Part 2 - Soft Light or Hard Light
In this part we'll look at the differences between soft light and hard light.
Left - Soft Light, Right - Hard Light
Soft light
Soft Light: Soft light creates a diffused and flattering light that typically wraps around your subject. The larger the light source, the softer the light! Imagine the light coming through a window on a cloudy day.
Elements of soft light:
- Lighter Shadows
- Softer Highlights
- Shadows with soft Edges
Benefits of Soft Light:
- More forgiving
- Enhances emotion or storytelling
Sources of Soft Light:
- Octaboxes
- Softboxes
- Umbrellas with diffusion
- Scrims
Hard light
Hard Light: Hard light creates contrast and shows more pronounced transitions from light to dark. This type of light usually comes from a small, direct light source.
Elements of hard light:
- Hard and defined shadows
- Bright Highlights
- Shadows with hard edges
Benefits of Hard Light:
- Draws attention to a specific part of the photo
- Adds visual impact
Sources of Hard Light:
- Bare Bulb
- Silver Umbrella far away from the subject
- Strobe with a reflector-like beauty dish