Reflective behavior is the last behavior we're going to talk and then with those you should be able to do everything. We already discussed a lot of this but take a look at this photograph and tell me what is the most reflective surface there the truck now would you put a person by the orange the purple letters or by the white part good because of the color problem, right? Um if they stand in front of the green grass you now know that's going to cost a pretty strong green cast. If your subject is seven feet tall, then you're probably not going to get that effect us much but he's still recorded on your camera's a green color cast all right, reflective surfaces um what is the most reflective color in the world? White what is the least reflective color in the world? Black when if you're a geek and you want to know the science of it all, I can discuss it for five seconds when light hits an object, each photon of light has red, green and blue frequencies in it. Okay, when he hits a black sur...

face the black says thank you and it sucks all the frequencies out leaving nothing left nothing in return so that's why it gets dark and it gets black if you ever wear a black jacket and the sun hits it all those frequencies are being absorbed by the black and that's why your jacket starts to get hot because you're absorbing energy into your jacket but if you're wearing your jacket carrie it's white the light comes hits your jacket on because it's white all the red, green and blue everyone's this bounce right back at you okay so in this situation if you put a guy next to these black war that reflective surface is smooth but it's going to be black so it's going to solve a lot of the light the more texture you have, the more the light's going to spread everywhere for example look at this wall here um if I hit let's, see if I hit this surface this little square coming out if I hit the super's with light this way where is the light going to bounce back? Which direction up because of this, right? This is not looking less let's hit this one if I grab my flash and I hit this is totally flat remember angle of incidence equals the angle of relation if you hit this which way's it gonna bounce back directly this way great that's more reflective then this because this is equally reflective, but this is bouncing light race in a different direction, so whenever you're you're looking around the scene and you're trying to decide where to photograph people think about how reflective and the angle of the reflection that is goingto happen okay let's take a look at this here's a break wall with little lines in between I here's a black war the black was totally smooth that's more reflective because the direction of light is more predictable but this is black is going to absorb all the light this is why it is goingto bounce the light but you don't know exactly where it's bouncing it from see what I mean because his camera texture to it how about that texture with that me what do you think of a photo with light hitting that what's going to happen to the color of the person it's gonna look a little tone little warm on dh is actually pretty is pretty flat so it's going to be pretty predictable in the way the light's going to behave how about this one though this one has cracks in it on this one is darker so now if you hit if you hit light against that to illuminate your subject you're going to get darker back is going to get dark around the other side and you're losing a lot of light in the holes this one has brick on the break is going to basically split split splatter the light kind of everywhere okay let's go backto this one now this is not reflective this is reflective of the surface here um, what what is the most reflective color? Anything that closer to black is going to absorb light. Okay, this is green, this is almost black, so this is going to suck all the light out that's. Why, at the beginning I put my subject here because this white wall is illuminating their entire face, but the background is not stealing any of the light. The background is actually absorbing the light, making your subject be more prominent. Is that totally confusing this's? Why, when people say less photograph someone by the white wall, I'm like really because then the white wall is justus reflective as he can be. So you get this person in front of a white wall, it just looks like they're both kind of competing against each other. But if you find a bathroom that absorbs light, it doesn't reflect much. Your subjects still illuminated very well, but the background is dark, letting your subject be more prominent. Cool.

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Roberto Valenzuela

Roberto Valenzuela is a photographer, author, and educator based in Beverly Hills, CA. As a member of the prestigious Canon Explorers of Light group, Roberto is considered to be one of the most influential photographers in the world.

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topics covered in this class

Lighting Portrait Photography

Ratings and Reviews

MizUniverse

Im sitting in my office listening to Roberto with my earplugs on and I know I have already left 2 reviews but he's so funny…. my family comes into the office asking me "whats so funny" Roberto makes me laugh out loud with his jokes but at the same time, he is SO great at teaching. Im watching for second time to make sure all his good info is ingrained. HIGHLY recommend you take his workshop on Picture Perfect Lighting if you truly want to take your photography to the next level! WOW thats 3 reviews now…can you tell I am impressed

Maureen T.

I'm taking a portrait photography course at NYIP online. one of the mentors there recommended the posing book by Roberto. I ended up ordering at the library the posing and the perfect practice book. I fell in love with both books...ended up buying them and signing up here for the year membership just so I can take all of his photos courses. I spent most of my weekend doing perfect lighting course here I am in love with the way that he teaches! He makes something so difficult and challenging for me make sense. I also like that he challenges us photographers to be true professionals. I am thrilled to have discovered Roberto and already noticed my photography is better in the short time that I've been studying him.

EDUARDO LLERANDI

I can say enough about this class, the best class ever I've seen about lighting. Roberto Valenzuela, as a professional photographer and artist is the best also as a teacher. If you are beginner, enthusiastic, o professional photographer and want to craft and master lighting for ever and ever, please buy this class. Thanks Creative Live for the opportunity of been part of this. Roberto you are the best. "Eres el Mejor Amigo, Gracias"

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5 Behaviors of Light: Reflective Surfaces

5 Behaviors of Light: Reflective Surfaces

Lesson Info

12. 5 Behaviors of Light: Reflective Surfaces

Lessons

Intro and Who This Class is For

3 Groups for All Lighting Scenarios

My Progress in Lighting

Analyzing Circumstantial Lighting

Circumstantial Lighting Q & A

Using a Reflector the Right Way

5 Behaviors of Light: Overview and Angle

5 Behaviors of Light: Inverse Square Law of Light

5 Behaviors of Light: Relative Size

5 Behaviors of Light: Relative Size Continued

5 Behaviors of Light: Color