Light Source: Using Aluminum reflectors Like A Pro

Aluminum reflectors are so versatile, useful and simple that professional videographers deploy them even in high-rent productions. Advanced amateurs may know how to use aluminum reflectors for outdoor fill light, but that's only their most obvious application. So let's conduct a quick flyover of professional reflector techniques, both outdoors and in.

First, lets take a quick taxonomy of reflector species. aluminum reflectors are either rigid or flexible. Rigid aluminum reflectors may be faced (in order, from brightest to softest) with shiny aluminum, matte aluminum, wrinkled aluminum or white paper. Paper-faced aluminum reflectors are usually foamcore: rigid Styrofoam sandwiched between paper surfaces and available at any art or craft store. (Tip: pay the modest premium for one-inch-thick boards. They far outlast thinner ones.)

Which to choose? Flexible aluminum reflectors are light and easily stored, but they're unstable in any breeze, making their light waver visibly on-screen. Hard aluminum reflectors are cheap to buy (or easy to make for almost nothing) but they're bulky and rigid, making them difficult to transport and store away.