To demonstrate the use and importance of reflectors several pictures of the same object under the same lighting conditions were taken. Equal lighting distances, apertures, isos, and shutter speeds were utilized.
The first picture is the control. No reflectors were used in this picture. You can notice the harsh shadows on the left side of the bottle. Additionally the picture has a harsh contrast.
The next picture utilized a white reflector about five feet to the left of the object. The white reflector reduced the harshness of the shadows on the bottle as well as the contrast in the picture.
The third picture utilized the white reflector but moved the reflector closer the the object. The white reflector is now three feet from the bottle. The closer position of the reflector further reduced the harshness of the shadow both on the bottle and on the backdrop. The contrast was also reduced.
The fourth picture utilized a silver reflector three feet from the object. This silver reflector is more reflective than the white reflector. This can be seen as the shadows and contrast are reduced even further.
The fifth picture utilized a black reflector three feet from the object. This black reflector absorbs the light more than reflects. This can be seen by comparing the first picture to the last. The shadows and contrast are harsh.
Take-aways:
1) Silver is more reflective than white (which can be great for objects, but harsh for people).
2) Black absorbs light more than reflects.
3) Moving the reflector closer to the object and source of light can reduce the harshness of the shadows and the contrast in the picture.
4) A reflector can act as a second light source if used properly.
5) It is not necessary to buy an expensive reflector, cardboard can be just as effective.
Happy Photographing!
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