Expanding My Photographic Horizons Part I

With a few years under my belt, I am proud of the progression of my skill and quality of photographs. But I just want more.

I read alot of photography books and practice with my DSLR in manual mode. You have no idea how much you learn just by reading photography magazines and books (I highly recommend it)!

Looking to expand my reportoire in photography, I have been looking at eBay for ideas on new equipment. I have made up my mind on what I would like.

The reason why I am writing this blog entry is to educate my readers. I would like to share what I am going to buy and show you that there is more to photography and photographing your dolls than just your camera.

I have talked about using a white or light cloth by bouncing light into darker areas of the photographs. I have been looking at buying an official photography reflector to ease the amount of shadow in my photographs.

Photo Credit: eBay Seller (stylist_store)

With a stand and a 5-in-1 reflector, the reflective colors are white, black, gold, silver and translucent.

For the purpose of doll photography and being a beginner in photography, I will be using the silver and white backgrounds the most.

Let's talk about the two colors of Silver and White:

Silver - Good for low light settings, it harnesses all available light to shadowed areas of the photograph. There were many instances in my photographs that I wished I had a reflector. 

The bad side to a silver reflector is that you will reflect too strong of a light if you use it for midday.

C's right side could have used a white colored reflector to get rid of some shadows.

White - Like the silver reflector, it reflects light into shadowed areas however it is not as harsh. It produces more diffused (i.e. softer) light. 

The bad side to this reflector is that you need to hold it closer to the subject in order to get the desired results. It may be harder without an assistant holding the reflector.

Because of this, I have decided that I am getting a reflector with a stand. Most of my photography is indoors with a few midday outdoor photos. With a stand, I am able to take indoor AND outdoor photos without an assistant, using the reflector to use every possible light.

If you are curious, the reflector and stand I am considering is about $80 CAD with shipping included. You can certainly go to your nearest photography store or amazon.

There will be part II to this as I search for other photography equipment I am purchasing in the near future.