Cake Photography: Using a Reflector Screen
Do you take your cake photographs using natural light? If you sit your cake in any location in any room the light from the window(s) will shine onto one side of the cake and the other side will be darker. Often the effect can be flattering, but sometimes part of your cake falls annoyingly into shadow and in a bright sunny room the effect can be quite pronounced.
A reflector screen can be used to bounce the light back onto the dark side of the cake so when a photograph is taken the light in that image will be more evenly balanced. Let me show you how to use one, so that you can decide if this type of thing would be a useful addition to your cake photography arsenal.
Reflector screens come in different sizes. I have two, a large one (110cm, pictured below) and a smaller one (60cm). The larger one obviously reflects more light over a greater area but is quite big and cumbersome to use - you might need a tripod to hold it up, and it's often difficult to place it close enough to the cake. The smaller one still does a great job, is much more dainty and compact, and is easier to move around and position correctly. The down side is that it may not be suitable if your cakes are extremely tall.
Do you take your cake photographs using natural light? If you sit your cake in any location in any room the light from the window(s) will shine onto one side of the cake and the other side will be darker. Often the effect can be flattering, but sometimes part of your cake falls annoyingly into shadow and in a bright sunny room the effect can be quite pronounced.
A reflector screen can be used to bounce the light back onto the dark side of the cake so when a photograph is taken the light in that image will be more evenly balanced. Let me show you how to use one, so that you can decide if this type of thing would be a useful addition to your cake photography arsenal.
Reflector screens come in different sizes. I have two, a large one (110cm, pictured below) and a smaller one (60cm). The larger one obviously reflects more light over a greater area but is quite big and cumbersome to use - you might need a tripod to hold it up, and it's often difficult to place it close enough to the cake. The smaller one still does a great job, is much more dainty and compact, and is easier to move around and position correctly. The down side is that it may not be suitable if your cakes are extremely tall.
The following example shows the type of effect you can get with a reflector screen. I set my cake up on a little table in front of the window in my bright sunny south facing room (this is something I'd advise you not to do, but it's a really good illustration here). The sunlight streams in the window striking the cake on its left, giving a very bright area on this side coupled with very dark on the opposite side. The cake also throws a dark shadow onto the table, and the criss-cross window frame throws shadows too. The effect is harsh.
The following example shows the type of effect you can get with a reflector screen. I set my cake up on a little table in front of the window in my bright sunny room. The sunlight streams in the window striking the cake on its left, giving a very bright area on this side coupled with very dark on the opposite side. The cake also throws a dark shadow onto the table, and the criss-cross window frame throws shadows too. The effect is harsh.
without reflector screen
left hand side of cake is too bright, right hand side of cake is too dark. the change in contrast is harsh
without reflector screen
left hand side of cake is too bright, right hand side of cake is too dark. the change in contrast is harsh
If a small reflector screen is propped up at the right hand side of the table, some of that bright sunlight is bounced back onto the dark side of the cake, which immediately brightens up. It's a vast improvement.
If a small reflector screen is propped up at the right hand side of the table, some of that bright sunlight is bounced back onto the dark side of the cake, which immediately brightens up. It's a vast improvement.
with reflector screen
light bounces back onto the dark side of the cake. there's still a brightness difference left to right but the effect is less pronounced and less harsh
with reflector screen
light bounces back onto the dark side of the cake. there's still a brightness difference left to right but the effect is less pronounced and less harsh
Reflector screens often come with a choice of different colours, each serving a different purpose (black, white, silver, gold for example). The silver surface is a good choice for cake photography as it bounces the light nicely and doesn't change its colour.
The one annoyance with a reflector screen is folding it away. If you've ever tried to fold one up you'll know it can seem like a black art until you get the hang of it. I've got you covered though - I made a little video which shows you exactly how to do it without a fuss! (Make sure your YouTube playback settings are set to high quality).
Reflector screens often come with a choice of different colours, each serving a different purpose (black, white, silver, gold for example). The silver surface is a good choice for cake photography as it bounces the light nicely and doesn't change its colour.
The one annoyance with a reflector screen is folding it away. If you've ever tried to fold one up you'll know it can seem like a black art until you get the hang of it. I've got you covered though - I made a little video which shows you exactly how to do it without a fuss! (Make sure your YouTube playback settings are set to high quality).
If you're interested in finding out more about cake photography I created a FREE downloadable guide that starts you off in the right direction to taking better cake photographs. Just click the button to download!
If you're interested in finding out more about cake photography I created a FREE downloadable guide that starts you off in the right direction to taking better cake photographs. Just click the button to download!
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All Rights Reserved | Cake Halliday
All Rights Reserved | Cake Halliday