Soft and hard light in photography. What is the difference between hard and soft light
In this article we will look at concepts often found in the description of lighting sources - soft and hard light. Depending on the tasks. that the photographer sets for himself, his choice may be different.
Let's start with hard light. Hard light, as a rule, is formed from a point source and is directional. Examples of hard light sources include: the sun in a clear sky at midday, a spotlight, a studio flash with a small reflector at a great distance from the subject.
Hard light forms sharp and deep shadows, the area of transition from light to shadow (tonal transition) is very small, in other words, the border between light and shadow is sharp. This lighting, when directed at an angle, conveys surface character and texture very well, but at the same time strongly emphasizes wrinkles or uneven skin. Portraits with hard light tend to be dramatic and bright.
But despite this, many photographers avoid working with hard light, since it requires certain skills, the ability to “see light” and very precise installation and adjustment of light. The slightest turn of the head in one direction or another leads to a strong change, and often to the destruction of a beautiful cut-off pattern. Russian photographers who are masters of using hard lighting are Oleg Tityaev and Ilya Rashap.
Now let's move on to soft light. Soft light– this is not necessarily diffused light, as is sometimes claimed. This interpretation of soft lighting is incomplete. The following statement would be more correct: the softness or hardness of lighting is determined by the relative size of the light source in comparison with the subject, as well as the distance to the subject.
Based on this, a soft light source can also produce harder lighting if the distance between it and the subject is increased so much that the distance is much greater than the size of the source. Then the source will become close to a point.
How to get a source of soft lighting? After all, a flash is practically a point source!
Exit - make the radiation area larger, that is, distribute the luminous flux over a large surface. Please note that the direction of the light will remain the same! Technically, this is done by reflecting light from a large surface (reflective umbrella, shooting with an on-camera flash aimed at the ceiling), or by passing light through a large area of scattering material (softbox, scream panel, frost frame). Examples of natural sources of soft light are the sky on cloudy days, as well as a large window that does not receive direct sunlight.
The image obtained using a soft light source has more extended boundaries of transitions from light to shadow, that is, wider tonal transitions. This lighting conceals the texture of the surface, making skin irregularities and defects less noticeable in a portrait photograph.
The word “photography” literally translates as “painting with light.” This is why beautiful light is the key to a good photo. It takes constant practice to learn to “see” the light, “catch” the light and use it to your advantage. But first, it would be nice to generalize in your head some theoretical knowledge about light in photography. This is what we will do!
Light in photography can be classified according to the following parameters:
— the nature of the lighting (soft or hard light);
— method of obtaining lighting (directional, diffused, reflected);
— direction of light relative to the subject (front, side, back, top, bottom);
— the role of one or another source in the overall light-shadow pattern (drawing, filling, background, modeling and background);
- depending on the nature of the source (natural and artificial light);
- by color temperature (warm or cold light).
We can endlessly distinguish more and more types of light, but we will stop at the presented division.
Soft light and hard light.
Hard light has a characteristic picture that is easy to recognize by the sharp contrast between light and shadow, a minimum of halftones. In harsh lighting, shadows from objects become deep and highlights become pronounced. It also highlights the texture of your subjects. The simplest example of hard light is the sun at bright midday. Hard light can also be created using flashes aimed at the subject without using any attachments. Hard light They provide studio devices with a reflector or with an attachment such as a honeycomb, tube, etc.
Soft light characterized by a calmer pattern - a maximum of halftones and gradients. Therefore, in classic portrait photography, the main source is a source of soft light - a studio device with a photo umbrella or softbox, or soft light from a window. Also an example soft light Can serve as natural light on cloudy days or light in the shadow of a building on a sunny day.
How to get the desired cut-off pattern.
You can control the light (when shooting in a studio or with flash) or use what is around (when shooting outdoors or indoors without flash). Be that as it may, the photographer can use three different methods of obtaining type of light.
Directional light is obtained by using a fairly powerful source aimed at the subject from a short distance, without the use of additional attachments. Therefore, directional light is usually hard with a characteristic light-and-shadow pattern.
Reflected light is obtained when the main source is reflected from any surface. This could be a mirror, a white homogeneous material, a silver surface, or an ordinary wall painted in a single color. White and silver surfaces do not change color temperature (i.e. retain natural colors). Colored surfaces produce colored reflections when light is reflected from them, so they must be used with caution. In terms of hardness, reflected light occupies an intermediate position between directed and diffused.
Scattered light- This is light from the main source that passes through translucent substances before hitting the subject. The diffuser can be cumulus clouds in the sky, a piece of translucent fabric, a sheet of paper, curtains or professional devices (parasols for light, softboxes, etc.). Also diffuse light- This is light in the shadows on a sunny day. Diffused light is the softest, giving smooth transitions between light and shadow on the subject.
