What materials for making reflectors.

[Douglas]

Each year, my company gives us a calendar for the next year. A good 18" by 24" calendar on cardboard with covers in the corners to hold the sheets in. We got our new ones today and I was thinking these could be excellent for making home made reflectors. Just attach something to the back to make them more stable and good to go.

But what matierials would be reccomended in making these? The white/silver/gold colored.

[Brooks]

18"x 24" is pretty small unless you're shooting tabletop still life. Can't you buy 30"x40" foam-core at an art supply store?

[Douglas]

Probably. I just saw these and figured they might work for smaller stuff. Maybe head and shoulders or similar. They just perfect with the corner slots.

[Gregg Jacob]

I made some out of foamcore. I had an old first aid kit that had a spaceage thermal blanket, very thin, light weight, highly refective, that I used spray adhesive to attach it to. Works great if you want hard lighting..almost like a mirror.

Gregg

[photoman022]

I bought 6 pieces of foam core at the office supply store (cheaper in bulk). When I was at the local dollar store I picked up gold and silver reflecting project mounting cardboard (I am having a mind fart and the name of the stuff escapes me!) I used masking tape and taped the reflecting cardboard on two different pieces of foam core. I also bought some weird colored reflecting wrapping paper and taped that to my other foam board--under the right situations it give a great effect. But for a few bucks I have a number of good reflectors that work really well.

[Yarmo]

18"x24" is possibly useful for table-top photography, but it's waaay too small for most photographic applications. For portraits (head & shoulders), e.g., you'll already need at least twice that size. For larger subjects you need exponentially larger reflectors.

Best make them of lightweight foamcore that you can get in the desired size(s) from your local DIY/hardware store (like Home Depot, etc.).
Make a few: some without anything, just plain white (for really soft reflected light), and some with crumpled, then carefully stretched household silver aluminium foil (shiny side up), and with ditto gold aluminium foil (shiny side up). Use sprayglue, then iron flat (no heat!), and finish the edges with black duct tape.

You can also use them as a light reflection killer if you spray-paint the reverse side an unreflective black.

Have fun!

[deluco]

Another vote for foam core.

[photolew]

1" foam insulation. Spray paint one side white and apply a silver mylar to the other side. Makes an INCREDIBLE, cheap and very effecient reflector. I took a 4'x8' board, cut it in half made a "hinge" for it and now its even free standing

[generic]

If you have the heat reflectors for the windshield of your car they work well as hard or soft (front/back) reflector. I have a couple and they can be folded/rolled and stored. Got-em in the car all the time.

gene

[flashmedic]

Where does one find gold foil?