b. Another type of directional control device is known as a flag. Flags
are rectangular metal frames with heat-resistant cloth that act much the same
as barn doors except flags are not mounted directly to the lighting instrument.
Flags, like barn doors, will block illumination from spilling onto unwanted
areas.
c. Yet another type of directional control device is the reflector (fig 1-
11). Reflectors are usually highly reflecting sheets that bounce back a strong
light source onto an object or scene to slow down falloff (make shadows more
translucent).
Sometimes all that is needed to reflect a light source is a
white cardboard sheet. Another way of making a reflector is to crumble up some
aluminum foil (creating a more diffusal reflection) and tape it onto a piece of
cardboard.
Figure 1-11.
Reflector
d. The final type of directional controls we will discuss is known as the
scrim (fig 1-12). Scrims are spun glass diffusers that are placed in front of
floodlights or external reflector spotlights to achieve maximum diffusion of
the light beam. In the studio, scrims are frequently used to produce "soft"
light, especially if you need to light a large area evenly, or if you want to
raise the overall base light level.
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