Fill-in flash and reflectors
May 13th, 2008 by Rob N
Every outdoor shoot is a blind date with the sun brokered by the weatherman. The photographer is ever-hopeful the sun will arrive in a glorious raiment of blue sky and slow moving cumulus clouds, but the sun may or may not show up. Or, the sun may arrive sullen and glowering, with a light that diminishes skin-tones and landscapes alike. For the landscape photographer there isn’t much hope. He or she, like a fisherman without bait, can either go home or rationalize they are somehow having a good time. For nearly everyone else there are flashes and reflectors to do what the sun refuses to do.
The flash is an essential accessory for outdoor events. Whether you are shooting a wedding party or the soccer team, the flash will provide the light you need when the sun doesn’t show up, or fill in the shadows beneath the eyes when the sun is at noon. In difficult light situations, the flash will provide the white balance for natural skin tones and accurate color rendition.
I recommend the Photoflex DL42MULTIKIT to enhance both available light and flash photography. It will be an essential accessory both outdoors and in the home or studio. It includes a sturdy light stand, an adjustable disc holder, a five-in-one multidisc and a carrying case. The discs are gold and soft gold to provide a warming effect, silver to increase contrast and add specular highlights, white to take advantage of natural light and translucent to diffuse the light and produce a soft effect. The translucent disc is great when doing portraits in direct sunlight so your subject doesn’t have to squint.
Again, the sun can be a lousy date. However, if the photographer comes prepared, he or she can still get some great photos.
