The iPhone Photography Book

When to Use a Black Reflector

If you’re shooting in the shade (under a tree, under an awning or porch, etc.), or if you’re shooting on a really overcast day, the light is softened and diffused by whatever you’re shooting under or the clouds (which is a good thing). But, because the light is hidden behind those things, it’s also not very directional, so you don’t get the nice shadows on the side of your subject’s face. So, how do you add those shadows? You use a black reflector. When you have a friend hold a black reflector up near your subject’s face, you’ll be amazed at how it adds those shadows right back in—it’s like magic. You go from having ...