Better Natural-Light Portraits with Reflectors

SCOTT KELBY

If you're going to be shooting portraits using glorious, wonderful natural light, there's something you probably ought to pick up that will make your portraits that much betterone (preferably two) collapsible reflectors (I choose collapsible reflectors because they take up virtually no storage space when you're not using them). These aren't just for big-time pros because they just don't cost that much, but they do wonders for opening up the shadows in your portraits and making the most of that marvelous natural light. You simply use these to reflect (or bounce) the natural light from the window back into the shadow areas in your subject.

I use the Photoflex 22" circular collapsible reflectors with gold on one side (if you want the light you reflect to look warmer) and silver on the other side (for a cooler reflected light). They sell for around $37 each. I told you they didn't cost much, but the results are golden (or silver, as the case may be).