This post is for my fellow adoptive mamas, and anyone else who is interested, of course! I just got a silver/white reflector disc for about $15 on E-Bay, and I'm pretty excited about it! I'm a complete amateur, but I love taking pictures, so I've tried to glean tips here and there about photographing dark skin, and I've learned a little through trial and error. The most important thing, in my opinion, is light. Here are my three thoughts on the lighting:
1. It needs to be diffused (cloudy days instead of sunny days, under a tree instead of in the meadow, etc.).
what not to do: full sun, mid-day, in the meadow
same day, same time, but under the tree (diffused light!)
2. It needs to come in from the side. (Sunrise and sunset are waaaay better than midday, with the sun being close to the ground instead of overhead.)
at sunset (light from the side!)
3. It's great to be able to bounce light off of something reflective, like water, or even a concrete wall. (For example, you might have your sweetie(s) stand beside a west-facing concrete wall at sunset.) Here's what my new disc reflector does in the way of reflecting light:
by the window on a cloudy day, no disc reflector
same window, same time, but with white side of disc reflector (a piece of white foam board has a similar effect)--it fills out the left side of her face, with a soft, flat light
same window, same time, but with silver side of disc reflector--it fills out the left side of her face with a fresh, glowing light
I would love to learn more! Please post the tips and tricks you have learned!!!
