In-Home Session A common problem with natural light portraits is "lifeless" eyes (or sometimes they call it "dead eyes") due to a lack of catchlights. For a long time, I avoided flash, even considering it a bit vulgar—likely because I had seen so many bad examples. But over time, I discovered that flash is a fantastic tool for this and other problems, as long as you use it well.

But what if you don't have a flash? Most people don't!

While casually shooting this picture of my girls, I didn't have my flash with me. So, I grabbed a magazine from a table, opened it to a white page, and used it as a reflector. When held close enough, it works perfectly. A newspaper or anything white or neutral in color would work just as well. What it does is throw light back onto your subject's face. This keeps their face from being a dark silhouette, or prevents the background from being overexposed if you were to adjust your camera's exposure for faces.

Nowadays, I almost always carry one of my small pocket flashes, but that time, I simply forgot it. It can happen. But dont let this stop you! :)