Without light, there would not be any photography. Without light, we would be in the dark. Without light, anyone taking photos would use long exposure to capture at least some darkness on his/her sensor (or negative). However, there is light and when it is not natural, we can create. 

It is a photographers task to use, create or modify light in order to make a photo. If a photographer does not know how to modify/create light, (s)he should not call him/herself a photographer: photography actually means ‘drawing with light’.

To me, the kind of camera is the least important in photography. Lenses are of more importance, as they are capturing light. Artificial light (be it hot or cold, short or long) is important too as one need to create light in certain circumstances. Light modifiers are important as well as they help me with ‘drawing the light’.

One of the most underrated piece of modifiers is the reflector. There were the film industry is using them non-stop, as well as studio- and fashion photographers, still many photographers don’t use them as it is a hassle. They rather use on-camera flash on automatic mode. Not bad, yet not perfect, and certainly not inspiring.

I love reflectors, have them in all kind of formats: from the simple collapsible round ones to metal-framed ones up to 1x2 meters. Probably there are a bunch of brands out there selling reflectors, but I use two: Lastolite (because of their wide range and availability in Croatia) and Sunbounce (as they are the best).

If you ask me, what reflector to buy, I’d advice you the ’sunmover’ from Sunbounce. Expensive, but probably the best small reflector one can get as it is so versatile: as the name says, it allows you to redirect light, to soften or to strengthen it and it fits in every decent photo bag. Once you get used to it, you can’t imagine you were making photos without it.

Note: I wish I could say Sunbounce supported me in writing this, but they didn’t. I have to buy me equipment just like you.