Metal Reflectors

[hjoseph7]

Usually when I purchase a Strobe it comes with a 5-7" metal reflector. However, you can purchase additional Metal reflectors for this Strobe unit such as 10", 15" reflectors, Zoom reflectors, Parabolic reflectors that can be larger than 25". Then there is the Beauty Dish which bounces the light of a small disc, back to a larger disc and onto the subject. These can be be from 16" to 22" or larger. These Metal Reflectors can also be outfitted with barn-doors, grids, snoots and all type of accessories.

Now if you Google "Reflectors for photography" you are going to get 1/2 a million articles on Bounce reflectors. "Bounce this", "Bounce that", Umbrella this, Soft Box that, 5 in 1, but nothing on Metal Reflectors ? I'm guessing the manufactures didnt build these reflectors for their health. They must serve some type of purpose ? Have these Reflectors become obsolete ? Do Photographers still use them in their studios ? I mean there seems to be a total black-out on how to use the reflectors other than the small description the manufacurer included when you purchased the unit ? Can someone please help ?

 

[Mark Keefer]

I think as technology evolves; the market will decide what is popular and ultimately sells and what doesn't. Metal reflectors, barn doors, grids are probably more suited in studios for photography using strobes and movie studios using consistent lighting. I see fewer and fewer brick and mortar studios. The dream of owning a nice studio and the cost in today's economy make it harder for a photographer to pull off. There is a lot of competition with low budget photographers using newer better performing cameras. Lighting options are numerous today. I have two large plug-in strobes with small dishes and stands, and soft boxes, one very big with an optional cloth grid that attaches with velcro. I have used this for head shots and portrait work and have taken these on location to do some work with an actress. These are great tools, they are not my go to options. I have a lot of speedlights and stands and modifiers that use remote triggers and a number of 10 and 13 foot stands that I place in strategic locations for shooting large events, receptions, weddings I can use those in combination with a speed light on camera using a modifier bounce and capture beautiful professional images. It works, packs up fairly easily. As far as obsolete, they certainly work well, they will continue to do well, but there are probably just other options that sell better.

Today's cameras have improved in low light low noise and most recently the postproduction noise removal tools have practically upgraded the capabilities of what you can pull out of an older DSLR by one or two generations. I can get pretty amazing results using ambient lighting that is getting what the eye sees. The gear and tools are getting that good. With some skill and with some basic lighting you can get results that are over the top. The gear keeps getting better and evolving, there is going to be a lot of cool old stuff, but it will be the guys into vintage camera gear that will hold onto it. And in the hands of a skilled photographer, that old stuff will produce amazing images. But for many photographers today, they don't want to carry dad's camera shop and pots and pans with them on shoots. That big heavy gear in general use will probably stay with large production studios.