Using Reflectors to Bounce Light

[Dexter Gregoire]

What do you use to Bounce Light?

I read some reviews about the white Westcott reflectors not giving off enough light. Can anyone relate?

What are some of your experiences?

 

[David Mullen ASC]

There is no right or wrong level of bounce -- basically the more shiny the surface, the stronger the bounce but the harsher it is, the most extreme example would be a mirror reflecting the sun, then a shinyboard, and then you get into the softer large silver bounces, like silver lame.

The softness is also governed by the size of the surface of the bounce, assuming the light can spread across it because the surface is not too specular, shiny.

White bounces are a little less strong, and the more matte white the surface is, the less harsher, the softer, the bounce, again modified by the size of the surface. And intensity is modified by the distance to the subject. So a white card that is 4'x4' may be too weak ten feet away but sometimes may be too strong three feet away.

In the large frames of white material, you've got Griflon, which is durable, washable, but has a shine to the surface so is less soft, then you've got UltraBounce, which is more matte, and then you've got something like Bleached Muslin cloth, or a white bedsheet basically.

So you carry a range of material depending on the intensity you want, the size you want, the distance to the subject, etc.

 

[Greg M]

T

The softness is also governed by the size of the surface of the bounce,

Great info David...sometimes we just use two 4X8 pieces of foamcore. But I think the most important thing to remember is that softness of light is directly related to the size of the source (and distance which affects the size). The biggest mistake I see is the assumption that diffusion makes a light soft (ie Chimeras). Diffusion has very limited effect on softness unless the diffusion is large and close to the subject.

 

[Dexter Gregoire]

Thank-You. I'm just looking up The Rag Place.

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Great info David...sometimes we just use two 4X8 pieces of foamcore. But I think the most important thing to remember is that softness of light is directly related to the size of the source (and distance which affects the size). The biggest mistake I see is the assumption that diffusion makes a light soft (ie Chimeras). Diffusion has very limited effect on softness unless the diffusion is large and close to the subject.

Diffusion matters only to the point where it even spreads the point source behind it until it is even, after which the only determining factor is the size of the diffusion relative to the subject.

So with thin diffusion or shinier bounce materials, basically you have some specular light mixed in with diffused light.

So it's a mix of factors that determine how soft a light looks. But I agree that some beginners seem to think that all you need to get a soft light is clip some diffusion to the barndoors of a light, not understanding the issue of the size of the diffused area determining softness.