Reflector vs. foam core?

The collapsible reflector is more portable.
White surfaces will bounce softer light than silver surfaces. They will also bounce less light.

Gold surfaces are nice for portrait work when faces look a little "cold" or pale. I also use them a lot on day for night when I want the background to be blue but I don't want to lose all the color in the faces.

Gold can also make very dark skin look exceptionally glamourous.
 
Yep. All that is true.

Still, even though a real reflector is often better, I still keep a bunch of foam core with my gear, just in case. The one disadvantage to a portable reflector is that it can "ripple" if there is a breeze, causing the light to move as you shoot. You can then clamp it to ....foam core!

Foam core is cheap enough to keep with you. It can block windows, work as a flag, or even shim a lightstand if you need it. It also works well to make signs for cast and crew to follow, instant cue cards, and a sign to tell people you are shooting. I've even built a french flag out some on a set and a sun shade for a director to see the monitor on a bright, sunny day.

Foam core, C-47s and gaffers tape. Don't go to a shoot without them.
 
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I like to have both. Foam core is much more versatile as Jim mentions. Its very light. You can tape it to a roof to bounce from there or any other dark surface. And then what I like to use it for mostly is the old home made cookaloris.
 
I thought we had talked about this. I must be confused. The silver/gold is a specular reflector that is warmer than a silver, but not as warm as a full gold.
 
GageFX said:
I thought we had talked about this. I must be confused. The silver/gold is a specular reflector that is warmer than a silver, but not as warm as a full gold.
Click to expand...

I recall it coming up in conversation, and its clearly obvious that it will be some sort of a mix between the two, but I dont recall us talking about it beyond acknowledging it exists. I've been aware of it for probably a year or two, just never seen an example of it being used, which is what I'm fishing for.
 
Check out the BTS for Three Kings, they have a 12x20 overhead with a silver/gold lame being used during a golden hour shot. Good stuff.

I prefer foam-core personally, as I believe the correct type of foam core can reproduce all the effects of a 5 in 1 (except for the silk diffusion) at a lower cost, plus, I can cut up foam core on set for all sorts of useful things- monitor hoods, floor protection, wobbly table leg shimming etc etc.

Foam core is also easier to mount to a c-stand be either clamping it in the jaws, or using a bead board hold or duckbill clamp.

I just bought a few sheets of bead board tonight and spray-painted them silver to good effect, for sort of a diffused hard reflection. I suppose you could do it with gold spray paint also, and maybe even make your own silver/gold lame...
 
I used to spraypaint foamcore silver all the time, then I found some stuff at Home Depot that is awesome. They have building insulation that is silver on one side, white on the other. It comes in panels that are 2ft by 4ft and they "accordion" together.
 
I have discovered that the silver reflectors add more contrast to the images; meaning that there is a wider range between the hightlights and the darker areas. As many have said that the gold warms the image especially skin tones. And white foamcore is generally softer and less light. Each has its' place and purpose, so it really depends on what you are trying to accomplish.
 
Definitely. At least I saw it a couple years ago. I'll take a look around.


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Still looking, but Wescott makes a "sunlight" reflector that is just like the gold silver "patchwork" reflectors, but it isnt checkerboard squares of gold and silver, it's a smaller patterned gold/silver "herringbone" pattern. But it is is 50/50 gold silver so it's the same effect.

Westcott

It looks like Lastolite and Norman also have gold/silver reflectors.

Lastolite ("sunlite")

Norman (Actually, it looks like Norman's "warming" reflector is checkerboard PINK. interesting. I'd probably pass on that.)

Photoflex has "soft gold".


And you can probably find these at B&H for a low price, or Adorama. I was scrolling the Adorama pages to find these reflectors.
 
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For the thrift-minded here, I often spray paint foamcore silver, gold, or both. I usually have both colors in my tool chest just in case.
You can mix and match all you want.

If all you have is a silver reflector, you can mount a gel on it, but remember that a 1/2 CTO will act like a full CTO because the light is travelling through the gel twice.
 
I just did the silver bead board home depot trick, great stuff. works well. I taped 2 pieces to a 4x4 knife blade open frame so that it had some rigidity and c-stand compatability
 
Silver car window reflectors (used to keep heat out of cars) are a budget reflector tool also. Fairly large and they fold up well too. Just hang them off a boom.
 
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