# Example of soft lighting for portrait



## Dick Sanders (Dec 28, 2008)

A question that comes up fairly often is how to get soft lighting for portraits. And you see a lot of "portrait lighting kits" that consist mainly of bounce umbrellas. But just bouncing light off a reflective umbrella won't give you soft light.To get really nice soft lighting for portraits, you need three layers of diffusion. Even shoot-thru umbrellas give you only 1 layer. 

For the "senior portrait" shown here I used a 4x7 foot light panel with translucent diffusion material stretched over it. Behind that, I positioned a strobe head with a 12 inch reflector that also had a diffusion disc on the front of it. Finally, I draped an additional piece of translucent white fabric over the panel. That's 3 layers of diffusion. I also used a 20 x 30 inch piece of white foamcore on the opposite side to reflect light back onto the subject. Very simple setup. 

Keep in mind, I intentionally made this dark and moody with just the one light and reflector. But I could have easily used more lights to highlight the hair and/or brighten the background. 







Another type of soft lighting I use consists of a 36 inch softbox, in which I've reversed the strobe head to aim to the back of the box, not straight thru the front. The light first bounces off the rear of the box, then punches through the diffusion fabric on the front of the box. But I also clip another piece of diffusion material to the front of the box -- for one bounce and two diffusion (3 total). If you do use a shoot-thru umbrella, try draping additional layers of diffusion material over it to further soften the light. Questions and comments welcome.


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## Dick Sanders (Jan 1, 2009)

Hey, gang... I intended this to be a "how to" for anybody here who was having trouble achieving a soft lighting effect... but comments are also welcome, and other examples of soft-lighting portraits you've done. Let's see them!


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## Ls3D (Jan 1, 2009)

Ok it is soft, but with the light positioned kinda low I don't find it to be flattering.  And did you want that purple color cast?

I wonder if one can create a soft look, but with a bit more dynamic range...

Thanks for sharing your approach.

-Shea


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## Dick Sanders (Jan 1, 2009)

Hey, Ls3D. Love the username. Yeah, this is very specifically stylized. The light could easily be moved higher. The color cast could be easily changed. And the dynamic range could be stretched with highlighting the hair and background a little. 

Hey, how are the waves in Encinitas? I surfed one of the beach breaks there 3 years ago and had a great time. Also had a nice Italian dinner in a little bistro, can't remember the name, but the town is very charming.


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## Ls3D (Jan 1, 2009)

The waves are tiny today, actually got out of bed to check it this am...   Nothing like last Dec.

Little bistro,.. i-tuli is pretty small & has great food, but there are a few Italian joints, and now a few Brazilian places as well.  Lots of fun places to eat here.

The town is pretty photogenic too, especially the SRF gardens, so be sure to pack the camera!

-Shea


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## fridrich (Jan 5, 2009)

Hey Mr. Sanders,
I like your portrait but would like to see more detail in the breast area!
Here is an example of a soft light built with two 7X4 foot pieces of 1 inch Foamcore set at right angles to make "corner". A piece of "two stop" diffuser material over the front (3X7 foot) and a bare Norman head at the back of the triangle puts out 1200 ws.


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## Dick Sanders (Jan 5, 2009)

Nice! Your photo reminds me of Bettie Page type photos. Fun stuff! 

So... the bare head both bounces off all sides of the "corner flat" and also punches directly through the diffuser material. Have you also tried this setup with a large reflector aimed at the corner of the flat, which would bounce the light off the back and sides (no direct punch) before punching through the diffusion material? I remember we used to do something similar at the Sid Avery studio many years ago.


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## Ls3D (Jan 5, 2009)

Interesting, and what a first post!  I think you should crop out an avatar.  Dig the retro theme, and she looks like she could actually peddle that thing.

-Shea


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## fridrich (Jan 5, 2009)

Thank you for your kind words on my first post!

I will have to try the reflector on the head and bounce off the corner and sides. That should be softer but the space in the corner is limited.
Yes Shea, that girl has legs! She is an EMT with New Hanover County North Carolina.


