The easiest way to determine soft or hard lighting. Light in photography

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 adjustment. 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.

Practice without theory is most often a waste of time. Theoretical knowledge of what soft light and hard light are will help you achieve tangible, powerful results, both in studio shooting and in outdoor shooting. After all, everyone knows that lighting is a key point in photography.

We all know from our school curriculum that light can be diffused and directed. In nature, it is easy to observe both of these types of lighting. For example, on a sunny and bright summer day, direct sunlight falls on the ground. If the sky is covered with clouds, then this light will be diffused. And if there are no clouds, then the light of the sun can be called directional. With directional light, the shadow from objects or from a person turns out clear, as if drawn, but in cloudy weather, with diffused light, the shadow will become almost invisible. Although it will be just as light outside.

In an apartment or other room, light sources most often emit direct rays. But when reflected from the floor, ceiling, walls and other large surfaces, these rays are scattered. Why is this happening? The fact is that all these surfaces have roughness, they are uneven. As a result, direct rays hitting them are reflected at different angles. That is why the illumination is softer, more complete. Delicate shadows are “drawn” on the object, and rough transitions from shadows to light details disappear. But light is reflected from the mirror surface in the same directional beam.

As we have already said, light from a studio light source, a powerful spotlight or monoblock, falls on the subject as a directed light flux, as a result, a clear boundary is formed on the object between the shadow and light areas. In order to get away from such sharp boundaries, one old axiom can be applied. It says: the larger the light source in relation to the illuminated surface, the less bright the shadow outline appears. Simply put, if you simply place a table lamp without a lampshade in front of your subject, then a clear shadow of our subject will be visible on a flat wall. If you place a reflector behind the lamp, the light source will seem to increase in area. It will also increase the illumination. Therefore, the shadow of the object will be noticeably softer. And if you place a diffuser between the lamp and the object, for example, a hoop with gauze or other thin white cloth or paper stretched over it (by the way, this is quite dangerous, since the strong heat from the lamp can cause the paper to flare up) - then the shadow on the background will practically disappear.

Another option. The object is located near the window. It is clear that the light source - the window - is very large. The light “emitted” by it is diffused and soft (this effect will be enhanced by the tulle on the window). As a result, the shadow of the object turns out blurry, soft, and unsharp. But if we move the object away from the window and move it towards the background, the shadow will become much denser and its outline sharper and clearer. That is why, in order to smooth out the unevenness of the skin of the person being portrayed, to soften and make expressive the transitions from light to shadow on his face, they resort to diffused light. How to get it, how to make it different - we told you today.

Now you probably understand that diffused light almost completely eliminates harsh and rough shadows, and a directed light flux focuses attention on areas of the object that are different in tone. In this case, the photograph turns out to be more textured, and if it is a portrait, the facial features of the person being portrayed become much more expressive. That’s why we recommend shooting portraits of men with harder light, and for women, just the opposite, with soft, diffused light. Sometimes you can see them in clubs with large softboxes. Softboxes allow you to make a photo softer, soften unnecessary external facial defects, make your skin smoother, and even when used correctly, can hide wrinkles.

Through the half-open door of the office, Argentine tango could be heard, sometimes interrupted by the sounds of car horns coming from the streets of Buenos Aires, joyful children's screams, and the fast and loud conversation of passers-by. It was getting dark, people were hurrying home, or on a visit, maybe to a concert... Store windows were lit up with bright lamps, neon names lit up above the entrances to restaurants. The beginning of an ordinary big city evening.
In the office, on a carved desk, there was a lit lamp, filling the room with soft, diffused light...

……………………………………..Soft diffused light……………………………………..

The sun was rising over Rhineland-Palatinate. Here it illuminated the still dormant spruce forests of the Pfalzer Wald, the birds began to sing, congratulating each other on a new wonderful day, the squirrels crawled out of their hollow houses. The baby squirrels began to rush around in a spiral, trying to catch each other by the tail, and the older squirrels gradually descended to the ground strewn with needles, in search of fallen cones and mushrooms. The sun, having had a good laugh at the forest dwellers, set off further on its journey and pierced the waters of the gray Rhine with its rays. From the depths of the river, thousands of fish rose towards the luminary, and after a while it began to seem that the great Rhine was cast in silver. And this silver played, jumping out of the river into the air, splashing into the running waves, and the splashes of water seemed like precious stones from the caves of the Eifel mountains.

The sun's rays finally broke away from the water surface, running along the steps of the embankment behind the Cathedral of Saints Martin and Stephen, burst into the streets and squares of the city of Mainz, which immediately shone with cleanly washed glass windows of residential buildings, shop windows and stained glass windows of the cathedral. Magnificent Mainz, known as Mogontiacum during the Roman Empire, with a Roman basilica, the home of the pioneer printer Guttenberg and a Cathedral that rivals Cologne in its impact on all who see it. A city of centuries-old culture, peace and tranquility, disturbed only by the cry of seagulls and the whistles of steamships coming from the Rhine.

