One of the simplest and cheapest tools you can use to illuminate your portrait subject is 20×30 inch white foam poster board. New photographers often get caught up in having to have the best lighting and gear when sometimes you can get the same results without spending a lot of money!
These photos were taken by illuminating the subject with a simple white foam core poster purchased at our local dollar store. Each photo shown was taken with the exact same exposure (f 2.8, 1/400, ISO 250), the only thing that has changed is that a whiteboard was added to reflect light back onto the subject. The sun is behind the subject at a 90 degree angle and the whiteboard is aligned with the sun to reflect the light back. The panel is placed approximately 3 feet away from the subject to maximize the amount of light reflected back.
As you can see the picture without Do-it-yourself reflex mud and dark fill tags are usually fixable on the backend; but you should always go into Photoshop or Lightroom with the best exposure and lighting possible. Remember, as a general rule, it’s better to take a slightly underexposed image than an overexposed one because you can open up the shadows, but often can’t bring out details from the highlights. One of the biggest benefits of using a highlighter or reflector is the “light capture” or “sparkle” you achieve in your subject’s eyes. Nothing can ruin a picture more than flatness in the eye.
These particular examples are all backlit as it is one of my favorite types of portrait lighting, but experiment with the sun directly on one side or with the sun in front of your subject and Reflect the light back to create a beautiful background glow! You can see our setup diagram below.
I use simple fill cards for a variety of applications, such as when I am photographing products and food, they are essential in my opinion. Black poster boards have great uses too, but we’ll save that for another time or another post!
The final images were processed using MCP Photoshop Actions from their Fusion suite. It’s a set of simple and effective actions that produce great results!
Carolyn Devine is a photographer living in Los Angeles whose work is inspired by her surroundings. Her love for nature is evident in her work, whether it’s family, fashion or product photography. This natural style is what people are attracted to and what she is known for.
Find her on Facebook or at www.carolyndevine.com.
