Use a Black Reflector on Cloudy Days

There’s a real benefit to shooting outdoors on cloudy or overcast days: you don’t have that harsh, direct sunlight. But, there’s also a real downside and that is the light is usually very flat and boring. You don’t have the all-important shadows you get with the directional light of sunlight, but that’s when a black reflector is so incredibly helpful. Just put it right up beside your subject and it creates those missing shadows, so your portrait can still have depth and dimension even on overcast days. Take a look at the shot above on the left—it was taken under an overcast sky and the light is very flat. Now, look at the shot on the right where all I did was hold up a black reflector, so his face would now have those wonderful shadows (camera right). This also works when you’re shooting in the shade and you notice the lighting looks flat—just add that black reflector. It’s a super-easy trick, but it works wonders.