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This got me thinking....

March 18, 2008, 11:30:55 PM

Ok, so my friend chopped off all her long hair and asked me to bring my camera to a meeting we had to be at anyway to snap a photo of it for record....
So there we were, with a few minutes, this stairwell and horrible floresent lighting.

I bounced my flash off the ceiling. But I got to wondering what I could use in these quick sort of portable times as a reflector to catch more (read 'any') light in the eyes.

I recalled those car window shades that reflect heat out. You know those ones that look like tin foil, but fold down like a little mini pocket tent?...

Do you think that would work in this situation?
Have ppl like me been doing this ever since they hit the store and Im SO slow to just think of it?
Am I generally crazy? ...well, nevermind that last one.

Huh?

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Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.

Oscar Wilde

wildmaven

Reply #1 - March 19, 2008, 11:40:41 AM

I have a collapsible reflector that folds down to about 18". It's also reversible, so I have black, gold, silver, and white! I bought it on amazon.com

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Comments and Harsh Critiques gladly accepted. My photos are ok to edit.

My photos and art: http://wildmaven.org

BobEdens

Reply #2 - March 19, 2008, 01:26:01 PM

a cheap photo reflector off ebay is going to cost less than those window shades. I have those window shades and the silver side has a green tint to it so its really not a good idea for a photo.

If you had turned your flash away and down, you could have bounced the light off the wall instead of the ceiling and had lots of light on her face and the circle of light on the wall would probably have "caught".

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"I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one heck of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult. "- EB White

Chattanooga Photographer www.BobEdens.com

Ginnypenny

Reply #3 - March 19, 2008, 03:01:52 PM

Someone somewhere posted a link which I now can't find for a video that shows a guy basically rubberbanding a white card to his upturned flash so that some of the light bounced off the card and into the eyes. I have had good luck with that. It's great when you don't have an assistant or stand to hold the reflector.

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Susie
www.charlesbarnardphotography.com
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Ryan Nutt

Reply #4 - March 19, 2008, 03:21:26 PM

A couple of my flashes (430ex and 550ex) have a slide out diffuser for wide angle shots. I'll pull the diffuser out just short of where it folds over and have it stick straight up just like the index card trick. Seems to work fairly well for catchlights.

White foamcore board works really well as a reflector too. It just doesn't fold up.

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Ryan

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corfolio23

Reply #5 - March 19, 2008, 10:27:50 PM

Bob thats a good thought, but my particular flash doesnt have that much mobility/flex. Its either, at your subject, or somewhere above it.

Ryan, my flash does have what youre speaking of, and I will give that a go!

Thanks for y'alls input.

....Im not so crazy afterall.
..at least in this sense. Big Grin