Outdoor Photography How To

It seems like every time we post a tutorial about the use of external flash we receive a bunch of comments from photographers who insist on shooting with available light—despite the fact that this approach doesn't always deliver the best possible results in certain situations.

Today's "illuminating" tutorial from the AI Photo Guy is designed for the flash phobic among you, explaining a simple way to control the quality and quantity of light hitting a subject, using a simple, inexpensive accessory that doesn't rely upon complicated electronics or any special skills; namely, the lightweight and packable reflector.

Instructor John Henry is an accomplished wedding photographer based in South Africa who likes to keep things as simple as possible, and in less than two minutes he demonstrates how reflectors enable you to dramatically improve your photos and achieve stunning images. Everything you need to know is super simple, and it takes Henry less than two minutes to explain.

And if you assume that this approach is just for beginners think again, because this easy technique is also common among pros, visual artists, and budding photo enthusiasts. Henry covers a variety of ground in a hurry, including the various types of reflector available, the impact of using those of different colors, how to position the reflector relative to your subject and the sun, and much more.

Henry also provides a variety of practical tips for maximizing the use of reflectors to capture a wide variety of subjects, whether you're shooting landscapes, environmental portraits, macro subjects and even product shots. In short, these simple tools offer endless possibilities for enhancing natural light, filling in shadows, and sculpting light to perfection so you can easily achieve professional looking results.

Very little practice is required to get the hang of it, and once you do you'll be ready to tackle the more advanced technique Henry explains, like using multiple reflectors simultaneously, and even combining reflectors with other supplemental light.

Bottom line: By following Henry's straightforward advice you'll quickly elevate your photography and transform how-hum shots into visual masterpieces. So invest in a reflector or two and you'll only be limited by your imagination, while surprising yourself by what you're able to achieve.

And then you can ignore that expensive flash gathering dust in the back of your camera cabinet. After watching this video pay a visit to Henry's YouTube channel where you'll find more great advice for photographers of all skill levels.

And speaking of inexpensive accessories that work wonders, be sure to check out the earlier tutorial we posted from another experienced shooter who explains how to use affordable lens filters to significantly improve the look of your photographs.