Bounce Light

 Lighting in outdoor news locations isn't always perfect. It might be hard to get clear images when there are dark shadows, dim lighting, or uneven exposure. By using sunlight as a natural key light and redirecting it onto the reporter's face, our team saw firsthand how a foldable bounce light reflector could help these issues.

To start, we shot a picture of our guy Dante standing with the sun above him and no reflector in use. His entire face is toned down and poorly lit, making it hard to tell his expression properly. This “before” image highlights the usual light problem reporters have during outside live coverage.

Here, we get a great view of Dante’s face before the reflector is set up. His features look dull, and shadows cover essential facial characteristics. This comparison image serves to highlight the importance of controlled lighting in news production.

A close-up to see the reflector placed so it bounces vibrant, nicely diffused light straight onto Dante’s face. The effect is strong. You can see it in his face. His complexion is more precise, shades are eliminated, and his emotion is a lot simpler for viewers to see.

Next, we got a wide picture taken from behind the camera, handled by Shawn, our cameraman. Dallas places himself close to the lens with the reflector while Dante stands in front of it. This graphic shows the general organization of the crew and how a reflector fits within the camera gear.

This picture, which was taken from Dallas's point of view, displays Dante's face with the white reflector directed upward. The shot shows how the reflector collects sunlight and focuses it, boosting light where the natural daylight falls short.

Standing behind Dante's perspective, you can witness the three-person team working together: Shawn shooting, Dallas fixing the reflector, and Dante ready to provide a live report. It highlights the cooperation necessary to make sure that the light, cameraman setup, and talent placement all blend to produce a professional-looking image.