Hard Light Vs Soft Light – Round Two: Soft Light | Nice Photography Magazine - The "Why To" Magazine about Creative Photography and Film Making

Hard Light Vs Soft Light – Round Two: Soft Light

Posted by Zeke Kamm on 12/17/08 • Categorized as Feature Articles

Back in Round One we – okay, mostly me – talked about the why to of hard light. Why did I start with hard light? ‘Cuz that’s the kind of guy I am. Hard. That’s right. Ahem. So, this time we’ll – okay, more me’ll – move onto the why to of soft light. Ready? To bad, here it comes.

Soft light, how I luv ya. You’re my BFF. Totally! You can make an old lady look like a less old lady. You can turn a boxer into a ballerina. What? You can. Don’t be modest. The movie studios love you like a cash flavored lollipop. You cure hangovers even! Nothing takes the edge off of the spot where the highlight meets the shadow like a nice soft light.

But sometimes you’re a real diva, you know that? I’m sorry, but it’s true. You make me jump through hoops if I ask for your help in tight quarters. You make me carry extra gear and never offer to grab a bag. And let’s face it. Your sloppy. Yes, I said it. Sloppy. If I’m not extra careful you spill all over the place. Some times I wonder why I even bother dragging you out of your mansion in the Hollywood hills.

Oh yeah, now I remember:

Copy Cat – Just like with hard light, there are plenty of soft light sources found in the real world: sunlight passing through a sheer curtain into a house; an overcast afternoon; the all too familiar off world alien creature detention center with it’s ceiling of light and white walls, floors, and the acrid scent of death. If you want to simulate one of these environments, soft light will be your friend. It may be the only friend you’ll ever have!
The I’s Have It – As I pointed out in the hard light article, some ideas are easier to communicate with certain types of light. Want to portray the high school cheerleader as an innocent virgin? Good luck. I mean, use some of that gool ol’ soft light. You could also imply kindness, understanding, gentleness. Glenda the good witch was followed around 24-7 with a giant soft box. It was in her contract.
The Shadow Knows – Surprise, soft light is the opposite of hard light when if comes to how it looks where highlight meets shadow. Soft light eases off, slowly letting go as it blends into the darkness, making wrinkles disappear or at least be less severe.
Multiplicity – Shooting multiple objects in a scene? Don’t want a shadow cast from one object onto another to be distracting? Soft light. Make it soft enough and the viewer won’t know where one light ended and another began.

Upon Reflection – Sure, it’s a utilitarian reason, but sometimes you just got to suck up to the lighting gods. If you’re shooting a highly reflective surface like a glass bottle or a bowling ball or alien morphing liquid metal, ooooh brother, do you need some soft light. That reflective surface is likely to bounce a your light source back at the lens in full view. So if you don’t want your audience seeing your homemade salad bowl soft box in all it’s gaffer tape glorry make sure you keep it big and close so it fills your reflected surface all the way to the edge and beyond. That is unless you’re one of those risk takers.