6 tips to help you master bounce lighting

Bounce lighting can really help your product and portrait photography stand out. Getting the lighting right for products is so important in getting sales and more work from clients who are looking for photographers who can make their products look amazing in shots. Here are 6 tips to help you master bounce lighting.
Bounce lighting can help soften an otherwise harsh lit image, as well as brighten it up. There are several ways to master bounce lighting. Lets look at a few of those ways.
Advertisement
1. Bounce card
Having a bounce card handy can really brighten and soften up a photo of a product or subject, showing off the best parts. You can make your own bounce card with cardboard, foil, and duct tape. Just tape the foil to the cardboard and you are ready to take product shots.
2. Walls
Light gray or white walls are great places to bounce light from since they are large enough to soften up most of the subject. Its like having a large reflector without having to worry about moving it around. Use light from other sources, such as the sun while keeping your subject close to the wall.
3. Portable reflector
A portable reflector is similar to a bounce card where you can bounce light from the reflector to your subject. One side can be where the main source of light is coming from, while the other side is lit up by the reflector. These are great for portraits since the reflector can remove shadows and soften up the face.
4. Ceilings
Ceilings are another great source to bounce light from, since they can cover a very large area. Having light bounce from above looks much nicer than having the light coming from the front. The ceiling should be low enough to nicely brighten the subjects.
5. Colored surfaces
Bouncing light off different colored surfaces can change up the look and feel of a shot. Experiment with pink, green, and other colored surfaces to see which one looks best with your subject. Colored light diffusers can have the same effect on shots.
Advertisement
6. White rooms
White rooms gives you a chance to bounce light on the walls, floors and ceiling. White rooms are also ideal when the natural light source is dim. If you can, bounce light off all to see which one best shows off the subject.