How to Use Reflectors for Better Natural Light Portraits

Have you ever arrived at a beautiful outdoor location only to find the sun is working against you? Whether it’s harsh raccoon eyes at high noon or a background that is way brighter than your subject, lighting challenges are part of the job. Photographer Niah Aldrich is known by many as the “Reflector Girl” because she never leaves home without her favorite light modifier. In this video, Niah walks us through how she uses Westcott Illuminator QuickGrip 5-in-1 Reflectors to add, subtract, and shape natural light to create stunning, professional portraits.

What is a 5-in-1 Reflector?

A 5-in-1 reflector is one of the most versatile and affordable lighting control tools in a photographer’s bag. It consists of a collapsible diffusion panel and a reversible zippered cover with four different surfaces. Here is a breakdown of what each fabric does:

• Silver: The most reflective surface. It creates the brightest, most punchy fill light. It’s perfect for balancing harsh sunlight or matching a bright background.
• White: Provides a very soft, natural-looking fill. It’s great for gently opening up shadows without being too obvious.
• Sunlight (Gold/Silver Mix): Unlike a harsh solid gold, the sunlight fabric adds just a touch of warmth while maintaining the brightness of silver.
• Black: Used for negative fill. Instead of adding light, it blocks it or adds shadows to create more depth and drama.
• Diffusion: This translucent fabric is held between the sun and the subject to turn harsh, direct sunlight into soft, flattering light.

Silver Reflector: Balancing High Contrast

Niah uses the 30-inch Illuminator QuickGrip 5-in-1 Reflector when she needs to balance a subject standing in the shade against a very bright background. Because silver is the most reflective surface, it allows her to bounce light from a distance, so the model isn’t squinting.

Niah Aldrich uses a silver reflector to balance harsh outdoor shadows.

The silver reflector surface adds a punchy fill and vibrant catchlights to the eyes.

The Technique: Niah finds where the sun is hitting the ground, catches that light with the reflector, and tilts it until it hits the subject. To help models with light-colored eyes, she positions the reflector slightly to the side rather than directly in front of them. This fills the shadows and adds a beautiful pop of light to the image without blinding the subject.

Before: Natural sunlight leaves the subject’s face in deep shadow against a bright background.

After: The silver reflector balances the exposure by adding a punchy, vibrant fill light to the subject.

Behind the scenes look at the silver reflector bouncing sunlight back onto the subject.

Sunlight Reflector: Adding Warmth and Balance

When shooting on surfaces like concrete, the light can sometimes take on a cool or blue cast. This is where the sunlight surface shines. It’s a mix of silver and gold, so it isn’t overly orange, but it provides a nice warm glow.

Enhanced with the sunlight reflector to add natural warmth and complement the setting.

Sunlight reflector brings healthy warmth to skin tones while brightening up shadows.

The Technique: Niah uses the sunlight reflector as a subtle fill light to add life back into the subject’s eyes. By angling the reflector and moving it as the model poses, she can fill in shadows cast by hair or clothing, ensuring the skin tones look warm and consistent with the outdoor environment.

Before: Darker shadows and less detail in the eyes with natural light only.

After: Reflector added to brighten shadows and bring a soft, natural pop to the eyes.

Behind the scenes look at the sunlight reflector used to bounce warm fill light back into the face.

Diffusion: Taming the Midday Sun

Shooting at high noon usually results in harsh shadows under the eyes and nose. To fix this, Niah uses the large diffuser from the 50-inch Illuminator QuickGrip 5-in-1 Reflector. By placing the diffusion panel directly between the sun and the subject, she creates a portable cloud that makes the light wrap softly around the face.

Soft, flattering light created by placing diffusion between the sun and the subject.

Midday sun transformed into smooth, even light using a large diffuser overhead.

The Technique: Using a large diffuser allows Niah to capture the foreground and background (like a field of flowers) without the subject looking washed out or harshly lit. It makes photos possible in lighting conditions that would otherwise be unusable.

Before: Harsh sunlight creates strong shadows under the eyes and nose with bright highlights on the skin.

After: Diffusion panel softens the light, reduces harsh shadows, and creates even skin tones.

White Reflector: The Softest Touch

When the silver reflector feels too intense, Niah switches to the white side. White is much more forgiving on the eyes and provides a subtle bounce that mimics the natural environment.

Soft, natural fill using the white reflector surface for a clean and balanced portrait.

White reflector adds gentle light to the face while keeping the look natural.

The Technique: Because the white side isn’t as bright, you can often bring it a bit closer to the subject. Niah recommends keeping it slightly to the side to avoid a flat look, using it whenever you want the viewer to wonder if you used any extra lighting at all.

Before: Natural light only with slightly deeper shadows and less detail in the face.

After: White reflector adds a touch of fill light to brighten shadows, add catchlight to eyes.

Behind the scenes look at the white reflector positioned slightly to the side to add soft, natural fill.

Bounce and Diffuse: The 2-Reflector Setup

For the ultimate professional look, Niah often combines two reflectors. She uses the 50” diffuser overhead to cut the harsh sun, then she holds the 30” white reflector underneath to fill in the shadows.

Balanced, professional portrait using overhead diffusion and fill light underneath.

Soft, even light on the face with natural depth, created by combining diffusion and bounce.

The Technique: This setup gives you total control. If a cloud passes by and the light gets dim, Niah quickly flips to the silver side to keep the pop in the eyes. When the sun comes back out, she flips back to white. This flexibility allows her to keep shooting through changing weather without missing a beat.

Direct midday sun creates strong shadows, bright highlights, and uneven skin tones

Diffusion softens the sunlight while a reflector fills in shadows for smooth, controlled light.

Diffuser overhead to cut harsh sun, with a reflector underneath to bounce light back for full control.

Recap: Take Control of Your Light

The biggest takeaway from Niah’s photo shoot is that you don’t have to be a victim of the weather or difficult timing. Whether you are dealing with the high-noon sun or deep shadows in a shaded area, an Illuminator QuickGrip 5-in-1 Reflector gives you the power to manipulate your environment.

By diffusing harsh rays to create a soft glow, or using the silver and sunlight surfaces to bounce “pop” and warmth back into your subject’s eyes, you can create professional portraits anywhere. Don’t be afraid to experiment and play with different angles, as Niah shows us, sometimes the simplest tool in your bag is the one that saves the day and adds that extra spark of life to your images.

Want to see more ways to modify natural light?

Check out 3 Techniques to Control Natural Light for Better Portraits where photographer Ashley Boring demonstrates ways to modify sunlight to help you capture better portraits.

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