Language: English

Bounce Light

A way of lighting where the light is not aimed straight at the person but bounced off a surface like a reflector, wall or ceiling, and the light that comes back does the lighting. Light that has bounced once off a surface becomes softer. The light’s color changes with the reflector’s color: there are silver, gold and white, and white makes the light soft. Outdoors, sunlight is redirected with a reflector to fill the shadow side.

Lighting positions seen from above. The key light is about 60° to the camera’s left, and a white reflector is on the opposite side, a little low to the camera’s right.
Camera view. Light bounced from the reflector softly brightens the shadow side of the face, so the shape of the dark side shows too.

How it feels

  • Softness
  • Natural
  • Cozy
  • Subtle

When to use it

  • Filling shadows on a person outdoors in sunlight
  • Soft light for documentary interviews
  • Filling the opposite side when using only one light

In the movies

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) · Source: Movieclips (YouTube) · Original video
Fargo (1996) · Source: Movieclips (YouTube) · Original video

    Not to be confused with

    Fill Light
    Fill is the name of a role, filling shadows; bounce is the name of a method, bouncing light off a surface. You can make fill with bounce.
    Negative Fill
    The opposite. Instead of a white surface sending light back, a black surface soaks up light to deepen shadows.
    Soft Light
    Soft light is a quality of light whose shadows shift gently. Bounce is one way to make that kind of light.

    Prompt

    Keyword

    bounce light

    Descriptive

    A key light from 60 degrees camera left, and soft bounce light from a white reflector on the opposite side filling the shadow side of the face.

    Try these combinations

    • Close-up + reflector: an outdoor portrait

      Close-up portrait outdoors, sunlight from the side, soft bounce light from a white reflector below fills the shadows under the eyes

    • Medium close-up + bounce: a documentary interview

      Medium close-up documentary interview, soft window light, white bounce on the shadow side, natural look

    Related terms