Reflecting plate skills for outdoor photography of portraits

Portrait photography fill light skills teach you how to use the reflector well.

Briefly talk about my understanding and experience of the use of reflector up to now (only simple, not complicated). When using reflector, the first key factors to be considered are angle, height and strength. Then there are some: area and number (the number of light source points).

I. Angle

This angle refers to the angle between [object-camera] and [object-reflector] centered on the object. How to choose and set the angle of the reflector is generally determined according to the characteristics of the subject.

This film is an obvious example of the failure of fill light. The biggest failure is that the angle of fill light is too wide, that is, it is too far from the camera.

Generally speaking, the light distribution of female portraits should use a small light ratio appropriately, and use soft light and shadow as much as possible to show the feminine side of women. And the brightness of this film is very hard. At the same time, because the position of the reflector is too biased, the shadow on the right side of the nose is heavy, which makes MM's facial lines stiff. In addition, the reflector is too strong, which makes MM unattractive (this will be discussed in the section [Strength]).

Let's talk about the configuration of angle and position first. The configuration of reflector should also be arranged according to the main light position on site. Generally speaking, it is common to arrange the main light and reflector on both sides of the shooting axis (lens axis, or the connection between camera and subject). However, there are exceptions. For example, when the main light is the side inversion and side inversion light level irradiated from the left side of the picture, but the background in the picture is dark left and bright right, the reflector can be arranged on the left side of the axis.

B, high and low

The configuration angle of reflector is an important factor that directly affects the facial lines, levels and intuitive effects of the subject. Usually we know that high light spots will form heavy shadows on the face, and the intuitive effect of these shadows is that the characters look thinner; Then the shadow caused by low illumination is not very heavy, and the characters appear slightly plump.

But these are just routines, because each character has different lines on his face. A face with rounded lines but still relatively angular; There are also thin faces with full lines. For example, the MM with oval face is not too ugly regardless of the light level. At the same time, it is not enough to just choose the position of the reflector. What is more important is the choice of the plane position or the angle of the subject, which is beyond the scope of this article, so I won't say much.

C, strength

It can also be said that the brightness of the reflector hitting the main body. Some friends may ask, the mirror is so bright that the output power cannot be adjusted. No, no, no. .

The reflection of the reflector is bright in the central area, dark towards the edge and relatively uniform. A friend with a reflector in his hand can obviously experience this effect by aiming the reflector at an object on a sunny day. However, this area of reduced brightness is much smaller than the central area of equal brightness. (A small reflector may not be easy to see, because its central bright area is not large, and the brightness decreasing area of the reflector is also small, so the area of the small reflector is even smaller).

This area with decreasing brightness is the most commonly used reflector. This area can be used to produce any lighting effect. I've seen many films with failed reflectors, and many friends here have posted such films. The biggest problem is that when it comes to using a reflector to fill the light, it will reflect all the light from the reflector to MM's face regardless of the willy-nilly. The result is that MM's face is overexposed or the background is underexposed. (Of course, if the background is bright, it may not.) It also makes MM unable to open her eyes.

It is not advisable to pay attention to the correct use of reflector. Of course, it is relatively correct, and it is quite difficult to lay the reflector correctly. Because using reflector to fill the light is equivalent to adding a light source to the main body, which is the same principle as modeling with flash or indoor studio lights. The light can control the output power at will, but the reflector is not so well controlled.

Can you say that you subtracted the 1 output of the reflector? Or let the reflector [reduce me by 2/3]? Even if you control the light ratio at 1:2 with an exposure meter, the 1:2 you just measured may become 1:3 or only 1: 1.5 with a slight movement of the hand of the reflector. Ha ha! :D·:D·:D

Only a real master of reflector, such as a senior illusionist (engineer) in a film factory, can do it. He only needs to look at the background you choose, the posture of MT, and the focal length you use, and he will know where to hit the reflector, and then lift the reflector to make a close call. You just need to make some minor adjustments [and leave some closed; A little more] Even if you tell MM a play, he will put down the reflector and lift it when shooting, which is basically the effect you just adjusted. That's the real major.

When we are filming, it is difficult to have such a master to give you a reflector. Therefore, controlling the light reflected by the reflector has become the biggest problem in general using reflector to supplement light. In the final analysis, it is to control the light ratio with a reflector. Moreover, the problem of controlling the light ratio is not a problem that can be clearly stated in a few words here. You can only judge by your own experience and feelings and the characteristics of mt.

This kind of experience and judgment can only be improved through film feeding and continuous practice of their own understanding. Still rely on the master and the teacher to guide you. The two films posted below are the ones I think the light ratio control is more successful.

Figure ②: Control the light ratio to highlight MM's eyes in the bright foreground.

