Exercise 4.10 – Softening the light

For this exercise I’ve borrowed my wife’s daylight lamp and used it in conjunction with a light tent.

Side Light – bare lamp

This image was taken with the light tent folded back and the daylight lamp shining from the Left. No other lights were on in the room and the curtains were closed.

ISO 200, f/29, 1.3 sec

The shadows created by this light don’t help this image.

Side Light – softened

With the light tent erected, the daylight lamp is now softened by the fabric of the tent.

ISO 200, f/29, 4 sec

The harsh shadows have disappeared and the entire image feels softer.

The first image has much more contrast which brings out highlights in the eyes, but the shadows are too hard and cause too much distraction in the background. The second image has lost the hard shadows and so lots of distraction. The sparkle has gone from the eyes and some of the depth has been lost, but there’s a lot more detail to be seen and the girls have become much softer and inviting. Could you fall for a Friesian?

So for this image I think the soft light works better, but this is not a general rule. Each image needs to be judged on its merits and lighting used appropriate to the required outcome.