But the luminary did not stop there. It tried to enter the apartments through drawn curtains and lowered blinds, so that, waking up the residents, they could hear their enthusiastic words about its power and beauty. And so, having found a small crack between the closed curtains on one window of the third floor of an ancient building, it carefully entered the room where a little girl was sleeping on a wooden bed, hugging a teddy bear with a worn leather nose. Brown strands of hair were scattered across the pillow, thick black eyelashes framed her tightly closed eyes. The sun's rays began to run across the sleeping girl's face and, lifting one eyelash after another, woke her up.

The girl wrinkled her nose and rubbed her eyes with her fists, opened it and laughed joyfully, seeing how the curtains glowed in the rays of the morning sun, how the rare specks of dust in the air turned golden. She got out from under the blanket and ran barefoot to the window. She pulled back the curtains, and a stream of bright light poured into her face. The girl closed her dark green eyes for a moment, but then opened them towards this light and looked out the window. And she laughed again with the cheerful childish laughter that one laughs when unwrapping colored paper on a much-awaited gift. But this day was a gift for the girl! No! It was going to be a feast! A bright day off, which she will spend with her parents, walking through the streets of Mainz, its squares, squares and parks! Walk! But first we need to wake up these “loungers”! And she ran to her parents' bedroom.

The girl opened the door and looked through the crack. Her parents snorted in their sleep, and her dad even snored lightly, and his wheat mustache rose in time with his breathing. Quietly, tiptoeing into the room, she began to creep up to the bed, barely holding back her laughter and imagining how now, imitating the clock on the Cathedral, she would loudly say: “Bam-zemmm! Bam-zammmm!”, and her mom and dad will jump up in surprise, and then laugh merrily at how they were tricked. She crept very close to her parents and was just about to “ring the clock,” when dad, roaring like a “tiger,” grabbed her hand and dragged her onto the bed. The girl began, laughing, to escape from the embrace of the mustachioed “predator,” but he was stronger and did not let her out of his “paws.” “Mommy, please become a panther!” - the girl screamed. And the mother became a “panther” - a savior, and after a small fight with the “tiger” she freed her daughter. "More! More!" - the woman freed from “captivity” demanded, but her mother said: “That’s enough for today, Esther. We need to feed the “tiger”, have breakfast ourselves and go for a walk, and then we will go to visit Aunt Frida and Uncle Solomon! "Hurray!" - Esther shouted and, jumping on one leg, ran off to wash herself.

And an hour later, when the family had breakfast, Esther's feast began. The streets of Mainz greeted the girl and her parents with smiles from passers-by, friendly handshakes from friends and acquaintances, and a strip of flour from the hand of a cheerful baker on Esther’s nose after visiting the bakery. Dad and mom walked decorously arm in arm towards the Cathedral, and the minx ran ahead, laughing and dancing in the rays of the sun, finishing the pretzel, throwing crumbs to the ubiquitous sparrows.

The cathedral towered over Esther like an ancient impregnable castle. And she began, as she had done many times before, to imagine herself as a little fairy who had been imprisoned in this castle by a formidable wizard. But can evil keep a fairy? No, of course not! Because, very soon, a huge kind dragon will arrive, in which the spirit of a brave knight is embodied. The dragon, sparkling with magical scales, will fly around the castle, examining it with its amber eyes, in search of a fairy, and, having found it, will emit a loud roar that will frighten the formidable wizard so much that he will burst from fear! It serves him right! And the fairy and the dragon will fly away to the mysterious Black Forest and live in a hut there! And Esther laughed cheerfully, painting in her mind a picture of how the dragon would climb into the hut, not knowing what to do with its tail!

Esther's feast continued in the Old Town with its half-timbered houses, swans in an artificial lake, which she fed from her hand, and beautiful birds offered their necks for caress. Finally, the whole family came to the house of Aunt Frieda and Uncle Solomon in a cheerful mood. How Esther loved to be in this spacious, bright apartment, diagonally across the street from her house. The walls were covered with photographs of relatives, serious or smiling, of different ages, but in almost the same poses - sitting with books in their hands; standing thoughtfully, leaning on the bureau; at the family table with candles and cups of coffee. Most of all, Esther liked the large round portrait, which depicted her great-grandmother and young Aunt Frida. A great-grandmother with gray hair like a harrier, a kind, understanding look, with a large cameo on her formal dress. And young Aunt Frida - in a sailor suit, very beautiful, but with anxious eyes... Now Aunt Frida was at a respectable age, retaining her impetuosity of movements, lightness of step, clarity of mind and an extraordinary sense of humor. She met her relatives in dark blue satin loose-fitting trousers and the same jacket with a turtleneck. On the jacket was embroidered with brown threads a design depicting ducks in the reeds and a Chinese man in a straw hat walking along a bridge over a pond. Esther's mother said that Aunt Frieda felt "chic"!

