Improving Your Portraits with Reflectors & Diffusers

Photography Tips  •  Portrait Photography

Reflectors and diffusers are very affordable tools that can help you improve your photography. They’re portable, convenient to work with, yet add so much value. Interestingly, there are quite a variety of reflectors that you can find on the market. Each of them gives a different look to the images. In this video, we have professional wedding photographer Vanessa Joy with Adorama who explains how you can use reflectors and diffusers to take your portrait photography to the next level:

Joy demonstrates her three favorite reflectors that come in different shapes and sizes. As she demonstrates, you can use them to bounce light and add highlights to the subject. And not only can you do this with the subject’s face, but with their sides and hair as well. This adds a much-needed punch to the image that may otherwise look flat and boring – especially when shooting outdoors.

Some reflectors also double as a diffuser. They come in handy when you want to prevent hotspots from forming. By diffusing the harsh light to produce soft and even lighting, you can make your images instantly appear so much better.

Have you ever tried taking portraits using reflectors? If you haven’t, be sure to give it a try. You’ll be surprised by what they can do with your images.