In this post I want to show you the bounce board and how to use it in toy photography. Every photographer has one tool in their kit that they can’t do without. For me, that tool is the bounce board, bounce card or reflector. This handy tool can extend my light set up, soften an existing light, fill in shadows on my subject or even minimize light on a subject. This simple, and inexpensive tool extends and modifies my light source. They give me the power to bend, bounce and soften the light on the scene.

A bounce board defined

A bounce board is any reflective surface that you can use to bounce light onto your subject. This bouncing of the light softens and modify the light thereby controlling the effect on the subject. Modifying the light source helps reduce reflections and control how shadows fall on the subject. Bounce boards can be made from a variety of surfaces found at your local hardware or office supply store. You can even make several depending on what kind of light you want to create. Here’s a list of surfaces to consider when creating a DIY bounce board.

  • Smooth white – most common and reflects a smooth white light
  • Pebble – reflects an even softer, more diffused light
  • Silver – harder reflective light
  • Gold – warm reflective light
  • Checkerboard silver and gold – mimics daylight
  • Black – stops light from bouncing back to subject

Why use a bounce board

Bounce boards are a cheap and useful tool that can be used by themselves or with an existing light source. I love how I can expand one light source to cover an entire scene in the studio. Or more commonly for me, to fill in shadows when my subject is backlit by the sun when I’m outdoors.

Image on the left, uses only the sun on the left to illuminate the subject. The image on the right, a bounce board has been added to the right of the subject so that the details of the figure can be pulled out of the shadows.

In this example from 2016, you can see how the shadows on the figure are filled in by simply bouncing the light from the setting sun back onto the figure. This way the details are maintained in the shadows are maintained. If I didn’t have a bounce board I would be at the mercy of whatever light I’m presented outdoors. But with this little tool I have the power to bring light into the shadows, thereby bringing more dimension to the scene. By controlling the light and shadows on the figure I can also determine the mood of the image. Light and airy or dark and moody.

The humble bounce board gives me control over light both outdoors and in the studio. I don’t think there is a tool that a photographer or cinematographer can use that is as useful for the price point.

How to use a bounce board

There are four main ways to use a bounce board. Each one will change how the light falls onto your subject as well as the quality of the light.

Creating a two light setup with one light

This is the method I use the most. When I maximizing my light by doubling whatever light is available with the bounce board. Invariable this is the sun, but can also work in the studio.

You can tell by the flares in this image that my camera is pointed directly into the sun. Even with this strond backlight, the left side of the shark on a motorbike is well illuminated.
Landshark’s just want to have fun!

Here’s another example but this time with a low winter sun over a frozen pond. Some of my favorite light!

Because this scene was set up on a sheet of ice, the amount of reflective light was a dream to work with. All I had to do was use the bounce board to aim a little light back onto the scene to make sure the cats were well illuminated.
Everyday is caturday when you’re Dolores Umbridge.

Bouncing light back into a scene to soften it

Because my main subject is made with a highly reflective plastic, I have to get clever about my light placement. In this scene from a couple of years back, I pulled out all my tricks to minimize hotspots and post production edits.

I placed my all plastic scene in a homemade light box with holes cut out in the sides for diffusion paper. Then I placed two lights on either side of the scene and aimed them away from the scene. The two bounce boards reflected back a softer light into the scene. If I was to recreate this scene today I would move my lights even farther away from the scene and softening the shadows even more.
I never aim to eliminate all the reflections because I think that defeats the purpose of photographing plastic. This is why I leave some of the reflections. But you may want a different final effect. If you want to eliminate all reflections, you may want to experiment with the next method.

Bouncing light through silk to create a ‘book’ light

This is not a method I’ve tried myself. Mostly because I simply don’t have the studio space. But if you’re looking for an incredibly soft light that wraps around your scene or main subject, this is the method for you. You build a ‘book’ light set-up by sandwiching one light between a bounce board and a piece of silk. The layered set up is pointed away from the subject. When you use this much diffusion on a single light you create a super diffused and soft light that literally wraps around the subject. The shadows are soft and diffused.

Imagine the scene above but with a layer of semi-opaque white silk hanging in front of the box. The already softened light would be dispersed even more and create a soft, even illumination. This is a great choice for highly reflective surfaces or if you want to create flat lighting often used by cinematographer Wes Anderson.

Negative bounce to keep light from reaching the subject

A negative bounce board might not be a tool I use very often, but I love having this tool available to me. The negative bounce board is usually a flat black, non-reflective surface that blocks light and keeps light from bouncing back onto the subject. This is a simple trick that can help increase mystery on a menacing figure. I use it to keep any light for a part of my scene to create more dimension. It’s also helpful minimizing unwanted light spillage.

This image was lit with a single key light left of the scene. I used a flag on the left to keep light from spilling onto the rocks at the front of the frame. I employed the negative bounce on the right to block window light spilling onto the scene while also keeping any light bouncing back onto the scene. My goal was to keep the right of the scene dark and in shadows.
The headlight of the bike was lit by a pico light purchased from Brickstuff.

In conclusion

I started using a DIY bounce board about about ten years ago when I got tired of doing the same edits in post. I was always lighting the front of the figures to bring out the details. Because I love backlighting to create a natural rim lighting effect, my figures are often left in the shadow. Using a bounce board helps me solve this problem in camera and minimize my edits in post. Less time editing my images means more time for photography. Win win!!

I love how big the impact of this simple tool is compared to the cost. I make my boards from materials commonly found in the hardware and craft stores. Aluminum foil and emergency blankets provide inexpensive reflective material to wrap around scrap cardboard. And what’s cool about creating my own tools is that I can make boards in various sizes and types. Then I always have the right size and type of board on hand to help me bend, bounce and minimize the light in my scene. I HAVE THE POWER!

I hope you have a better idea of how to use a bounce board in your own toy photography. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below and I will answer them for you.

Thanks for reading!