Figure ③: Fill the light to make the level of MM face reach the softest effect.

It is also an example that I think it is necessary to use supplementary light (sometimes it is not necessarily a reflector, although we are talking about a reflector here, but the principle is the same) to show the best effect of the subject.

The auxiliary light source in Figure ② is composed of a reflector. Note: This is the best shot I've ever taken from this guy who hit the reflector. ; -0; -0; -0 He is a beginner and likes portraits, so he bought a 1N+EF85mmF 1.2L, and said he wanted to learn how to take pictures from me, so he went out to take pictures once, and then he didn't contact me, hehe! ! ! )。 At that time, it was a side backlight near the top light. Without a reflector, this is definitely impossible. It was taken in the middle of a small river, and at the same time, birch poles were used as the support points for the foreground and MM, whose face was relatively dark.

As can be seen from the film, the complementary light of MM's face is not [total reflection]. (The reflector is totally reflected on the subject, which we call total reflection, so the brightness of semi-reflection becomes semi-reflection or semi-skimming, and 1/3 is called semi-skimming. ) Because the yellow clothes exposed under the trunk are bright, the lower part of the trunk is brighter. Here is a trick to hit the reflector-where to leave the reflector when it is not completely reversed. (Please note that this is a trick, which is different from the elements used in the reflector mentioned at the beginning). Up (overhead), down, left and right can be skimmed. But what is the most reasonable and correct effect?

Figure (2) When I was filming this film, because the surrounding environment was bright and MM's face was dark, Shimada Hanzo was behind the trunk and had her own hand. So I want to create a pair of eyes on a darker level. The guy who gave me the reflector at that time came up at once. I asked him to leave it behind until it almost disappeared. And I said, okay.

This not only increases the density of the face, but also creates a little light for the eyes, but also achieves a certain contrast between the face and the trunk and arms. Let the eyes on the relatively dark face catch people more. (In fact, this is also a photography density control skill-small pieces with large area and high density and small pieces with large area and low density. Because there is black in white and white in black, that [point] is always the most eye-catching part.

Fig. ③ is an example of using auxiliary light to reduce the light ratio of the subject's face to the minimum acceptable and discernable degree. As can be seen from the picture, there are three light sources-the main light on the left, the auxiliary light on the right and the side light on the right. Although the side light is not very clear, it can still be distinguished from the right hair. In this work, the light ratio of MM's face is minimized, but it does not create a large area of plane light effect. The low contrast formed by small light ratio can set off the soft facial curve of mm. But there is still a distinction between light and shade, and there is still a three-dimensional sense. This is where the painting was successfully completed.

D, area

This area has two aspects: the area reflected on the subject and the area of eye light formed in the eye. The area on the topic is actually related to the direction I said in [Strength]. Generally speaking, if there is no foreground or background when skimming, you can skim the bust to both sides, so that the area of the reflector is too large, which makes it less likely that other parts are too bright to catch the face. And when there are prospects and backgrounds, you can skim it when you are young. If the brightness of the foreground is intentionally created, as shown in Figure 2, there is naturally no problem.

I think the area of eye light is a matter of different opinions. It is often heard that the eyes should not be too big and should not exceed 1/3 of the pupil (also called black eyes), otherwise it will feel like a cataract.

The vision of this film is not the most typical professional portrait (nor did I shoot it), and the vision is not very big. But it's not small, and it feels like it's about to take up 1/2 of the pupil. But I don't feel cataracts at all. I'll make it up when I find a film that can tell a better story.

Why? -It's still the light ratio! This light ratio is not the light-dark ratio of the face, but the ratio of the main light to the auxiliary light. But the relationship between the main light and the face, the relationship between the face and the eyes. In the film, there are obvious highlights from the right side, some highlights on MM's arm are lost, and some highlights on her face are lost. Then, under the background of so many high-gloss color blocks, it doesn't matter if the eye area is bigger. What is even more taboo is that in the dark background, there is a relatively large area of vision in the pupil without obvious highlights on the face. Because this kind of eye light is unnatural, unreasonable and does not conform to the visual effect. As shown in Figure ③, the area of eye light is not very large because the ambient illumination is relatively average. But I think the fill light in front of him flashed by. Because the flash is a point light source, there is generally no large area of eyes to shine.

If possible, it is better to use more than two reflectors. One piece fills the light at the usual height, and the other piece has a lower angle, or it can be closer to fade the shadow of the face. At the same time, an eye lamp can be added to the eyes, which will make it more natural to shoot in some environments and backgrounds.

If possible, you can use another piece to hook the subject with a side light to make the film more stereoscopic. If these elements are arranged in the order from difficult to easy in the use of reflector, the order is: intensity >; Angle > area > height > quantity. In other words, the hardest part is the most critical part.