The Digital Photography Book

Using Reflectors and Which Color to Use

A lot of photographers like shooting outdoor portraits on very cloudy days because you don’t have any harsh sunlight—it’s hidden behind the clouds. However, like when shooting in the shade, the light tends to be kind of flat. So, on a cloudy day, or if your subject is in the shade, we sometimes use a reflector to redirect some light onto their face, or just onto the shady side of their face, so it doesn’t get too shady and lose detail. But, there are silver reflectors, white ones, black ones, and gold ones (among others). Which do you use when? White reflectors are the least reflective, and with portraits, ...