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## danman281 (Jan 5, 2009)

awesome. do you have any pics of set up?


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## fridrich (Jan 6, 2009)

danman,
sorry, no pics of this set up, all i thought about was the model... I will make some shots of the light in use next time.
Thank you!
Wm.


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## eyeye (Jan 6, 2009)

I know this is about lighting, but I notice the men arent seeing this, as her face is the last thing any guy is looking at LOL.  Her face pose is making her look like a man.  She needs to make a softer face


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## eyeye (Jan 6, 2009)

Dick an others.  I read that no diffusion, a bare bulb, is the softest light.  I thought it was crazy but shot with nothing on my strobe and got surprisingly soft light.  Any thoughts on that method or ideas for playing with it?

The only down side I saw was it was a little bright for young ones


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## Dick Sanders (Jan 6, 2009)

EyeEye: The bare bulb is soft in the context of "enlarging and bouncing" the light. For example, let's say you have a fairly large room with white walls and a white ceiling. If you place the bare bulb a little distance from your subject, the light will fly in all directions, bouncing off the walls and ceiling to give you an enveloping soft light. Shooting a barebulb directly at a subject will not give you a softlight. However, digital cameras have a skin smoothing effect (lack of film grain texture, and inability to capture fine detail in the lower mp cameras). But back to the bare bulb: I have a monolight that I have used with a translucent plastic sphere that covers the bare bulb (see pic). The idea here is to get the bare-bulb effect, but with one layer of diffusion. Even better! Also, note the 12 inch reflector at right, with the diffusion disc on the front -- that's what I used to punch through two additional diffusion layers in the portrait at the top. 





But I'm glad we're having this discussion, because the takeaway is you don't have to spend a lot of money on gear. Fridrich showed how you could make a softlight flat/triangle out of foam core and diffusion material (proably less than $40). And you could make an even smaller version of what he made for a head-and-shoulders portrait. My setups are simple. The plastic sphere that fits over the bare bulb was an inexpensive piece of gear, etc. In other words, you don't have to spend $1,500 at Calumet to get soft light. 

Also... the old portrait masters from a half century ago and more used hard direct hot lights, but they had soft-focus lenses (sometimes variable soft focus). By contrast, the modern strobe is a harsher light and needs to be diffused. Or PhotoShopped! 

Finally, EyeEye -- you're right about the face in Fridrich's portrait. Fridrich might be too focused on breast detail (okay, just kidding).


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## eyeye (Jan 6, 2009)

Thanks Dick.


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## Dick Sanders (Jan 6, 2009)

DanMan and others: Until Fridrich comes back with pics of his homemade foamcore V-Flat, I thought I would demo the principle in miniature. Keep in mind, this is inadequate because the foam core pieces are too small (Fridrich used two 4x7 foot pieces of one inch foamcore). 







Foam core pieces set at right angles to form a V-flat. Bare bulb head placed at rear, aimed forward. 






Piece of diffusion material placed over front of V-flat to form triangular softbox. Light will both bounce off the sides and punch through the front. Keep in mind, in Fridrich's much larger setup, the diffusion material would be much further out from the head. And for an even softer light (if needed) I suggest moving the head forward and reversing its direction to aim to the rear of the V, so it first bounces off the flat before punching through the diffusion material in front.

Fridrich correct me if I'm wrong on your setup, and if you find time, please show it to us, and maybe A-B examples of the lighting done both ways. Thanks.


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## fridrich (Jan 11, 2009)

Dick,
sorry for the delay, work intruded...
This is the lighting set up I was describing so badly. Much easier with photography. With the light IN the photograph there is some lens flair BUT the photo shows the construction, the distance and the effect of the light. You can even see the flash through the one inch Foamcore on the very left of the photograph. Everything in front of the panel is rendered in a very comfortable and realistic way. Like window light in a Vermeer painting.


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## fridrich (Jan 11, 2009)

steez,
two lights in the eyes, maybe both lights? Why does she look so hard?


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## Dick Sanders (Jan 12, 2009)

Thanks, Fridrich, for coming back and showing your lighting setup. 

