Lights and specialty modifiers can be quite expensive, and filling out your collection can be a major hit to your wallet. However, one of the most versatile modifiers and a favorite of many studio photographers is also one of the cheapest. The humble v-flat is tremendously useful, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to use them to create eye-catching light.
Coming to you from Nathan Elson, this great video tutorial discusses how to use v-flats to sculpt the light in a scene. V-flats are very simple (and affordable) when you compare them to other photography equipment; after all, they are little more than black and white chunks of foam made to stand freely (which is why they are reserved to studio usage, lest they become sudden sails). Photographers use the white side as a large reflector that can create a soft source, and they use the black side as a way to subtract light, bringing out more contrast to add drama or to sculpt a subject's features or even as a flag. They are tremendously versatile, and it is well worth keeping a few around your studio. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Elson.
