14. BUY A REFLECTOR
MORE SPECIFICALLY, BUY a five-in-one reflector that offers you flexibility and creative options. A reflector kit is extremely valuable for natural light portrait photographers as well as photographers who use artificial light. Reflectors come in all shapes and sizes, but I recommend getting one that is small enough for an assistant to hold. I favor a 42-inch reflector (Figure 14.1). A five-in-one (they make seven-in-one reflector kits, too) doubles not only as a reflector, but also as a diffuser and an anti-fill due to its modular design. Personally, I use the diffuser more than the actual reflector. In the same vein, I generally also use the diffuser as a reflector (more on this in the next chapter).
A reflector is one of the most value-laden pieces of equipment a photographer can purchase. Reflectors can be relatively inexpensive, but some cost hundreds of dollars. The costs are usually driven by their material’s sturdiness and durability over long periods of time. As long as you treat your reflector right, you’ll save money toward equipment in the long run; a $100 reflector kit can last a very long time.
14.1 A five-in-one reflector can be a natural light portrait photographer’s greatest tool. Most include a gold or sunlight reflector, a silver reflector, a black (anti-fill) reflector, and at least one diffuser, which serves as the reflector’s rigid structure.
A Note on Buying Equipment
All this talk about acquiring and using equipment leads me to a very important point. The equipment we use for photography is comprised of simple tools. That’s it. No one piece of equipment makes us better photographers. It’s our ability to partner vision with the skilled use of those tools that allows us to express creativity through great photographs. With that in mind, I encourage you to have a healthy perspective on making equipment purchases—a perspective that strikes a balance between quality, durability and equipment life, and cost-effectiveness.
Frankly, the most affordable gear is often constructed with the lowest quality materials and craftsmanship, making for a cheap product. The most expensive equipment is built with the best materials and manufacturing. My advice is to be deliberate in your gear acquisition: do your research and resisting impulse purchases.
Let’s take lenses for example, one of the most varied categories of equipment in terms of quality, durability, and cost-effectiveness. Different lenses come in at different price points, and for good reason. As the price goes up, typically so does the quality of the glass inside it. The build materials go from plastic to metal, and weather sealing is integrated (durability). The lens speed (maximum aperture opening) usually increases the higher the price of the lens is, as well. Usually, the sharpest, fastest (in terms of aperture opening and actual speed of operation), and most durable lenses come at a premium.
Again, the key is to be deliberate about your purchases. For example, I primarily shoot with Canon equipment, and I’ve always used L-series lenses during my professional career. The L-series comprises Canon’s top-of-the-line lenses, and although they are extremely sharp and perform at very high levels, they are expensive. The lenses have to outlast multiple camera bodies (I have one ultra-wide lens that is now 20 years old), and I have to see myself consistently using it to justify the expense. A couple of years ago, I was in the market for a standard portrait lens: an 85mm prime. I looked at the L-series 85mm f/1.2 lens and assumed I would get it since I knew the build quality of that line would ensure it was a well-constructed lens. The $2,000+ price tag, though, was a bit steep for how much I thought I would use it, so I rented one for a trial period. As cool as that piece of glass looked on the end of my camera, I found it to be a slow focuser and too heavy to have sitting in my bag. I did some further research and learned that many folks I trust were more satisfied with the non-L-series 85mm f/1.8 because it incorporated a faster autofocus system and was still seemingly just as sharp. I looked at it, took a few test shots, saw the $400 price tag, and made the purchase. Many of the portraits you see in this book shot at 85mm were made with that lens.
This purchase was deliberate and completely appropriate for my circumstances. I don’t use 85mm as much as I use shorter focal lengths, so I didn’t need the heavier build quality of the L-series lens (since the cheaper one will see more of my bag than it will action), and it focused faster, making it a better performer without shirking image quality. I go through this thought process for every purchase I make. I use the standard zoom focal length range over half the time, so I will make the extra investment for the L-series 24-70mm f/2.8. The same goes for the L-series 70-200mm f/2.8 (but I don’t go in for the image stabilized version, which saves me some more money).
The point is to justify every purchase you make, whether it’s camera bodies, lenses, lighting equipment, or computers. Professionally, one of the ways folks get into serious debt is through over-investment in equipment that they either don’t use or don’t know how to use well. The same also goes for non-professionals. I am a big believer in investing in high-quality gear, mostly because it will last longer than the cheaper equipment if well maintained. I also believe in doing your research, which often requires renting the equipment to see how it works with your style and process before committing to the purchase. If spending a hundred dollars to test a lens for a week saves you over a thousand on an ill-made purchase, I’d say you came out on top (especially given that you probably made a few good images during that trial period).
Don’t create undue financial stress over equipment. Doing your research and testing is a good way to feel rationally and creatively confident in your acquisitions.