Aunt Frida opened the door and shouted: “Soli, look who came to us!” Leave your cards alone! Our little star has arrived! And her hungry parents, I hope!” “I’m hungry too!” - said Esther. Everyone laughed and entered the apartment. The door from the office opened, first the belly appeared, and then Uncle Solomon himself, the most famous preference specialist in the city. His pince-nez was pushed to the very tip of his nose, his eyes smiled slyly. Waving his hand in greeting to Esther’s parents, he picked up and threw the girl up to the ceiling, kissed her on the cheek, saying in a whisper in her ear: “Don’t tell anyone! A big secret! Frida baked teiglach for your arrival!” “Hurray, hurray!” Esther shouted, “there will be a teiglach!” But it’s a big secret!” And with this “secret” everyone went to the dining room.

Tired of a long walk around Mainz and sitting at a table with goodies, Esther slept on a leather sofa, covered with a blanket. The adults drank coffee and talked about their plans, about new opera productions in Frankfurt, about the bright future of Germany that Adolf Hitler promised. It became dark outside the window, the father took Esther in his arms, and after a short goodbye, he carried her across the street home. Mom undressed the girl and put her to bed. The parents watched Esther sniffle for several minutes, then the father hugged the mother’s waist and they went into their bedroom.

Clouds flew over Mainz, it rained, alternated between snow and sun. Days flew by, turning into months and years. But after three years, a huge switch turned on. With a grinding sound, it began to turn around its axis and, having passed the dead center, clicked. And the heavenly light went out...

No no! The sun rose as before every fine morning over Mainz. But can the sun's rays replace happiness, peace of mind, and a feeling of joy? The sun enhances human perceptions, the night brings the delights of love, and the rain brings peace. Let there be a moonless night, let the cold rain beat on the windows. The clouds will disperse, and the beautiful Moon will appear, the rain will stop, and the aromas of flowers or fallen autumn leaves will fill the air... The darkness is impenetrable, threatening and merciless.
Darkness destroys a person, taking away spiritual strength, depriving him of the future, and, like a quagmire, it pulls him deeper and deeper into himself, pours into his mouth open in the last cry, and sucks out the last crumbs of air. Everyone who is deprived of everyday joys, happy moments, love and participation is doomed to slow decline. The breathing of living people begins to turn into Cheyne-Stock breathing, but they notice it at the very last moment.

Two weeks ago, darkness began to pull Esther's family into itself with the inexorability of an executioner tying a victim of the Inquisition to the wheel. Little Esther, still feeling protected by her mother and father, received a second severe blow in the morning, which she could not have withstood alone. When Esther woke up and ran into the living room to greet her parents, he saw her mother sewing a yellow six-pointed star onto her coat. “Mom, dad, I’m your star! Yes?! I am a star! I am a star!!” - and she began to spin in some kind of dance known only to her. But her mother, a charming, affectionate, peach-colored young woman who had passed on all her beauty to her daughter, dropped her head into her hands and burst into tears. Esther stopped and ran up to her: “Mom, mom, why are you crying?” She looked at dad, and with fear she saw tears in his eyes. And then, Esther noticed his jacket hanging on the chair with the same yellow six-pointed star as on her coat and the black inscription “JUDE”. Rejoicing at the morning meeting with her parents, and stunned by the star sewn on her coat, the girl did not notice this deadly designation. Esther wanted to live in love, to be protected by her parents, and to have a childhood, not a designation.

“But, daddy, you’re not a Jew, you’re a German!” Why did your mother sew a star on you too? For what?!" - Esther began to scream, fear creeping into the girl’s soul more and more. The father picked Esther up in his arms, pressed her to his chest, and, looking into his eyes, hoarsely said: “Yes, Esther, I am a German... Yes, a German! But, I am not a traitor to my wife and daughter! We came to these stars hand in hand, and we will go with them together...” The father wanted to say something else, but his voice stopped, his face turned pale, and he sank onto the sofa. “Oh my God, dear, what’s wrong with you?! - Mom screamed - Esther, it’s a heart attack! Wet the towel with cold water and bring it quickly! Dear, you and I, we are all together... Come on, lie down... You see, Esther has already brought a towel, let’s put it on your heart, and you will feel better...”

