W10 | Techniques | Diffusion: How and Why You Should Use Soft Light

Diffusion: How and Why You Should Use Soft Light

Soft light is used more often than harsh light.

There are two ways to get soft light qualities out of a source or to modify a source to get soft light:

1. Bounce light: having something white and hit it, bounce off and create a very soft light
2. Diffusion: shooting light through something that is going to diffuse it and give us a soft light

This blog focus on Diffusion and using materials to modify our light and get a softer output.

 

How we can control that level of soft light?

Controlling Diffusion:

• Material Type – thickness level to block light / different effects on softness level
• Layers of material
• Layer Distance: between the light source and actual material
  • The further away, the softer
  • Softboxes are bulky because there needs to be the distance between the light source and the actual diffusion for it to be more effective
  • If you put the material on the light source, you won’t get the same level of softness
• Subject Distance: how far away the diffusion is from the subject
  • Bringing the source and the diffusion closer to the subject will create a softer light, also more exposure and lighter

 

Effects of Diffusion: 

• Soft light is a more flattering light – smooth everything
• Wider Beam angle – spreading light spot (good for a broader area)
• Softer Shadows – less noticeable
• Loss of Output – less exposure
• Larger eye light – make people look alive – draw focus on people’s eyes

 

Ways of having a softer light

• Reflectors
  •  
• Umbrella
  • 
• Easy diffusion material (shower curtain) – easy to put and carry
  • 
• Framing – can change the angle of the light
  • 
• Frost filters or diffusion filters or gels in general – can be mixed and clipped
  • 
• Chinese lantern – fragile
  • 
• Softboxes
  • 
• Aputure Light Dome – all in one, best quality
  • 

 

References

DSLR Video Shooter, 2017, “Diffusion: How and Why You Should Use Soft Light”, YouTube, viewed 30 Sep 2018, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1dVzkX_Zds>