A question about reflector preferences.

[samantha_bender]

I have my own reflector but, honestly, it seems to be a pain to put up

for the little good it seems to do in my pictures. (But, I got mine

for a cheap deal from a photographer going out of business - maybe

it's not the right kind or something.) So I thought I'd turn to you

all for advice.

Do you use reflectors often in your studio and also with natural

lighting? If so, do you prefer the large reflectors on a stand or the

hand held kind?

Also, do you prefer the silver, white or gold fabric on your reflector?

Any brand prefs?

[rdkirk]

I use reflectors fairly often--actually virtually all the time.

 

Reflectors always need a stand. If you're lucky and have the money to pay someone or have good friends, that stand can be human. Otherwise, it has to be artificial.

 

I personally find that small reflectors are nearly useless without a human assistant to intelligently keep them oriented properly while the shooting is going on or the reflector can be propped VERY close to the subject (I'm talking 18-24 inches). Sometimes that human assistant can be the subject himself/herself, but that is normally only with headshots.

 

Working alone when the subject can't hold the reflector, I find the very large reflectors (4x6 foot) on a stand to be useful.

[lex_jenkins]

I like the Photoflex Multidisc 5'n 1. Four reflective surfaces (white, silver and two shades of gold) and a white diffuser. Adorama sells a similar reflector for less money. I got the Photoflex because the frame was more rigid than a Westcott I tried. I didn't want to buy a reflector without trying it so I didn't order the Adorama model.

 

Photoflex and Westcott sell adjustable arms to hold reflectors. These can be mounted on a tripod, which is a bit more stable outdoors than a conventional light stand as long as there's not much of a breeze.