Natural Light - Diffuser and Reflectors

J

JennyGW

Suspended / Banned
Messages
1,269
Name
Jenny
Edit My Images
No
If I've started this thread in the wrong area, I'm sorry, please move it or tell me where to move it, thanks :)

I was discussing the Trigrip a few days ago and I've picked up a cheap copy and it's a start, but what I now recognise I need to do is put together a complete setup for natural light portraits/headshots. I don't want to use speedlights/strobes in this setup unless forced to - by the weather, for example.

The location for my setup will be a south facing area with no natural shade that pretty much gets full sun all day long.

My thoughts are to use a large diffuser over the subject, perhaps one of these? On a day with full shade, I am thinking I could use this as a fill light?


Which I would like to mount on existing light stand/s and I'd like to be able to rotate and tilt. Would one/two of these do the job?


Next, now I've got nice shade, I need to light the subject.

1. An existing circular reflector which I can mount on an arm / light stand flat in front of the subject to reflect light up into the face (like lower half of clam shell).​

2. Second, using the Tripgrip copy to direct accent light back onto the subject.​

My thoughts are now, having watched a few videos, is that I'm going to be reducing the light on the subject and the background is therefore going to appear a lot lighter. I've seen this happen in a lot of shots and I'm wondering if there is a way around it - I don't really want to have to use a strobe for the background (or anywhere else).

This needs to be a pro setup for paying customers, so I don't want to cut corners, but the Lastolite kit is way over what I am prepared to spend right now. I realise the gear I have listed is cheap, and if it's going to be really crap, I'd appreciate suggestions for alternatives that won't mean a second mortgage.

Thanks in advance for any advice :)
 
Following a recommendation on this site a while ago, I bought the Phot-R 5 in 1 Reflectors from Amazon, they are available in various sizes but I got the Larger size as per the link below:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Phot-R®-150...8-5&keywords=5+in+one+light+diffusers+photo+r

I'm more than happy with this product, the size is huge and ideal for full length portraits or small groups, but others might prefer something more manageable. I do have various clamps but my preferred solution will be to source one or two boom arm reflectors holder to fit on a lighting stand but even then I may have to counter some sag with the size I selected. The only issue with the Phot-R is the fight to collapse it back into the holder, my Lastolite Hilite is child's play by comparison. The kind of boom I'm considering for ease of adjustment is something like:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Photograp...ghting_Light_Stands_Booms&hash=item233b4a0b7b

I intend to use this outside and my personal preference would be to use Stobes/Speedlights but I can take my time and my portraits are for pleasure only. Hopefully somebody better qualified can comment on balancing the light on the subject using reflectors.

I do have some Lastolite products, but all bought second hand, I fully agree with you that some items are hopelessly overpriced for what they are. I only bought those items which aren't readily available elsewhere such as the Hilite.
 
HarveyM said:
Following a recommendation on this site a while ago, I bought the Phot-R 5 in 1 Reflectors from Amazon, they are available in various sizes but I got the Larger size as per the link below:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Phot-R®-150x200cm-Studio-Collapsible-Reflector/dp/B00IANZFNG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1423274175&sr=8-5&keywords=5 in one light diffusers photo r

I'm more than happy with this product, the size is huge and ideal for full length portraits or small groups, but others might prefer something more manageable. I do have various clamps but my preferred solution will be to source one or two boom arm reflectors holder to fit on a lighting stand but even then I may have to counter some sag with the size I selected. The only issue with the Phot-R is the fight to collapse it back into the holder, my Lastolite Hilite is child's play by comparison. The kind of boom I'm considering for ease of adjustment is something like:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Photograp...ghting_Light_Stands_Booms&hash=item233b4a0b7b

I intend to use this outside and my personal preference would be to use Stobes/Speedlights but I can take my time and my portraits are for pleasure only. Hopefully somebody better qualified can comment on balancing the light on the subject using reflectors.

I do have some Lastolite products, but all bought second hand, I fully agree with you that some items are hopelessly overpriced for what they are. I only bought those items which aren't readily available elsewhere such as the Hilite.
Click to expand...

Hi Harvey, thanks for your reply.

I'll take a look at that Phor-R.