We can all use some Vermeer window light. And as everyone can plainly see, this is something you can easily build at low cost to use in your home garage/studio. 

Also love your vintage Norman power pak.


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## ATXshots (Jan 12, 2009)

eyeye said:


> I know this is about lighting, but I notice the men arent seeing this, as her face is the last thing any guy is looking at LOL.  Her face pose is making her look like a man.  She needs to make a softer face



Ha ha, the first thing I thought when I saw that photo was...whats with her face!?! Guess your right men don't care about all that....hence the hair rollers .


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## fridrich (Jan 13, 2009)

Hot and nasty in hair rollers. That was the concept. Linsey (a painter with a degree in art from UC San Diego) the model had been studying Betty Page photographs and wanted to do something in that style but new, different and odd.


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## fridrich (Jan 13, 2009)

Dick Sanders said:


> Thanks, Fridrich, for coming back and showing your lighting setup.
> 
> We can all use some Vermeer window light. And as everyone can plainly see, this is something you can easily build at low cost to use in your home garage/studio.
> 
> Also love your vintage Norman power pak.



That Norman 1250 is still kicking out the light. I bought it from Silvio Bellow in Torrance California in 1976. Don't tell Norman but I have never fitted the heads with fans and I am still using those SAME heads.


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## stsinner (Jan 13, 2009)

I have a question that will seem rather rude, but it's not intended to be..  It's just from an inexperienced litghting user..  

Why do you need three layers of diffusion when you can just stop your light down and shoot through one?  It seems like you have to blast your light through three layers to get a soft light when you could shoot at, say, 1/64 power through 1 layer..  Honest question, not trying to be coy.  I'm looking to learn.


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## Dick Sanders (Jan 13, 2009)

stsinner said:


> I have a question... Why do you need three layers of diffusion when you can just stop your light down and shoot through one? It seems like you have to blast your light through three layers to get a soft light when you could shoot at, say, 1/64 power through 1 layer?


 
*Good question.* A layer of diffusion is a "light modifier." It actually changes the quality of the light. One layer gives slight modification; 2 layers, moderate modification, and 3 layers, considerable modification. The modification will vary with the density of the diffusion material. From gauzy to, say, the density of a fine white bed sheet. Depending on what kind of diffusion material you are using you may need more or less to achieve the effect you want. Also, if you bounce the light -- that's a modification. On the bounce the modification will be different depending on whether the reflective surface is white, warm white, pink, silver, gold, etc. 

Consider Fridrich's setup. He's shooting barebulb bouncing off white flats and punching through one layer of diffusion. Some of the barebulb light is punching directly thru the diffusion, and some of it is bouncing before it goes through the diffusion. He is enlarging the light to make a 4x7 foot softbox. And this is producing a very specific type of light. He could also put a reflector on his strobe head, place it at the front of the V-flat aimed toward the back; then, the bounced light will punch through one layer of diffusion on its return trip (2 modifications). The quality of that light will be a little different. He could also put a diffusion disc on the front of the reflector, so that the light will be softened before it bounces off the V-flat and finally punching through the diffusion material on the front (3 modifications). That will look different too (Don't forget in each case, you'll need a white flat/reflector on the opposite side of the subject to provide fill light, or it'll go too dark). 

*In your case, if you reduce the flash power to 1/64th,* while it may appear to be soft to the naked eye, what you are primarily seeing is "reduced light." Think of a lamp on a dimmer -- turn it down low and everything in the room looks soft; turn it up high and everthing can look bright and even harsh. But remember, you need enough light power to get the shot. At 1/64th power you may not get the aperture setting you want for the desired depth of field, unless you boost the ISO considerably, which in film gives you bigger grain, and in digital, noise. But one layer of diffusion is better than none. And bounce with diffusion is better yet, in my opinion, when you want soft light. 

Of course, today, we can use less diffusion and make modifications in PhotoShop. But everything is going to have its own individual look, so the advantage of testing these various lighting setups is that you'll be able to remember and then draw upon the type and quality of light you want for a given shoot. And if you make something original to use -- your light will be original to you.


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