reflectors vs diffusers which are better for portraits?

In this post by reflector I mean an object that reflects light and by
diffuser I mean an object through which light is shone similarly to a
filter.

I have been spending some time researching reflectors versus diffusers
in portrait photography. I was irritated but not surprised to find
very little discussion on the net regarding choosing between the two.

All I could find was that reflectors are more well known amongst the
general population than diffusers; that some people find from their
practical experience that diffusers do not work well; that some people
think diffusers do not work because they do not increase the area of
the source of the light significantly; that european photographers are
supposed to be into diffusers as opposed to reflectors; that diffusers
take alot of the brightness out of the light that hits the subject;
and that people seem to think of reflectors as more of an outdoors
type of thing and diffusers as more of an indoors type of thing.

Coming out of my own mind as opposed to internet research, my thinking
has been that since a problem is the color temperature of reflected
light is different than the color temperature of direct light,
therefore reflected light should be used instead of direct light,
because use of direct light unavoidably leads to conflicts between
indirect and direct light; and, so, therefore, the reflector is a
better solution than the diffuser because the reflector will produce
light that does not clash with direct light whereas the diffuser will
give rise to the direct diffused light and then also the reflected
version of the diffused light.

I have also been thinking that reflectors might do a better job of
mimicking reflected light such as shade light and light bouncing off
of walls whereas diffusers would do a better job of mimicking soft
light sources such as overhead fluorescent all over a big ceiling or a
shaded ceiling light. I think I realize a truth in that I understand
that since the result in photography is an exaggeration of contrast,
partially due to the fact that the camera sees color differences based
on color temp differences that the eye does not see, therefore the
mimicking lights should be softer than the lights they mimick.

Anybody have any ideas re the pros and cons of reflectors versus
diffusers?




David Virgil Hobbs
http://www.angelfire.com/ma/vincemoon

David Virgil Hobbs wrote:

...

Anybody have any ideas re the pros and cons of reflectors versus
diffusers?




David Virgil Hobbs
http://www.angelfire.com/ma/vincemoon


Sure. There is little or no difference between the two other than
design. Both can work well if designed and used right, both can work poorly
if not. Either can produce various degrees of diffusers and direction and
spread.

The only real difference is quality of the design and construction and
how well they are chosen and used by the photographer.

I believe you will find more diffusers used by professionals, but that
may be different today. Back when I was in the business most of the real
professional gear was diffusion based. reflectors were cheaply made and
used mainly by non-pros who were more aware of the cost and liked the
folding (easy storage) features of the reflector designs of the day and did
not mind the lower durability and convenience of use of the diffusers.
Today there seems to be better quality reflectors available and they may
well be the better choice for the pro for work on location.

In short, both work well if you know how to use them.



--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

David Virgil Hobbs wrote:

...

Anybody have any ideas re the pros and cons of reflectors versus
diffusers?




David Virgil Hobbs
http://www.angelfire.com/ma/vincemoon


Sure. There is little or no difference between the two other than
design. Both can work well if designed and used right, both can work poorly
if not. Either can produce various degrees of diffusers and direction and
spread.

The only real difference is quality of the design and construction and
how well they are chosen and used by the photographer.

I believe you will find more diffusers used by professionals, but that
may be different today. Back when I was in the business most of the real
professional gear was diffusion based. reflectors were cheaply made and
used mainly by non-pros who were more aware of the cost and liked the
folding (easy storage) features of the reflector designs of the day and did
not mind the lower durability and convenience of use of the diffusers.
Today there seems to be better quality reflectors available and they may
well be the better choice for the pro for work on location.

In short, both work well if you know how to use them.



--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

On 26 Nov 2004 00:41:40 -0800, (David Virgil Hobbs)
wrote:

In this post by reflector I mean an object that reflects light and by
diffuser I mean an object through which light is shone similarly to a
filter.

By definition direct light is light that goes straight from the source
to the subject, diffused light is light that is affected by an object
between the light source and the subject, so what you are calling
diffused and bounce do pretty much the same thing.
The size of the light source is the most important factor of the light
qualities. If you think about it an ant would be very softly lit with
wrap around lighting an inch away from a household light bulb. 20
feet away from the same light bulb the apparent size of the light
source becomes quite small, and the ant now casts a noticeable shadow,
has a lit side and a shadow side.
So putting a small diffuser like a piece of tracing paper over an on
camera flash unit does nothing but cut the power of the flash and
possibly smooth out any effects caused by the internal parabolic
reflector and lens of the flash unit.

On 26 Nov 2004 00:41:40 -0800, (David Virgil Hobbs)
wrote:

In this post by reflector I mean an object that reflects light and by
diffuser I mean an object through which light is shone similarly to a
filter.

