Light question

[santino]

Do you have any specials (or do you know different techniques) to get very soft light?

 

[miamiglen]

Diffuse the light source with a sheer white tranparent fabric, between the subject and light source. My photography teacher used to cover his flash with a white handkerchief for example. Boucing a flash off a white ceiling makes a pretty soft light. Natural light through a window, diffused by a sheer fabric or curtain is nice too.

 

[santino]

thx a lot!

I know a funny story: A few weeks ago me and my friends were trying to get nice portraits, so we said we need soft light. A friend of mines took his sock off and put it on the light source... it didn't take long, the whole house went dark and the neighbours had called the fire-brigade

I think I should try out your advice

 

[pilgrim]

I use toilet paper over my flash, it works pretty good.

 

[Galaxy_Stranger]

Yeah, I like side-lighting from a window. As far as actual light sources, the larger your light source is the softer the light is that is produced.

Studio flash heads are basically huge flash lights unless you diffuse the light with an umprella or something, but the light is still better than, say, a disposable camera flash because the light source is larger/more powerful.