For the most part in my photography, I use one main light and a silver reflector when taking a portrait. This has been my go-to setup for quite a while now. That was until B&H sent me the Angler CatchLight Reflector.

What is the Angler CatchLight Reflector?

The Angler CatchLight Reflector is a U-shaped reflector that is meant to sit below your subject and surround your subject with light. It bounces light from your main light source to slightly flatten the contrast, while maintaining a three-dimensional look. It also helps remove shadows without you having to add another light source. 

The CatchLight’s name is derived from its natural-looking reflections that follow the contour of the subject eyes, and because of its shape, is an unbroken arc without the gaps seen when using multiple reflectors. The CatchLight can be used with any light source, be it tungsten, LED or flash fixture — even outdoors with the sun.It sets up and breaks down in minutes for storage and transport in its included case.

First impressions

The Angler CatchLight Reflector comes in a bag, however, typically for me this is a piece of equipment that I wouldn’t necessarily continually set up and take down. But it’s great if you are limited on space. The reflector itself is rather large, coming in at 24-by-58.5-by-13.5 inches, making it difficult to store fully put together. 

That being said, the reflector was incredibly easy to set up. It comes with easy instructions, and the reflector itself is made of an aluminum frame, making it extremely lightweight and easy to carry. 

Check out the before and after below, without and with the Angler CatchLight Reflector:

Accessories

There are two separate reflector panel materials for the Angler. The kit comes with a silver pebble finish reflector material. Because it has this pebble finish, it allows your reflector to catch more of the light from every angle. This gives you a more constant light quality across your subject. 

You can also purchase a separate fabric panel for the Angler CatchLight if you are wanting a softer look to your image.

Tips for using the CatchLight

The reflector will need to be placed on a shorter light stand, allowing the reflector to sit slightly above your subject’s belly button.

The reflector does come with a support spine that allows you to tilt your reflector toward your subject. I found that it worked best if your main light was placed 30 inches away from your subject as well as your reflector, positioning the reflector center and an arm’s length away from your subject.

I also noticed that the larger my main light source was, the more solid catchlight that was visible in my subject’s eyes.

My go-to for headshots

This type of lighting setup is perfect for headshots. It will definitely be my go-to from now on. Coming in at significantly less than its competitors, the Angler CatchLight Reflector is worth every penny.

Angler CatchLight Reflector

The CatchLight Reflector from Angler is a simple solution to a lighting problem. A common technique for achieving a glamorous portrait is lighting the subject on-axis from above to bring out the modeling of the face and details in the hair, makeup, etc. But what to do about the hard shadows under the nose and around the eyes other than add additional lights to complicate the subject? The Catchlight 58.5″ wide modifier has an open “U” shape which forms an arc that surrounds the subject, over which reflective silver material is tightly stretched for a consistent effect.