What a little “Gel” will do with a Antique Razor

Antique Razor, Shot with the FourSquare, No Gel

This whole exercise is based using a “gel” of your choice taped to a plexi mirror. We used a 4×4 inch plei mirror and taped several different gels on it to see what kind of reflection would be accenting the old razor from my grandfather. I tried to get the typography to read but it was one to many shaves ago. It says … The Merchant Biscuit Company, Denver Colorado.

Antique Razor, Shot with the FourSquare, Blue Gel

Notice how the gel changes subtly the color of the razor head.

Antique Razor, Shot with the FourSquare, Orange Gel

Ah, you can certainly see how the orange CTO is workin’ here.

Antique Razor, Shot with the White Plexi, No Gel

Strobe through P25 Matt white plexiglass

Antique Razor, Shot with the White Plexi, Blue Gel

Notice how the blue gel is working in the shadows there in the lower right.

Antique Razor, Shot with the White Plexi, Orange Gel

Here is the orange again. Now here is the lesson…

When you tape a gel over a mirror it doubles its value. Why? Light goes  through the gel once and hits the mirror, then it bounces back from the mirror surface, through the gel again, and on to the subject. So a 1/4 CTO is really a 1/2 CTO. Got it? Have fun. I use this all the time in product photography. Little mirrors and gels.