By definition direct light is light that goes straight from the source
to the subject, diffused light is light that is affected by an object
between the light source and the subject, so what you are calling
diffused and bounce do pretty much the same thing.
The size of the light source is the most important factor of the light
qualities. If you think about it an ant would be very softly lit with
wrap around lighting an inch away from a household light bulb. 20
feet away from the same light bulb the apparent size of the light
source becomes quite small, and the ant now casts a noticeable shadow,
has a lit side and a shadow side.
So putting a small diffuser like a piece of tracing paper over an on
camera flash unit does nothing but cut the power of the flash and
possibly smooth out any effects caused by the internal parabolic
reflector and lens of the flash unit.

On 26 Nov 2004 00:41:40 -0800, (David Virgil Hobbs)
wrote:

In this post by reflector I mean an object that reflects light and by
diffuser I mean an object through which light is shone similarly to a
filter.

Anybody have any ideas re the pros and cons of reflectors versus
diffusers?

They each serve a different purpose, so you really can't say one is
better than the other.

This is without doubt the most incomprehensible post this year.

Congratulations, moron. You have made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

(David Virgil Hobbs) wrote in message . com...
In this post by reflector I mean an object that reflects light and by
diffuser I mean an object through which light is shone similarly to a
filter.

I have been spending some time researching reflectors versus diffusers
in portrait photography. I was irritated but not surprised to find
very little discussion on the net regarding choosing between the two.

All I could find was that reflectors are more well known amongst the
general population than diffusers; that some people find from their
practical experience that diffusers do not work well; that some people
think diffusers do not work because they do not increase the area of
the source of the light significantly; that european photographers are
supposed to be into diffusers as opposed to reflectors; that diffusers
take alot of the brightness out of the light that hits the subject;
and that people seem to think of reflectors as more of an outdoors
type of thing and diffusers as more of an indoors type of thing.

Coming out of my own mind as opposed to internet research, my thinking
has been that since a problem is the color temperature of reflected
light is different than the color temperature of direct light,
therefore reflected light should be used instead of direct light,
because use of direct light unavoidably leads to conflicts between
indirect and direct light; and, so, therefore, the reflector is a
better solution than the diffuser because the reflector will produce
light that does not clash with direct light whereas the diffuser will
give rise to the direct diffused light and then also the reflected
version of the diffused light.

I have also been thinking that reflectors might do a better job of
mimicking reflected light such as shade light and light bouncing off
of walls whereas diffusers would do a better job of mimicking soft
light sources such as overhead fluorescent all over a big ceiling or a
shaded ceiling light. I think I realize a truth in that I understand
that since the result in photography is an exaggeration of contrast,
partially due to the fact that the camera sees color differences based
on color temp differences that the eye does not see, therefore the
mimicking lights should be softer than the lights they mimick.

Anybody have any ideas re the pros and cons of reflectors versus
diffusers?




David Virgil Hobbs
http://www.angelfire.com/ma/vincemoon

This is without doubt the most incomprehensible post this year.

Congratulations, moron. You have made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

(David Virgil Hobbs) wrote in message . com...
In this post by reflector I mean an object that reflects light and by
diffuser I mean an object through which light is shone similarly to a
filter.

I have been spending some time researching reflectors versus diffusers
in portrait photography. I was irritated but not surprised to find
very little discussion on the net regarding choosing between the two.

All I could find was that reflectors are more well known amongst the
general population than diffusers; that some people find from their
practical experience that diffusers do not work well; that some people
think diffusers do not work because they do not increase the area of
the source of the light significantly; that european photographers are
supposed to be into diffusers as opposed to reflectors; that diffusers
take alot of the brightness out of the light that hits the subject;
and that people seem to think of reflectors as more of an outdoors
type of thing and diffusers as more of an indoors type of thing.

Coming out of my own mind as opposed to internet research, my thinking
has been that since a problem is the color temperature of reflected
light is different than the color temperature of direct light,
therefore reflected light should be used instead of direct light,
because use of direct light unavoidably leads to conflicts between
indirect and direct light; and, so, therefore, the reflector is a
better solution than the diffuser because the reflector will produce
light that does not clash with direct light whereas the diffuser will
give rise to the direct diffused light and then also the reflected
version of the diffused light.

I have also been thinking that reflectors might do a better job of
mimicking reflected light such as shade light and light bouncing off
of walls whereas diffusers would do a better job of mimicking soft
light sources such as overhead fluorescent all over a big ceiling or a
shaded ceiling light. I think I realize a truth in that I understand
that since the result in photography is an exaggeration of contrast,
partially due to the fact that the camera sees color differences based
on color temp differences that the eye does not see, therefore the
mimicking lights should be softer than the lights they mimick.

Anybody have any ideas re the pros and cons of reflectors versus
diffusers?




David Virgil Hobbs
http://www.angelfire.com/ma/vincemoon

In article , David
Virgil Hobbs wrote:

It all depends on what you want the end result to look like. They're
both tools in the ol' toolbox.

In article , David
Virgil Hobbs wrote:

It all depends on what you want the end result to look like. They're
both tools in the ol' toolbox.