Esther sat with her mother by the sofa and looked at her sleeping father. His face turned pink, the attack passed, but his breathing was restless, he moaned. Mom held dad's hand and stroked his hand. Esther looked at her father’s large and once strong hand and thought: “Will dad be able to keep his word - We won’t let you be hurt! - which he gave her just a month ago? Will he be able to? And the memories of that terrible day came flooding back with renewed vigor -

On the eve of her birthday, Esther went to bed later than usual. She couldn’t fall asleep for a long time, tossing and turning, trying to guess what her parents would give her, what jokes Aunt Frieda and Uncle Solomon would show, what kind of cake the pastry chef Helmut, their housemate, would make. Esther stood up, picked up the teddy bear from the chair, and climbed under the blanket with it. The girl’s eyes began to stick together, she took a deep breath and fell asleep... And Esther had a wonderful dream - she was standing at the window, behind which there was a clear, clear starry sky... The huge Moon was shining, filling the street with blue, and crystal rain was falling from above, and crystal droplets with melodic They hit the pavement with a ringing sound, jump up, collide with each other, and the ringing sound intensifies... And then the gnomes from the Eifel caves appear, carrying brightly burning torches in their hands. And the light is reflected in thousands of lenses and it seems that the whole street begins to burn in a magical flame.

When the dull November morning woke Esther, she lay in bed for a long time, afraid of ruining the joyful impression of the dream, and... Only when the sun's rays hesitantly made their way through the clouds did she get up and run to the window. “It was really raining crystal!” - Esther said joyfully and was about to run and tell mom and dad about this, when her heart sank and began to beat very quickly. And a hitherto unfamiliar fear arose in him.

The sun's rays reflected from the huge amount of broken window glass littering the street. The windows of the houses gaped with black gaps, like toothless mouths, bared in a terrible scream. One of the buildings burned out completely, and the fire covered the neighboring facades with soot. Esther turned her gaze to the house of Aunt Frieda and Uncle Solomon and what she saw made her recoil from the window. Aunt Frida was lying on the pavement. A dark puddle blurred under her head, her pose resembled an unwanted rag doll thrown into a landfill, her head was turned so unnaturally, and three steps from Aunt Frida’s body, leaning against the wall, sat Uncle Solomon. His head hung on his chest, his arms hung along his body, which was wrapped in some kind of cloth. Esther looked closely and realized what kind of fabric was wrapped around Uncle Solomon. It was a Torah scroll.

Frightened by what she saw, Esther was about to run to her parents when the door opened and they entered her room. Mom's face was white as paper, and her eyes were red from tears. Dad squatted in front of Esther, stroking her hand and said: “As long as we are together, daughter, don’t be afraid of anything... We won’t let you be hurt... We won’t let you…” Dad’s voice became muffled, he kissed Esther on the forehead, and left the room. And mother and Esther sat on the bed, hugged each other and sat for a long time, listening to city workers on the street removing glass and loading it onto cars.

Esther woke up from her memories when she heard her mother's voice. She was talking to her dad, who was reclining on the sofa, embarrassed by his unexpected weakness. “Dear, if you feel better tomorrow, we will all go to the park together. Esther needs to go for a walk; fresh air improves health and contributes to the development of the child’s abilities. Besides...We cannot show our fear, or weakness...We are ready for anything. Darling, what do you think?” - Mom tried to speak in a cheerful voice, but Esther felt uncertainty in the last question. The father looked carefully at his beloved wife, Esther, and replied: “We are ready for anything...Are we ready for the fact that they will spit on us?!”

That evening Esther went to bed with her parents. She couldn’t fall asleep for a long time, but then her eyelids closed, her breathing calmed down, she fell asleep and had a dream:

Esther sat by the window of the castle and looked into the night sky... The stars shone with a bright cold light, twinkled, winking at each other. Esther peered into the extraordinary beautiful depths of the sky, but it was not the distant luminaries that interested her at that moment. There, high, high, far, far away, a dragon sparkling with scales was flying, with amber eyes... The dragon was in a hurry to help Esther, because she was a fairy, locked by an evil, despicable magician in this huge, scary castle. And then the dragon appeared in all its glory, it flew closer and closer. Now he will save her! Dragon, I'm here! And suddenly, the dragon’s eyes became dull, indifferent... He made a circle above the castle and began to rise higher... higher... back to his distant starry home... Dragon! The Dragon! Why did you leave me alone in this terrible place?! Esther rushed down the huge marble staircase, and, running past the crystal mirror, she saw her reflection. She stood dressed in a blue, airy dress and blue shoes. Her hair shone in the light of the torches, her emerald-colored eyes were wide open in surprise, and a sapphire bracelet, a gift from Aunt Frida, emphasized the peach color of the skin on her arm. Why did the dragon fly away? And at that moment a yellow star with the black inscription “JUDE” sparkled on Esther’s chest -

Esther woke up crying. She understood why the dragon flew away. The dragon rushed to the aid of the fairy, but how could she be a “JUDE”? And the dragon saw no one... And Esther clearly understood that she would never be a fairy again... That the dragon flew away forever. And that now she is forever – “JUDE”. Childhood is over.