For holding it up, I thought that a stand at one end might not be enough and assumed it might need one at each end. I've order a couple of those clamps and I'll let you know how it goes.

I have a boom very similar to that, but I'm not sure it's big enough for this size of reflector. Have you seen that Lastolite Skylite frame?

I've got a couple of Lastolite products, too. They even guarantee the stitching for 3 years - at their prices they can afford to!

What do you think of my setup overall, please?
 
Last edited:
Like Harvey, I'd go for boom arm reflector holders, once in the open air the reflector would pivot round the single point of contact on that clamp. That probably means three of those though (I can see it in my head, I wish there was a doodling tool) one either side of the large diffuser.
 
Phil V said:
Like Harvey, I'd go for boom arm reflector holders, once in the open air the reflector would pivot round the single point of contact on that clamp. That probably means three of those though (I can see it in my head, I wish there was a doodling tool) one either side of the large diffuser.
Click to expand...

Hi Phil, appreciate your input :)

My though was a light stand at each end, but I'm not 100% on how those clamps are going to work with this idea. I know what I want them to do, but will they do this?

The frame around the Skylite is a lot chunkier, wondering what impact it will have with the cheapo flimsy frame. Will soon find out!

1008944.jpg
 
JennyGW said:
Hi Phil, appreciate your input :)

My though was a light stand at each end, but I'm not 100% on how those clamps are going to work with this idea. I know what I want them to do, but will they do this?

The frame around the Skylite is a lot chunkier, wondering what impact it will have with the cheapo flimsy frame. Will soon find out!
Click to expand...
That's the fear, the brackets and frame there are quite substantial. I think the pop up reflector would need proper reflector holders at each side to increase it's rigidity. The single point clamps would allow it to flop about IMHO.
 
Phil V said:
That's the fear, the brackets and frame there are quite substantial. I think the pop up reflector would need proper reflector holders at each side to increase it's rigidity. The single point clamps would allow it to flop about IMHO.
Click to expand...

"Proper reflector holders" .... sorry, would you explain and give an example, please?

Any other problems you see with my setup ideas?
 
Last edited:
Do you mean using two booms, one across the top of each light stand and then clamps from the booms? It makes sense. 2 x booms, 4 x clamps, 2 x light stand brackets for the booms?
 
Sorry Jenny
One of these at each side, if they're both at the same angle I think they'd hold the diffuser rigidly enough.
 
Phil V said:
Sorry Jenny
One of these at each side, if they're both at the same angle I think they'd hold the diffuser rigidly enough.
Click to expand...

Thanks Phil, sounds like a good plan.

Do you think my set up will be a good solution for a range of natural light conditions ?
 
JennyGW said:
Thanks Phil, sounds like a good plan.

Do you think my set up will be a good solution for a range of natural light conditions ?
Click to expand...
You probably know as much as I do, but I think you'll do great with it.
 
HarveyM said:
The Lastolite Skylight frame is really expensive. Making a frame out of PVC waste pipe would be just as good, it's strong and lightweight, collapsible and available at any builders merchant or such as B and Q.

http://www.kiraderryberryphotography.com/tag/how-to-make-a-scrim/
Click to expand...

Hi Harvey, Thanks for sharing the link. I've thought about making them before, but realised I'd be superglued to it for months to come and worst and at best I'd have an abomination I couldn't show my best friend, let along a customer!

The other thing is, I like the flexibility of being able to use the reflector without the frame and to be able to pack it up nice and small for location.
 
Phil V said:
You probably know as much as I do, but I think you'll do great with it.
Click to expand...

Cheers, I doubt that and I need to get this right pretty quickly, thanks though :) I'm treating it as a studio set up pretty much. Turn the ambient into an overhead softbox, chuck some light back in off a smaller reflector/light source for accent and use the third trigrip style for the fill, etc. Fingers crossed! Will post some results if they are presentable.

I think I'd got into a nice little comfort zone with my studio/lights and I've been panicing a bit.
 
Last edited:
An alternative to PVC tube is aluminium tube, strong, a bit more money, looks better, still quite lightweight but needs a tube bender for the corners and a solid section to spring into the two ends, the benders are not particularly expensive and I use one for copper pipework to line up such as a new radiator.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top