denny_kyser Posted May 26, 2004 Share Posted May 26, 2004 What can you use to make reflectors?? Looking for some way to keep me shooting throuh sunny periods.. the few we have here in NW Pa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian_diaz Posted May 26, 2004 Share Posted May 26, 2004 Foam core is a great, cheap reflector. It's essentially 2 pieces of posterboard sandwiching a piece of foam for rigidity. It's often found in office and art supply stores. Tape some aluminum foil to it, and you have a silver reflector. For more portable options, I've used silver collapsable windshield screens from an auto parts store. It's like if Photoflex sold their Lite Discs 2 for $10, rather than $50 each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_scheuern Posted May 26, 2004 Share Posted May 26, 2004 White foam core works well. I got a big sheet of it for a few bucks at Home Depot in the insulation section (on one of the windiest days of the year, unfortunately: I must have been quite a sight trying to get the thing, which makes a very efficient sail, out to my car ). It's easy to cut to whatever sizes and shapes you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denny_kyser Posted May 26, 2004 Author Share Posted May 26, 2004 Thanks guys, one more question.. any tips on positioning them when your on your own? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill c. Posted May 26, 2004 Share Posted May 26, 2004 In terms of positioning them when you're on your own, you can either tape or clamp them to a light stand (I like to use an old tripod as they are more stable and you can clamp the reflector to the center post and two legs to keep it from rotating) or buy one of the ready-made reflector holders put out by several manufacturers. The professionally-made units do a lot better in wind, but no matter what you have holding it down, it doesn't usually take more than a moderate breeze to make any reflector an unviable tool. -BC- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_waller Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 For a 'hot' reflector there's nothing better than survival blanket. That's the silvered plastic film that's used to wrap up climbers who are suffering from exposure. It's cheap and readily available from climbing and outdoor pursuits suppliers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kari douma Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 You can also use silver Lamay (I'm not sure how to spell it) found at a fabric store. Put an elastic band across the corners on an angle. Build a stand out of pvc pipe. I am in the process of making one right now. I haven't tested this, but I know a lot of photographers who have and love it. I am also making it reversable with gold on the other side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipd Posted May 28, 2004 Share Posted May 28, 2004 Something that I made some very handy reflectors out of is a sunshade made for automobiles. I'm referring to the type that are stored as a circular shape (about a foot in diameter) and pop open to a round-cornered rectangle. I got the silvered type. The surface is quite crinkled (like crumpling aluminum foil and then pulling it out straight), and does a fair job of diffusing the light that it is reflecting. I made a couple of adaptors for cheap light stands so that I can position the reflectors on arms to just about any position I might need (indoors with no wind). The reflectors are held to the adaptors with kitchen clips (the type designed to hold a bag of potato chips closed). Skip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danny_wong2 Posted May 31, 2004 Share Posted May 31, 2004 Here is an idea to warm up skin tones - Take the fold up auto sun shade in silver and add random gold 1" round stickers to it - give skin tone a glow like a suntan. Play around with number of these "dots" to increase or decrease the warming effect. Why pay $150 for a gold/silver reflector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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