You probably visually imagine that light can be directed at different angles relative to the subject: directly at the model (“head-on”), from the side, at 45 degrees, from behind, from above or from below. The lighting angle determines how volumes are conveyed on the subject. You've probably heard expressions like “flat light” and “volumetric, artistic light.” So, in order to convey the volume that we see in the real, 3D world with the help of photography, a two-dimensional image, it is necessary to use light that emphasizes the volume of objects.
Best suited for this task side light, and when combined with accent lighting from behind, it creates the ultimate artistic effect. Only side light is a rather broad concept; it can be placed at different angles. How to correctly set the side light depends on the model and the features of its appearance. It also creates a beautiful light-shadow pattern overhead light, which is often used for model photography in the studio. But downlight is used mainly to fill shadows or to create a specific shooting effect for horror films.
The role of light sources in the lighting scheme
Now let's consider the role of different sources depending on their participation in the overall picture of the lighting of the subject. You have most likely already come across such concepts as “fill light”, “key light”, “back light” and so on. Let's figure out what all these scary concepts mean. There's really nothing complicated:
Painting light- This is the main source of lighting in the lighting scheme. It is he who draws the main volumes of the object, hence the name. In the English-speaking world this light is called “key light”, i.e. key light. Source painting light There is usually one, and it is the most powerful compared to the others. Side or top light is classically used as a key light.
Fill light– light that is used to uniformly illuminate the entire scene. It is usually used either to highlight shadows or to generally equalize the illumination in the frame in order to be able to properly expose the photo at the desired shutter speed and aperture values.
Modeling light used to create accents (emphasizing highlights) or softening individual shadows on the subject. Typically, the modeling light is narrowly focused, and its power is set so as not to interrupt the main cut-off pattern.
Backlight(also called contour) is created using a source located behind the model. It is usually used to separate the model from the background, to create accents and artistic highlighting of the contours of the figure. In classic portraiture backlight directed either from behind or from behind at an angle (from behind the shoulder). Schemes using backlight are the most beautiful. Backlighting looks impressive in portraits of men, and also looks interesting for highlighting voluminous hairstyles on girls. By the way, it is thanks to the backlight that photographs taken at sunset seem so magical!
Background light– as you can guess from the name, it is used to highlight the background. The fact is that due to the distance between the background and the model, when using, for example, one light source, the background turns out to be darkened. This does not mean that it necessarily needs to be backlit; sometimes background light is not used specifically to create such an effect of depth of space. Light is directed onto the background either pointwise (creating a light spot behind the model), or evenly (lighting the entire surface of the background equally), or creating a soft gradient transition. I don’t recommend using the last option in inexpensive studios with cheap paper backgrounds, because they tend to be imperfect. As a result, the photographs produce such a homeless effect, forgive me for such an expression.
I continue to pretend to be Lev Nikolaevich and try to be an active blogger. Today I would like to talk about what is so missing in our dark gray-lead-depressive, not the sunniest Belarusian winter. Let's talk about natural sunlight, how to use it, and most importantly, look at examples of what happens in certain shooting conditions.
I found an unknown work by a Belarusian artist in the National Museum - “Lighthouse in Sunny Polesie”. On it, the author tried to depict the movement of the sun on a summer day.
I’ll immediately try to highlight what light options you can get:
Hard, most often frontal or side - when the sun shines from the appropriate direction on the model. (most often the number 2)
-Background - the sun is shining behind the model. Photos like these make everyone cum, if you didn’t know :) (At any time of the day, but optimally in the morning or evening, numbers 1 and 3)
-Soft diffused light - the sun behind the clouds. (clouds to the left and right of number 2)
-Soft diffused light - the subject is in the shadow of a building or tree.
Probably something else, but I will write about the points stated above :)
The best time for shooting on a summer day is the second half of the day, after about 16-00. This is optimal, but it does not mean at all that at other times of the day masterpieces and good shots cannot be taken.
My most beloved, beloved, sweet and divine backlight :
You can also catch bunnies on purpose or not.
In the photo, backlight is easy to recognize by the characteristic halo along the contour; it is especially visible on the hair.
The backlight is convenient because it allows you to get uniform light on the object, and, most importantly, it does not blind the person during the shooting process (at least not so much). For such shooting, it is advisable to have a lens hood.
Hard light for me it’s like a unicorn in Atlantis - I use it extremely rarely, my soul doesn’t lie, even if you crack :)
It is characterized by: deep shadows + contrasting, rich picture.
But you can get interesting shadow drawings:
Its main drawback is that the model is very blinding, so most often we open our eyes to three or four.
Soft diffused light - the sun behind the clouds. Everything is simple here - at any time of the day the sun can go behind the clouds. In all summer wedding shoots, the walk most often falls at the most inopportune time - from 12 to 16 - the sun is at its zenith, the light is as hard and uncomfortable as possible. All photographers perform the ritual of calling the clouds; they are happy for the clouds at such a time :)
And, almost the same thing, when we place the model in the shadow:
Lera has already been watched 2 times :)
The shadow is very easy to find, you just have to look at the ground: at point X there is more light, it is more contrasting and saturated, at point Y there is already a shadow - the light there is much softer.
