backlit you might want to spot meter off her).

2. I haven't heard of wind doing funky stuff to light, but stranger things have happened - I'm sure someone with more knowledge can discuss this further.

3. I bring a folding chair and a clamp to hold my reflector (but I have a really big one) or I lean it up against something, if I don't have an assistant. Most of the time I have an assistant, though. Although now I have a light stand, maybe I'll buy a boom arm for it to use for my reflector....(sorry, LOL just thinking as I'm typing this!)

As for the homemade reflector - I personally don't like silver - I prefer white most of the time and very occasionally gold if I need a bit of extra warmth. The silver a) can be a bit cool, and b) tends to blind people, LOL! For something to use in a pinch that will work great on a budget, you can pick up a large piece of white foamboard at a craft store.

Hope this helps!

[FormElement]

From my very limited experience (no guru here), I would suggest having a silver or white reflector on hand for sure. IF you are shooting long (100mm or longer), with the light coming from somewhere behind the subject, your on-camera flash with a Gary Fong Puffer (or a cheap homemade diffuser) should do a passable fill. That's about all I have been able to get myself. Other than that, if it is a reasonably clear day, your lighting will be on the warm side and pretty sharp on one side of your subject. I am guessing you will probably want some fill light for all but the most artistic shots.

Also, a little inginuity and $5 could build a reflector brace out of a couple cheap pine 1x2's so the wind won't be able to flop it around as much.

[naeno]

Originally Posted by SusanH1970

As for the homemade reflector - I personally don't like silver - I prefer white most of the time and very occasionally gold if I need a bit of extra warmth. The silver a) can be a bit cool, and b) tends to blind people, LOL! For something to use in a pinch that will work great on a budget, you can pick up a large piece of white foamboard at a craft store.

Hope this helps!

I've actually wondered how far a piece of white foamboard will throw light. Do you need to be extremely close or can there be a bit more distance? I assumed that it was best to use silver because it would through the light farther. However, I can see how it would tend to cause the light to be cool.

Originally Posted by FormElement

Also, a little inginuity and $5 could build a reflector brace out of a couple cheap pine 1x2's so the wind won't be able to flop it around as much.

Interesting DIY! I like it! Thanks.

[SusanH1970]

Originally Posted by naeno

I've actually wondered how far a piece of white foamboard will throw light. Do you need to be extremely close or can there be a bit more distance? I assumed that it was best to use silver because it would through the light farther. However, I can see how it would tend to cause the light to be cool.

In my experience, it depends on how bright the light is. If it's fairly bright, the white really does throw the light nicely. But for the most part with a reflector of any color, you do need to be fairly close to the subject.

You could always use your DIY reflector or sunshield and bring along a piece of foamboard as well just to give it a try - if you're not happy with it, you're only out a couple of dollars.

[naeno]

Originally Posted by SusanH1970

In my experience, it depends on how bright the light is. If it's fairly bright, the white really does throw the light nicely. But for the most part with a reflector of any color, you do need to be fairly close to the subject.

You could always use your DIY reflector or sunshield and bring along a piece of foamboard as well just to give it a try - if you're not happy with it, you're only out a couple of dollars.

Excellent suggestions! Thank you so much for your help.

[SusanH1970]

Any time, glad to help! I wanna see photos from the shoot!!!

[ttosifa]

You've gotten some good responses, but I wanted to add a couple of things.

First, don't corner yourself into thinking of the reflector as "fill" light -- it can also be the key light, with the sun providing accent lighting (or rim lighting). You'll need to get the reflector in close, so that you get shadows from it. (Shadows are what provide form, and are not always to be avoided, as many seem to think.)

Second, a white reflector will provide (properly used) a large, diffused source of light. A silver reflector, generally speaking, will provide nearly a direct reflection of the sunlight. A silver reflector, therefore, will tend to produce more "hotspots," or specular highlights. Not bad in and of itself, but it should be part of your thought process in producing the photo.

Finally, wind does not directly affect the light from a reflector. Impossible. It can, however, affect the reflector and change the quality of the reflected light. If the wind causes the reflector to bow in or out, then the light will tend to be harder or softer. But wind does not blow light around.

[naeno]

Originally Posted by ttosifa

First, don't corner yourself into thinking of the reflector as "fill" light --.

I've never even considered using a reflector as the primary source of lighting. Very interesting. I'll have to give it a go.

Originally Posted by ttosifa

Second, a white reflector will provide (properly used) a large, diffused source of light. A silver reflector, generally speaking, will provide nearly a direct reflection of the sunlight. A silver reflector, therefore, will tend to produce more "hotspots," or specular highlights. Not bad in and of itself, but it should be part of your thought process in producing the photo.

Thanks for the clarification, and things to think about.

Originally Posted by ttosifa

Finally, wind does not directly affect the light from a reflector. Impossible. It can, however, affect the reflector and change the quality of the reflected light.

I actually didn't phrase my wording correctly, and i've gone back and re-written. I read that the reflectors tend to bend in the wind, causing the lighting to be inconsistent.
Thanks for the information! I really appreciate it.

[naeno]

Interestingly enough, I went to JoAnn's to pick up some white board. My kids went a bit nutty on me before I was able to pick it out. So, I went home and started rummaging around. I found some wrapping paper that I bought last year after Christmas on sale. One was gold with silver and red flecks, and the other was just a straight silver. I also found a large cardboard box that was white. I wrapped both Christmas papers around large cardboard pieces. I used all three with fairly good results. Thanks again for all your advice!