Will moving the light away from the subject make the light harder or softer?

Will moving the light away from the subject make the light harder or softer?

• A. Harder
• B. Softer
• C. No Change
• D. Depends on Diffusion

Answer: (A)

Softness or hardness of light comes from how large the light source appears to the subject. A light that looks big relative to the subject or is very close sends light from many directions and wraps around the subject, creating soft shadows. Move that light farther away, and it looks smaller from the subject’s point of view, becoming more directional and casting sharper, crisper shadows. So, moving the light away makes the light harder. If you’re using diffusion or a large modifier, that can soften the light by increasing the apparent size, but increasing distance generally makes light harder.

Softness or hardness of light comes from how large the light source appears to the subject. A light that looks big relative to the subject or is very close sends light from many directions and wraps around the subject, creating soft shadows. Move that light farther away, and it looks smaller from the subject’s point of view, becoming more directional and casting sharper, crisper shadows. So, moving the light away makes the light harder. If you’re using diffusion or a large modifier, that can soften the light by increasing the apparent size, but increasing distance generally makes light harder.