If a light source is moved from 1 meter to 60 feet away, what adjustment is needed to preserve the same lighting quality?

If a light source is moved from 1 meter to 60 feet away, what adjustment is needed to preserve the same lighting quality?

• A. A Much Larger Source and More Light
• B. Decrease Light Output and Keep Same Size
• C. Use a Smaller Diffusion Panel
• D. Keep Distance and Size the Same

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that light quality changes with distance, and you have to compensate when you move the light far away. Moving a light from 1 meter to about 18 meters (60 feet) makes the light much dimmer on the subject because intensity falls with the square of the distance. To keep the same exposure, you need a big boost in light output. At the same time, backing up makes the light source appear smaller relative to the subject, which would make the light harsher unless you also increase its apparent size. So the best approach is to use a much larger light source and more light to maintain both the brightness and the soft, wrap-around quality of the illumination. The other options either reduce brightness further, don’t address the softness by increasing apparent size, or keep the distance and size the same, which would not preserve the original lighting.

The main idea is that light quality changes with distance, and you have to compensate when you move the light far away. Moving a light from 1 meter to about 18 meters (60 feet) makes the light much dimmer on the subject because intensity falls with the square of the distance. To keep the same exposure, you need a big boost in light output. At the same time, backing up makes the light source appear smaller relative to the subject, which would make the light harsher unless you also increase its apparent size. So the best approach is to use a much larger light source and more light to maintain both the brightness and the soft, wrap-around quality of the illumination. The other options either reduce brightness further, don’t address the softness by increasing apparent size, or keep the distance and size the same, which would not preserve the original lighting.