A cold wind blew fallen leaves through the streets of Mainz, forced passers-by to raise the collars of their coats and jackets, and rainwater rolled down in large drops from Guttenberg’s bronze eye sockets, resembling tears. But maybe these were really tears for thousands and thousands of blazing books in the fires of madmen? And the Darkness thickened more and more over this city, taking on more and more rough forms of existence for Esther and her parents.

Three years later, the huge switch grinded again. There was an eerie clicking sound, and the Darkness was lit up with crimson tongues of monstrous flame. This fire did not make it brighter, and this fire did not provide warmth. And the Darkness thickened more and more, and a deadly cold wafted from it. Both this flame and the deadly cold were harbingers of Hell rising from the depths of Darkness.

The wind rocked the body of the boy hanging in the noose of the gallows installed on the parade ground. The head leaned unnaturally on the shoulder, the face turned blue, and the tongue stuck out. His hands, neatly bandaged at the wrists, hung limply along his exhausted body. A few seconds ago, the boy was fighting for his life, performing a terrible dance on the gallows, as if saying: “Yesterday I was not allowed to die, as I wanted, and today I do not want to die, as you want. I am human". He continued to fight death until the SS man, surprised by his desire to live, pressed his huge palms on his shoulders. There was a crunch of vertebrae, and the child’s life was cut short. A man in a white robe draped over his SS uniform looked him in the face and waved his hand. The demonstration execution is over. At the command of the guards, the children standing in a line turned around and headed towards the barracks in a column. Wooden clogs, like an ominous metronome, tapped out steps, the rhythm of which was constantly lost, and the guards reacted to this with angry short commands, the sound of which made the children cower in anticipation of a blow with the butt of a carbine, or a whip. The Rottweilers began to break from their leashes with ferocious barks, and the soldiers laughed and scared the children, letting go of the leashes so that the huge dogs could reach and jerk with their powerful fangs at the child.

Esther walked in the column and cried. She cried silently, restraining herself so as not to burst into tears, like in a cattle car, when she, dad and mom were being taken to nowhere. When her dad, her beloved dad, no matter how hard he tried, could not protect his daughter from the horrors of death, from the sounds of butcher hooks piercing the flesh of those who died from exhaustion, and heart attacks of people in order to drag them to the edge of the carriage and throw them onto the railway embankment, when her beloved father, pressed her to his coat so that she would not see how a young man strangled his two children, his wife, and hanged himself on a “forgotten” hook driven into the wall of the carriage. When dad suddenly wheezed, his face first turned red, then turned blue, he fell on the dirty floor and began beating against it with his arms and legs, and then he stretched out and fell silent. Esther remembered how she screamed, “Daddy, get up! Daddy it's dirty here! Mom, do something! What’s wrong with dad?”, and heard in response: “Your father died, girl.” And in the faint light falling from the vent right near the ceiling, Esther saw a gray-haired, old woman with an absent look and a frozen face... And then the old rabbi hugged Esther and began to read a prayer... and she cried and could not stop, and her mother stood indifferently and I looked. Where she looked and what she saw, Esther never knew...

“Why do I cry, but other children don’t cry? – Esther thought, looking into the devastated eyes of her neighbors in the barracks. “Maybe because they feed me better?” When Uncle Gunther brings me a roll and milk in the evening, I will refuse!” Having made this decision, Esther felt better, her tears dried up... In the evening, Uncle Gunther, as Esther called the man in a white robe present at the execution, came and brought bread and a mug of milk. He called her out of the barracks and began to wait, looking indifferently at the girl. "I will not eat!" - Esther said. trying to catch the SS man's eye. What Esther said did not immediately reach his understanding, and when he understood, his face was distorted with a grimace of hatred. A hand pressed in a strong grip on Esther's shoulder. “Eat, you crap, what they give you!” - Gunther's voice did not bode well. She screamed in pain, and Gunther, in a strange fright, pulled his hand away. He turned away Esther's striped jacket with a yellow star and made sure there were no bruises. “You were on the parade ground today. You saw the boy die. Do you want to get into a noose? - the SS man asked calmly. Esther shook her head, realizing that her resolve was evaporating. She took the food and began to eat, mixing bread and milk with her tears. When Esther swallowed the last piece of bread, Gunther took the empty mug and said: “I will tell Aunt Elsa that you are obedient. She will be pleased with you. Go to sleep"

--
Esther lay down and tried to sleep. During these little over four months of life in the concentration camp, she had already become accustomed to the nightly groans, sobs, and crying of children in the barracks. Esther looked at the neighboring bunks, where two days ago a girl from Austria was lying, with whom she really wanted to make friends. When Esther told her about this, the girl looked at her with sad eyes and replied that they could not be friends. "But why?! – Esther asked worriedly. “You don’t like me?” We are lying next to each other. How much can we tell each other!” “There’s so much you can tell... - Esther’s bunk neighbor repeated – Esther, Esther... we can’t tell anything... I’ll soon die.” And with these words the girl turned her face to the wall and fell silent. And yesterday she did not return from the hospital building, and almost all the children who were taken there did not return, just as many have not returned during this time.

