The head can be slid forward or backward along the body of the flash to change the angle of dispersion for the flash. Note the numbers on the side of the monolight shown here. Top-Part of the charm of a well-designed system is the range of looks you can get with the combination of a good modifier system. I wouldn’t use an umbrella reflector by itself as the light would be too uncontrollable. Ones from budget flash makers like AlienBees work well in its intended use. Other manufacturers design their spill kills so that they work well for most umbrellas. I call it “tuning the reflector” to the umbrella. While the Profoto reflector (like all the light modifiers for the system) can be “zoomed” forward or backward to narrow or widen the beam, we mostly use them in a position that fills our umbrella with light and blocks any extra light from spilling around the edges. A bare flash sends light in all directions, and although the body of the flash head or monolight blocks some light, you’ll need an umbrella reflector if you want to keep the photons corralled into the front 180 degrees of your flash head. These modifiers have a small diameter lip that keeps light from the flash tubes from spilling back toward the camera. These are also called “spill kill” reflectors. This is true most of the time, but the internal finish of the reflector and its shape also have a lot to do with the quality of light they reflect. The rule of thumb is that a bigger reflector yields a softer light. I own Profoto, so I’m going to use their reflectors as examples, but nearly all of the flash manufacturers offer a good range of metal reflectors that are made to modify the light from the flash tubes in a certain way.ĭifferent reflectors have different properties. The most flexible systems allow us to choose the reflectors we need to best do the shot in front of us right now. The electronic flash head is like a blank canvas for photographers. These interchangeable reflectors can radically change the character of the light coming from the business end of your studio flash! There are specialized reflectors for many different applications. (Most movie lights-and hot lights in general-already incorporate their own reflectors, and fluorescent light units are mostly used with softboxes and umbrellas or they have their own built-in reflectors.) Part of the appeal of these lighting systems is that they are flexible and adaptable. This section is focused on the accessory reflectors that are available for many of the studio flash heads and monolights on the market. It is available from and other fine retailers. Today's post is an excerpt from the book Photographic Lighting Equipment: A Comprehensive Guide for Digital Photographers by Kirk Tuck.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |