I love reflectors. I love flash too, but sometimes the simplicity of a reflector is a much better option. And so it was just last weekend. I met up with a friend and a friendly model and off we went for a couple of hours photography just to have a play around really. We didn't have a goal in mind, we just thought it was a nice day and we should take some pictures!

Having shot quite a few images using flash (and yes, using the PocketWizard Flex and Mini units) I then had a go with a reflector - in this case, a California Sunbounce with silver/gold sheet. The sunbouncers are very lightweight and although they don't pack as conveniently as disc reflectors, they do have a very flat surface to bounce light from - and they are very reflective. 

Anyway, these two shots - taken more for their comparison value of showing with and without a reflector - show exactly what you can achieve without expensive flash setups. The model (Laura) was placed with her back to the sun to provide some backlighting to the hair, and a reflector was held in front of her to pump some light back into the face - the difference is quite marked - there was no change in exposure, just the reflector added. Had I opened up the exposure to get better lighting on her face, the background would have been completely blown. Essentially, the reflector has been used as a balanced fill flash. 

So, before you go out buying lots of flash guns, first pick up a reflector and learn to use it properly. Once you get a flashgun, you'll be glad you did - and even then the reflector won't be obsolete as you can still use it to bounce flash from for softer results.