Contrast and Shadow Fill

I set up a simple still life and took some shots using my new modelling lamp, its soft box diffuser and a few different types of reflectors. I have one of those huge disc shaped ones where you can zip on and off the different coloured reflectors. This exercise is to help show how high contrast images can have a greater impact but also how using shadow fill can illuminate details in the scene that you want to be able to see by bouncing the light back at the object with different types of reflectors.

Single bulb – casts deep shadows behind the objects

With soft box attachment – the harsh shadows from the wall behind are greatly softened and the light is more even and lighter across all the objects. Notice how the compact in the bottom right has more even colour tones to match the rest of the image where as the first shot it is much darker as it is further away from the light source than the perfume bottle.

With this shot I used the white reflector about 3 feet away from the objects on the opposite side from the lamp. it has cast a little more light on the shaded side of the objects so that the shadows show some more of their detail.

With the white reflector held even closer it illuminates the objects even more making the lighting even across the whole image. It casts the light naturally without adding any extra colour tones or highlights.

By using the gold reflector a warmer feeling light is thrown over the scene.

The silver reflector adds more shine and highlights to the opposite side of the objects and increases the light overall.it makes the objects more defined with the addition of the extra highlights.

So I now have more options on how to manipulate the light I’m using as part of my images. White reflectors to lighten the shadows, silver and gold ones to increase highlights and warm the scene. Sometimes though the high contrast of having deep black shadows and bright white reflections can create a much more interesting and dynamic photograph. Depending on how I would like the image to appear and feel to the viewer I now have a range of options to create emotions with light.