I have been holding the light disk for the guy I work for and have not been able to tell how much of a difference it makes. I took an assistant with me on my own shoot a couple days ago and she held the disk and the results are amazing! It makes all the difference (in the right light). This first picture I opened in photoshop and realized that there is not a lot I needed to do with it. I realize my monitor is dark, so it might look dark to you guys (I am getting a new monitor). The second photo was good light and we did not use the light disc, but I had to adjust the exposure in ps. Anyways, thought I would share my new love :)
With the light disk
Without
Stacey Potter
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Stacey, I agree that a light disc or reflector, as I like to call it , can work wonders! I think if the light came more from the front it would light up under her eyes even better, and hats do make it difficult to get good light on the face, but the light on her face is very nice!
I hope its ok that I post here, but here are two different images that I just recently took of my dd. You can see in #1 her eyes look a little darker however she is actually closer to the main light and fill light, but in t#2 she is even further away from both light sources, but her eyes are better lit up. Its because of using a reflector. :)
~~Tammi~~
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Those are beautiful, Tammi! Is that in a studio or no? Who was holding the light disk? Yes, it was hard with that hat, we could only come from the bottom. But the same photos without the disk was so dark you could not even see her face.
Thanks! :) Yep, studio. I find it very useful using reflectors in the commercial studio as well as in the portrait studios.
Actually in the bottom pic, there was a large piece of board (thicker than poster board) with silver on one side, and it was sort of bent in half to direct the light back toward her face. :) I just propped it, but it was pretty big so it didn't require too much precision, and of course there was no wind blowing. ;) Next quarter, I do not know what I'll do. I guess I'll have to recruit one of my older ds's. :)
Chiming in on this late, but YES, I love reflectors now! I must get 2 more sizes. :)
My online classes emphasized them alot and so I saw the differences.
The past 3 days I've been working on Babylegs photos (from their gallery) and I can say that the photographers they use can certainly do better with a reflector.
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a girl after my own heart! LOL I am a reflector freak. LOL I have several sizes myself! I ought to do like some people do with their other stashes and I should take a pic of them! LOL I think i have the 52" 6-in-one, the 42" 4-in-1, and 4 other smaller sized ones for having a subject hold under their face for head and shoulder shots or for product and or still life...
I did a shoot lsat night with a 3 year old who would NOT stop playing with the light disk! It was cute, but not ideal:)
Yeah, my 3 yr old Satori is OBSESSED with my light disc, I took a photo of her playing with it, and it's way bigger than her! I think it's here in my gallery. And yesterday I made the mistake of pulling out my "baby" light disc - one about 12 inches big (for flowers/small items), and she immediately assumed it was hers as it was baby size.
I'm about to research a boom stand to hold the light disc. Nothing beats an actual person shining the light just the right place, but for small shoots, I'll have to be alone most of the time, so I'd like to have the help of a light disc.
LOL
both of my little ones are the same way!!!
Yep my kids love them...which is fine at least someone uses them LOL!!
-Stephenie
Shooting with a Nikon D300 + D50, 28mm 2.8, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.4 and hopefully 70-200 2.8 on the way =)
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Cuties02q: Yep my kids love them...which is fine at least someone uses them LOL!!
HA. i'm even humoring myself in bringing mine to my session today. we'll see. i'll keep posted
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Also can be used as a frisbee:)
Stacey, where was that photo taken? Have you tried Settler's Park? I love the grasses there like in the photo above.
Woohoo, frisbee! I'll be bringing mine tonight for sure, it's in a forest around a lake, so parts could be a bit dark.
It was at Chataqua. It was for a woman that came from out of town for a few days and likes to get hers son's photos done professionally whereever she goes. What a life! So I thought Chataqua would be the most "Colorado." There is a post on it on my blog.
Settler's park? It would seem either a bit too bright or a bit too spotty with the trees? I guess I have not hiked there since I started doing photography...I am doing a shoot tonight in someone's backyard (yuck) that live close to there. Want to go hiking there sometime soon with the kiddos?
The only time I was at Settler's Park was after the sun went down, so yeah, it might be too bright. I'd never been there before. Either that or maybe even Denver Botanic Gardens, I'll get a membership so I can bring 6 people in. That place is soooo beautiful.
While we were at Settler's Park, I ran into Jill Harris' brother, who wanted me to help her do weddings! I think she's the "style" I'd like to do if I was ready to be an assistant, but I'm just not yet. http://www.julieharrisphotography.com/blog/
Anyway, in just the past month, I've been noticing "grasses", tall grasses that look so magical in the right lighting, if you sit someone down in them. I can't wait until I get a willing model, the right sunset-y lighting and the right grasses....