Digital Boudoir Photography : A Step-by-step Guide to ... - Ken Gilbert

106 Digital Boudoir Photography
Indoors A reflector
can be used indoors as
well. Here it is being
used with window
light to add more light
to the side of the face.
The camera position
was close to the double
French doors.
Reflector Fill
When the light is coming from the side or back, usually there are undesirable or unattractive
shadows on the face. It may also just be too dark on the front of the model’s
body. To fix that, you need to add fill light. One way is to use fill flash, and that is
quick and easy if you have an electronic flash. If you are using the camera’s built-in
flash, you may find times when it is just not powerful enough, especially outside on a
bright day. In those cases, you can use a reflector instead of a flash, but the principle is
the same: Put more light on the face and body in the front. A reflector works by
bouncing some of that light coming from the back. Here we use a collapsible reflector
that is white on one side and gold on the other to add warmth. The reflectors are also
available in silver. If you want to save money, you can make your own with a piece of
cardboard and some aluminum foil. Crumple the foil so it is not too smooth and glue
or tape it on your cardboard so the dull side is out. The shiny side is very bright when
you point it at your subject. If you want to be very versatile in your construction, use a
piece of white cardboard or white foam core (available at professional photography
stores, art stores, and large stationary stores) so that it is white on one side and has the
foil on the other. When you want a lot of light, use the foil side. When the foil is too
bright, or you just want less light, use the white side of the reflector. Practice with it
until you can focus the light where you want it. Be careful not to blind your subject.
You can move it closer or farther away as well as adjust the angle. If you have someone
helping you, he or she can hold it. Or, you can clamp it to something, lean it against
an object, or use a stand as we did in the outside images.