What are photographic reflectors, their types and uses.

When we talk about the world of photography in general, it is necessary to bring up the most important factor that greatly affects the quality and quality of the images that a photographer can obtain. About the image originally. Light sources are many and varied, including natural and artificial.

Sometimes the photographer is forced to look for some tools and accessories that can help him get enough light for any upcoming photography. Among these tools that can be categorized under the necessities category we find the so-called photographic reflectors. What then are these photographic reflectors? What are its types and what are they used for?

What are photographic reflectors?

Photo reflectors are circular or rectangular pieces made of special paper that significantly reflects light. They can also be manufactured using certain types of cloth or aluminum foil. The main goal of using photographic reflectors is to re-reflect and distribute the lighting to the target in a correct and equal manner.

There are many photographic reflectors in the market according to the desire and need of the photographer to use the ideal type for his photographic work, and the 1X5 inverter is among the most famous and most used photographic reflectors due to its quality and the different colors that the photographer gets in the same product in addition to, of course, the very reasonable price. Photo reflectors are easy to move from place to place, as they can be folded and reduced to fit any bag for transporting photographic equipment.

What are the types of photographic reflectors?

There are many photographic reflectors that differ from one type to another depending on the need of the photographer to use them while he is photographing a particular photo session, but we will limit ourselves to mentioning the most famous of these reflectors, which are as follows:

White Reflector:

 It is considered the most common and used among photographers around the world, as it creates soft and light effects that completely eliminate the shadows that appear on the subject to be photographed. It is often relied upon during studio photography with the use of the flash, or in the outdoor environment when the light ratio is weak and insufficient during a sunny day to capture the scene in the best conditions. The thing that distinguishes this reflector is that it does not change the color of the light and is very effective when the photographer is close to the target. It is not recommended for use in places where the lighting is very poor.

Golden Reflector: 

Adds a special touch to portraits, as it creates a bright orange glow on the features of the person's face, especially when it reflects the white light of the sun on it, but the photographer can find some difficulty in dealing with it, so changing the color of the white light can cause Different shades appear on the same target. That is why it must be used with great caution.

Silver reflector:

 It reflects light with a large amount and high intensity, especially when it is used in poor lighting conditions. Since it reflects a large amount of light, it is not necessary to bring it closer to the target, unlike a white reflector, which must be close to it. The photographer has to deal with great intelligence when relying on this reflector, especially for beginners who may not know precisely the appropriate distance to reflect light on the target.

Black Reflector:

 Its role is different from what the previous reflectors do, as it produces shadows in some cases needed by the photographer in the scene of the picture, this reflector is used in portraiture as well, for example if the light fell directly on the face of the person to be photographed, this reflector reduces the proportion of light By producing an artistic shadow on the features of his face. It is also used to reduce reflections on bright surfaces such as jewelry photography.

The translucent reflector:

 In this case we are not talking primarily about the reflector as much as we can call it a diffuser. It is placed between the target to be photographed and the light source, whether natural or artificial, in order to reduce its intensity and redistribute it in parallel, which results in soft and light lighting that the photographer needs during his portraiture sessions, we can notice its effect in the image below.


- This was a general idea of ​​photographic reflectors, their importance, different types and uses. You can get it at affordable and acceptable prices by searching for it on Amazon or eBay.