What are the two main factors that determine the hardness/softness of the source?

What are the two main factors that determine the hardness/softness of the source?

• A. The size of the source relative to the size of the subject, the distance from the source to the subject
• B. The color temperature and the distance from the source to the subject
• C. The shape of the light and the background brightness
• D. The diffuse reflections and ambient light level

Answer: (A)

Hardness or softness comes down to how large the light source appears from the subject. The two levers you control are the physical size of the light and how far away it is. A big light source close to the subject fills a wide area and sends light from many angles, creating shadows with soft, gradual edges. A small light or a light that’s farther away presents a narrow angle of illumination, producing sharp, well-defined shadows. Color temperature or background brightness don’t determine edge sharpness—the key factor is the angular size set by the light’s size and distance.

Hardness or softness comes down to how large the light source appears from the subject. The two levers you control are the physical size of the light and how far away it is. A big light source close to the subject fills a wide area and sends light from many angles, creating shadows with soft, gradual edges. A small light or a light that’s farther away presents a narrow angle of illumination, producing sharp, well-defined shadows. Color temperature or background brightness don’t determine edge sharpness—the key factor is the angular size set by the light’s size and distance.