Esther remembered how the train that had been carrying Jews from Mainz for so long arrived at the station. Everything repeated: commands, dogs barking. But here they were all forced to get out of the cars. She tried to be closer to her mother, to take her hand, but she pushed her daughter away, her face was frighteningly alien. SS men walked between the rows of people lined up along the already closed carriages and pulled men, women and children out of them. When the sorting was completed, commands were heard, and the girl saw her mother scurry about unusually, pressing her hands, clenched into fists, to her chest. Through tears, Esther watched as the column in which her mother was running was taken further and further until she disappeared behind the gate. “Where were they taken? Why were we all separated? Why were the other children left with their parents?” - She asked these questions to the young woman standing next to her. She looked at Esther in bewilderment: “Didn’t you hear? They were taken to the showers for sanitation. Why without us, without you...I don’t know..."

Another joyless morning has dawned, of which there have already been many. Esther lost count, realizing its uselessness. For some minutes the sun peered in through the small window of the barracks. Rays of soft, diffused light illuminated the gloomy interior of Esther’s terrible shelter. They illuminated and disappeared, as if they were afraid of what they had to see again.

The doors to the barracks opened, two men in striped camp robes with yellow six-pointed stars on the chest brought in a cauldron of boiled rutabaga and pieces of moldy bread. The children got up from their bunks and lined up for what could hardly be called food. Esther did not approach them. She must wait for Gunther.

When Esther finished the bread, washing it down with milk, the children had already been taken away. The girl sat on a bunk all alone in the dead silence of the barracks. “Why am I fed better, why didn’t I get a tattoo with a number on my arm, where is my mother?” - questions arose in her head in a continuous and familiar sequence. Esther received no answers, and there was no one to ask. The only thing that began to brighten up the gray days was the appearance of Aunt Elsa.

Aunt Elsa - this is the name Esther heard from Gunther as soon as he singled her out from the many children scared to death standing in line for a tattoo. The tenacious gaze of a tall man with a pale face, gray, unkind, attentive eyes and a sharp nose made Esther shrink. A chill ran through the girl's body. She extended her left hand to the SS man sitting at a table on which needles were laid out and a cup of blue paint stood, but Gunther put his large hand on his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. The SS man glanced casually at Esther and nodded his head in understanding.

Gunther pushed Esther out of the barracks and, looking over the girl’s head, explained that she was lucky. I was lucky in a way that others can only dream of. Esther became interested in Aunt Elsa, a very good doctor and a kind woman, but, in turn, Esther must be an obedient girl and follow all her instructions. Aunt Elsa herself will return to camp after resting in about two weeks, and Esther must eat well all this time and obey him - Gunther.

Neither two weeks nor three months later Aunt Elsa arrived. But a week ago, when Esther, in her usual solitude, was sitting in the barracks, trying not to remember the bright days of her childhood filled with happiness and love... Driving away thoughts of swans on the pond in Mainz, dad’s kind and strong hands, mom’s joyful laughter and so on Aunt Frida's delicious teiglach, when the door swung open and a young, slender brown-haired woman in a white robe literally burst into the barracks.

“Where is my Esther?!” Where is my girl?! – the woman shouted cheerfully, “Are you Esther?!” She walked up to the girl with a light step, who jumped up from her bunk when she appeared, grabbed Esther by the hand and spun her around. "Amazing! Just great! - Aunt Elsa continued to speak loudly, as Esther understood - Gunther is great! You know, Esther...No, I will call you Peach! Did you like peaches? Gunther is happy with you! True, there was one case when you decided not to listen to him... But you won’t make mistakes again?! I'm right?!" The woman’s face became stern at these words and Esther hastened to agree. “That's right, Peach! I'm glad you understood me! - said Aunt Elsa, “And since it so happened that we immediately liked each other, I allow you to tell me what you want most!” “I want to meet my mother!” - Esther answered without hesitation, looking hopefully into the blue eyes of the female doctor.

“To meet my mother...” Aunt Elsa repeated in bewilderment and, throwing back her head, laughed. Her sharp laughter, reminiscent of the cry of a night bird, seemed to break the silence of the barracks. “Of course you will meet mom! I can even promise you that, Peach!” - the woman said confidently, smiling at her thoughts at these words. Esther believed this young, pretty woman who was so kind to her, and smiled, feeling a glimmer of hope for something reminiscent of the joy in the past.

From that day on, time flew faster, Gunther picked up Esther and took the girl to Aunt Elsa, to her office, in a long one-story building, located not far from the barracks. The building was white, with two entrances to it. Esther entered through the door at the front façade of the hospital, as indicated by the red cross on the sign, and the other wide doors through which children were led were located at the end.