In the second part I will try to talk about the use of reflectors and diffusers. To be continued...
Good light and the ability to use it are the key to great shots and this mood:
Today we present to you exceptional recommendations for transforming your living space using an unparalleled lighting system that fills the environment with a soft, diffused glow.
This type of illumination is of great importance for the decor of apartments. Before installing it in your home, you should pay attention to tips and recommendations that will help you achieve a spectacular interior appearance.
Do you like warm or cool light? Lighting has a specific color temperature, which is measured in degrees Kelvin (K). Simply put, it indicates what kind of radiance the living space is filled with - yellow or blue.
The choice of a specific type of light bulb depends on the effect you want to achieve when decorating your home:
- 2,700 K – warm and soft;
- 2,900 – 3,200 K – golden;
- 3,500 K – neutral;
- 4,000 K – imitation of natural daytime radiation;
- 5,000 K – cold.
Decide on your preferences. If you want to create a rich and warm atmosphere in your apartment or decorate it with works of traditional art, then illumination that imitates candles is the ideal solution. In addition, a modern interior can be perfectly complemented by a cool color temperature.
Daylight creates a warm and cozy atmosphere in the decoration.
Living room by Mark English Architects, AIA
| 2. | Arrange panoramic window decor. |
A view of the natural surroundings will not only wonderfully transform the decoration of the apartment, but also fill it with dazzling sunlight.
Tip: Add windows on the south side of a quaint home to maximize interior light.
Guest salon by Studio Schicketanz
Mirrors will allow you not only to visually increase the area of your apartment, but will also fill the room with dazzling radiance and warmth.
Design by Judith Taylor Designs
In a room with one small window, use a snow-white tint palette. Mirrors on the sides of the window opening will also maximize natural light.
Tip: Buy home decor paint that is highly reflective. Light, shiny shades absorb more shine and make the room appear larger.
Design by Green Canopy Homes
Such illumination will not only add a soft, diffused glow to the decoration, but will also fill the atmosphere with incredible comfort and warmth.
Marine themed living room by Darci Goodman Design
| 6. | Consider age and health factors. |
As people age, they become more sensitive to light, which allows them to see fine details. Table lamps can create a warm and laconic atmosphere, which is perfect for a calm and relaxing holiday.”]
Many people are sensitive to lighting for other reasons: migraines, epilepsy, taking medications.
Tip: use special devices to adjust the shine. Dimmers will help create a unique and incomparable illumination system with different functional areas and illumination levels.
Kitchen by Venegas and Company
Tip: Use multiple light sources to add personality to your apartment space.
Guest lounge by Studio William Hefner
We've presented eight ways to create a stunning ambient lighting system that can add subtlety and creativity to the atmosphere.
Did you like these decor ideas from talented artists? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below...
When photographers talk about lighting, you can often hear such concepts as hard and soft light. Let's figure out what it is and when it is used.
Hard light
A hard color source is most often a point source and has a certain directionality. This is, for example, the sun or a spotlight. An example of a hard light source would be a studio flash with a small reflector if placed at a great distance from the subject being photographed.Hard light allows you to create bright, dramatic portraits. This type of photography creates shadows that are deep and sharp. Sharpness is formed due to the small area of transition from light to shadow. Hard light, which hits the subject at an angle, allows you to convey the texture and character of the surface, but it also has a disadvantage. All skin defects will be clearly visible in the photo.
Working with hard light requires certain skills from the photographer. In particular, you need to be able to “see the light” and accurately install it with further adjustments. You can destroy the beauty of a drawing very easily - just turn your head slightly in any direction. This change will disrupt the composition.
Soft light
It is generally accepted that soft light is absent-minded, but this is not entirely true. It would be more correct to say that the degree of softness of the light will depend on the relative size of the light source when compared to the subject. Also taken into account is how far they are located from each other.What does this mean for a photographer? The fact that from a soft light source under certain conditions you can get hard lighting. This will become possible if the distance between the subject and the light source is many times greater than the size of this source. In this case, they say that the result is almost a point source. This is what a flash is. But how to achieve soft light?
There is an exit. The photographer will be required to increase the radiation area. Thus, the light flux will “spread” over a larger surface, and at the same time the direction of the light will be maintained, which is important.
How can one technically increase the radiation area? The light needs to be reflected from a large surface or passed through a diffusing material. In the first case, you can use a reflection umbrella or a camera with a flash aimed at the ceiling. In the second there is a scrim panel, a softbox, and a frost frame.
What are some examples of soft light? They can serve as a window that does not receive direct sunlight or the sky in cloudy weather.
The image obtained from such a light source has its own characteristics. In this case, the transition from light to shadow becomes more extended. This means that skin defects will become less noticeable during photography.
If you think that taking a portrait in soft lighting is a process that requires studio equipment, then you are wrong. It’s enough just to create the right conditions for shooting, and the simplest solution here is to use the light from the window.