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reflectors vs diffusers which are better for portraits?



 
 
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  #21  
Old November 27th 04, 01:26 AM
Uranium Committee
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(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.


Wow, what an insight!

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.


Irritated? What right do you have to be irritated? Use your brain!

All I could find was that reflectors are more well known amongst the
general population than diffusers;


HUH? Who said that?

that some people find from their
practical experience that diffusers do not work well;


What the hell are you talking about? Soft boxes are widely used by
pros.

that some people
think diffusers do not work because they do not increase the area of
the source of the light significantly;


Of course they do. That's what a soft-box is!

that european photographers are
supposed to be into diffusers as opposed to reflectors;


Who said that?

that diffusers
take alot of the brightness out of the light that hits the subject;


'Take a lot of the brightness out'? WTF?

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.


Soft boxes are used on light sources. Outdoors, they are used when the
light sources are taken outside.

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,


What are you talking about? Reflection does not change the color
temperature of light unless the reflector is not white or silver.

therefore reflected light should be used instead of direct light,
because use of direct light unavoidably leads to conflicts between
indirect and direct light;


'Conflicts'? What does that mean?

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.


'Clash'? How the hell does light 'clash'?

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


'Reflectors....mimicking reflected light.....' Now there's one for the
ages!

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,


HUH?

partially due to the fact that the camera sees color differences based
on color temp differences that the eye does not see,


HUH?

therefore the
mimicking lights should be softer than the lights they mimick.


HUH?

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




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

I am absolutely awestruck by your complete imbecility.
  #22  
Old November 27th 04, 02:06 AM
Alan Browne
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Uranium Committee wrote:



I am absolutely awestruck by your complete imbecility.



We take your imbecility as a matter of course, Mikey.


--
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-- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm
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-- [SI] rulz: http://www.aliasimages.com/si/rulz.html
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.
  #23  
Old November 27th 04, 04:28 PM
dadiOH
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David Virgil Hobbs wrote:
Anybody have any ideas re the pros and cons of reflectors versus
diffusers?


Yes. You are analyzing them to death. There is no difference if both
create a light source of the same size relative to the subject.

That presupposes you are talking about their use as a primary light.
For other uses they vary...diffusers can be used as
scrims...reflectors as kickers...etc.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

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  #24  
Old November 27th 04, 04:28 PM
dadiOH
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David Virgil Hobbs wrote:
Anybody have any ideas re the pros and cons of reflectors versus
diffusers?


Yes. You are analyzing them to death. There is no difference if both
create a light source of the same size relative to the subject.

That presupposes you are talking about their use as a primary light.
For other uses they vary...diffusers can be used as
scrims...reflectors as kickers...etc.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.05...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico


  #25  
Old November 27th 04, 04:33 PM
dadiOH
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Alan Browne wrote:

Regarding popularity, softboxes have been around for about 20
years, umbrellas since ... well a long time.


Since Mardick ("Dick") Balli came up with them in the late 40s - early
50s in Paris. In the current form at least.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.05...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico


  #26  
Old November 27th 04, 04:33 PM
dadiOH
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Alan Browne wrote:

Regarding popularity, softboxes have been around for about 20
years, umbrellas since ... well a long time.


Since Mardick ("Dick") Balli came up with them in the late 40s - early
50s in Paris. In the current form at least.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.05...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico


  #27  
Old November 27th 04, 05:16 PM
Alan Browne
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dadiOH wrote:

Alan Browne wrote:


Regarding popularity, softboxes have been around for about 20
years, umbrellas since ... well a long time.



Since Mardick ("Dick") Balli came up with them in the late 40s - early
50s in Paris. In the current form at least.


Yeah, I posted that w/o really knowing ... but seems they were not that common
until the last 20 years ... again, may be my perception.


--
-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm
-- [SI] gallery: http://www.pbase.com/shootin
-- [SI] rulz: http://www.aliasimages.com/si/rulz.html
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.
  #28  
Old November 27th 04, 05:16 PM
Alan Browne
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Posts: n/a
Default

dadiOH wrote:

Alan Browne wrote:


Regarding popularity, softboxes have been around for about 20
years, umbrellas since ... well a long time.



Since Mardick ("Dick") Balli came up with them in the late 40s - early
50s in Paris. In the current form at least.


Yeah, I posted that w/o really knowing ... but seems they were not that common
until the last 20 years ... again, may be my perception.


--
-- r.p.e.35mm user resource: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpe35mmur.htm
-- r.p.d.slr-systems: http://www.aliasimages.com/rpdslrsysur.htm
-- [SI] gallery: http://www.pbase.com/shootin
-- [SI] rulz: http://www.aliasimages.com/si/rulz.html
-- e-meil: there's no such thing as a FreeLunch.
  #29  
Old November 27th 04, 11:34 PM
Uranium Committee
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Alan Browne wrote in message ...
Uranium Committee wrote:



I am absolutely awestruck by your complete imbecility.



We take your imbecility as a matter of course, Mikey.


What do you say to someone who thinks you can 'take the brightness'
out of light? 'Goodbye, moron!'
  #30  
Old November 28th 04, 03:15 AM
teflon
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On 27/11/04 1:06 am, in article ,
"Alan Browne" wrote:

Uranium Committee wrote:



I am absolutely awestruck by your complete imbecility.



We take your imbecility as a matter of course, Mikey.

You can't really blame UC for saying what he did. The original poster had
unfortunately turned himself inside out analyzing a 'problem' that was
complete ********. He needed putting out of his misery - and UC volunteered.
Now hopefully he will snap out of it, buy himself one of the excellent
portrait kits available, and start shooting.

 




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