Aunt Elsa greeted the girl with a constant smile, treated her to cookies, and then Gunther weighed her on the scales and gave her an injection, from which Esther experienced unpleasant and painful sensations, but endured it, remembering her promise not to make mistakes. On the instructions of the female doctor, Esther took a shower every day, after which her skin was treated with some kind of liquid. And Esther’s skin became softer each time, and her color began to acquire a brighter peach hue. Aunt Elsa became more and more cheerful with each medical examination, joked with Gunther, and affectionately nudged Esther. And yesterday Esther took advantage of the woman’s cheerful mood and asked her: “Aunt Elsa, you promised me that I would meet my mother... When will this be possible?” Gunther glanced quickly at the doctor, but she calmly replied: “Peach, I have never deceived anyone, not even people like you... You will meet your mother on the day when I myself come to pick you up in the morning. This day will be our common holiday. Now Gunther will take you to the barracks. I need to think about this holiday."

The door to the barracks opened, and Esther saw the silhouette of Aunt Elsa. “She came for me today! Today is a holiday and I will see my mother!” - Esther thought joyfully. The woman took a few steps towards the girl and extended her hand. “Come with me, Peach, it’s time for you to meet your mother,” the female doctor’s voice sounded muffled. Esther ran up to her and grabbed her outstretched hand: “Today, right? Will I meet my mom today?! Where is she, why didn’t she come with you, Aunt Elsa?!” - the woman’s hand clenched, and Esther felt pain, but the girl did not pay attention to it. She longed for a meeting that could turn her whole life around and return happiness to her heart. The doctor ran her tongue over her lips, her pupils dilated, her eyes turned from blue to almost black: “Peach! Your mother is waiting for you at the hospital, let’s go quickly!” She almost dragged Esther with her out of the barracks. The sun hit the girl’s eyes, she closed them, and when she opened them, she saw how the world around her had changed in an instant. Everything remained in its place - the towers around the perimeter of the camp, the smoking chimney of the crematorium, the barracks painted gray. But the colors became brighter, more welcoming, the spring sun warmed stronger, and her mother was waiting for her at the hospital... “Why is mom in the hospital? – Esther became worried. “Is she sick?” “What are you talking about, Peach, your mom can’t get sick! - Aunt Elsa said confidently, “He can’t do it anymore...” Esther didn’t catch the sarcasm of the last words, and could she even do it?

The girl and the female doctor walked side by side to the hospital building. A security guard with a huge Rottweiler on a leash was walking towards them. And when the Rottweiler passed by Esther, he suddenly sat down on his hind legs and, looking at the girl, howled heart-rendingly. The SS man silently pulled the leash, the dog stopped howling, and walked next to the owner, looking back at Esther and the doctor.

Esther began to experience anxiety, the reason for which she could not find. After all, everything was going well. Now, in a minute she will meet her mother. But why did the dog howl like that? Aunt Frida once said that dogs howl to death. Why meet at the hospital if mom is not sick? Why is Aunt Elsa so nervous, squeezing her hand more and more tightly? "It hurts me!" - Esther couldn’t stand it. “Are you hurt, Peach?!” – the doctor asked in a strange, dull voice. “But what do you know about pain?” About real pain?! Let's go, Peach! Today is our holiday!”

They approached the end entrance of the hospital building, Aunt Elsa opened the door and pushed Esther inside. Esther saw a long corridor, with walls painted white and doors of the same white color. Sterile cleanliness reigned here. It was unusually quiet. And Esther was afraid. No, she began to feel afraid of this corridor along which she had to walk. And suddenly the girl realized that her mother was not here. Otherwise, she would have already run towards her to hug her. “My mother is not here...” said Esther. "Why did you decide so?" - Aunt Elsa asked her. “Mom isn’t here! My mom is not here!!” - Esther shouted. “Shut up, you vile creature!” – a harsh voice and thrown words that had never been heard before only frightened the girl even more. "I'm not going anywhere! I want to go back to the barracks! Mom isn’t here!” - Esther began to pull her hand away, trying to free herself and run away to hide in the barracks. “You're ruining my holiday! You're ruining the holiday! You're ruining the holiday! - and after each phrase, heavy blows began to fall on Esther’s face, skillfully inflicted by an experienced hand. Esther's nose and ears began to bleed and she began to lose consciousness. The woman picked her up and carried her to the far end of the corridor. Esther's head dangled from side to side like a rag doll, she saw only the white ceiling of this terrible corridor, and then everything disappeared...

“Gunther! Gunther, open the door, she's here! - the SS woman shouted. Her face turned pale and twitched, her breathing became ragged. The heavy, felt-lined door swung open, and the woman handed Esther into Gunther’s hands. “Punish her, this trash!” - Elsa screamed. The second man, dressed in a butcher's apron over a white coat, shuddered and put aside the syringe with anesthesia. Gunther undressed Esther, who had not regained consciousness, and placed the girl on a stainless steel table, vaguely reminiscent of an operating room. The surgical lamp flashed brightly and the door to the corridor closed tightly.

