Reflectors are used to bounce light from a light source (in natural light photography, that would be the sun) on to your subject. Learning to use reflectors for outdoor portraits is an absolute must, otherwise your portraits may suffer from unflattering shadows due to harsh lighting conditions or limited light situations. They sell relatively inexpensive portable reflectors that do a beautiful job. But after doing this for quite some time, I’ve learned that carrying around my portable reflector is not always practical, especially if I don’t have the help of an assistant during a shoot. That’s why I’ve come to rely on natural reflectors primarily during my sessions.
What is a natural reflector?
It works the very same way as portable reflectors, except they are found in your natural environment. You can find them anywhere (buildings, signs, windows, pavement…) and can be used effectively to bounce light on to your subject. The important thing is that the sun is hitting the surface directly. Even though anything can act as a natural reflector, I tend to avoid colored surfaces (such as brick buildings) because they tend to bounce their color back onto my subjects. I also avoid dark surfaces because they aren’t as effective and I prefer the quality of light that bounces off of lighter surfaces. Some of my favorite natural reflectors are: white fabrics or clothing, white/ light colored walls, sidewalks, sand, snow and light colored gravel.
In the example below, I positioned my model with her back to the sun to avoid squinty eyes and dark shadows. That also means not much sunlight is hitting her face. But in this setup, the pavement acts as a beautiful natural reflector and diffuses some of the harsh sunlight and bounces it back on her face. Another one would be the white wall she’s facing. Not only do natural reflectors help you achieve better outdoor portraits without lugging around extra equipment, they also help cut down your time when editing images. It’s a win/win!