Complete silence reigned in the empty corridor... And it reigned for a long time, it seemed like an eternity. And suddenly, in this sterile corridor, in this complete silence, the sound of a bell was heard. It was anxious, indecisive, reminiscent of the cry of a child. But, immediately, many other bells began to ring... There were more and more of them, and that first bell could no longer be heard. And then everything went quiet. What was it? Has Esther's soul united with the souls of many children who have passed along this corridor before her? Or were these the souls of all the people killed in different ways in different places? Only one thing is clear - little Esther’s soul has found its peace.

In a distant country, in the study of a huge apartment, where the sounds of Argentine tango could be heard from the street, a table lamp was switched on and off. An old woman's hand turned it on and off. The woman's blue eyes, faded with time, looked at the lamp with a strange, almost loving feeling. When the lamp flashed, the room was illuminated with soft, diffused light. And this warm light was provided by a lampshade made of the finest leather of a rare peach shade. Esther's skin.

This article will discuss the concepts of “hard” and “soft” light, the features of their production and scope of application.

Light is the most important component in photography and the main tool of the photographer. In most cases, the quality of photographs greatly depends on the photographer's understanding and ability to create the necessary lighting. Light has many characteristics - brightness, temperature, wavelength... Among photographers you can often hear the terms “hard” and “soft” light, especially in portrait photography, how can this be?, because you won’t be able to touch the light. Let's find out!

The concepts of “hard” and “soft” light are relative and the same light source, in different shooting conditions, can be both hard and soft. On what parameters then does the light depend? Let's look at some illustrative examples made on 3D models.

The main difference between hard light and soft light is the transition gradient between light and shadow areas. If you look at the places circled in red, you will see that on the face on the left the illuminated part ends abruptly and turns into shadow, while on the face on the right the transition from the light to the shadow area is smoother.

Now let's move from the three-dimensional model to the real one:

In a photo with hard light, the shadow turned out to be clearly defined, with sharp boundaries, while in a photo with soft light, the shadow is more blurry and the transition from light to dark (shadow) is much softer and almost unnoticeable. As you may have noticed, photography with soft light looks more attractive, so it is believed that portraits using soft light as the main source look better (if you are photographing a girl, shoot with soft light).

Now let's look at hard and soft light using the example of a baseball.

I hope you can easily determine in which case the photo was taken with hard light and in which with soft light (above - hard light, below - soft light).

Factors affecting the type of light

The size of the light source relative to the size of the object being photographed;

The distance from the light source to the subject.

If you photograph a person's face in the light of an incandescent light bulb, the light will turn out to be harsh because the light bulb is smaller than the person's face. The sun on a clear day is also a harsh light source (and a big problem for the photographer), even despite its enormous size, since it is very far away relative to the subject being photographed.

If the sky is overcast, the light will be soft, since sunlight passing through the clouds will be scattered. For the size of the light source in this case, we will no longer take the sun as such, but the clouds that scatter directed sunlight. Clouds are much smaller than the surface of the sun, but are much closer to the subject (which is why photographers rejoice when it's cloudy outside).

Hard light can be used for textured “male portraits”, as well as in cases where it is necessary to emphasize the texture and relief of the subject.

The use of hard light brought out the texture of the skin, while the deep shadows added contrast and drama to the photos. Now let's see what happens if we photograph a girl with hard light.

I took this photo when I was just starting to take up photography, using one light source - a flash, which conveyed the texture of the stone wall well, but the shadows on the girl’s face do not look very beautiful (if you are a beginner photographer, try to avoid taking portraits of girls with hard light, they you won't be forgiven for this =)

In the following photos, hard light helped highlight the texture of the jewelry and cosmetics, as well as show off the texture of the leather of the handbag.

But what to do if using hard light is not desirable, how to soften it?

Ways to soften the light

- light scattering. Any translucent object is suitable for this; place it between the subject and the light source. Photographers use umbrellas for light and reflection, softboxes, octaboxes, diffusers (sold together with reflectors), but it can also be a sheet, a curtain, anything that can diffuse light;

- light reflection. Position your subject so that only reflected light hits it. This is why photographers shoot indoors by pointing the flash at the ceiling.

It must be taken into account that when softening the light by scattering or reflection, a significant part of it is lost and the illumination of the subject will decrease, as a result of which it is necessary to make adjustments to the shooting parameters (increase the power of the light source or increase the shutter speed, open the aperture, increase ISO).

What features does soft light have? In contrast to hard, it hides flaws and defects of the surface being removed well, makes the model’s skin more attractive, and makes the transition between the shadow and light areas more invisible.

And finally, examples of our photographs with soft light:

Good luck with your shots!

Next >

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. On 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: