Soft Light vs Hard Light

Before I start this post I just want to say that Kyle is finally starting to feel better.  His congestion has cleared up and he is finally back to normal after one hellish week that ended with my aunt's memorial service on Saturday.  I'm really, really, REALLY glad that week is over and behind me.

So...onto the point of this post.  My experiment with Soft Light vs Hard Light in the studio.

I recently bought an AlienBee's Beginner Bee studio lighting kit.  It came with the strobe, umbrella and stand.  Below is a picture of it in my little spare bedroom studio.

It didn't take me long to figure out how to set it up and use it and now I am in love.  I'm so excited for my upcoming photo shoot next weekend of my friend's kids.  I just need to buy the 107" seamless to fit all three kids on!

So anyway, one thing I had always wondered was what photographer's meant when they said they used "hard light" vs "soft light" in a portrait, so I did a little experiment of my own using my lovely model, The Moose.

I decided to throw this little guy up on a stool and try out some shots using the White Seamless paper and using a dark brown blanket thrown over it as a dark backdrop.

The upper left photo is using the umbrella and facing the light away from my subject, so the light bounces off the umbrella and back onto my subject.  You can see the direction where the light is coming from by the arrow on each photo.  I kept it the same for consistency in each photo.  You'll notice how the light wraps around the subject creating a very graduated transition from light to shadow across the face.  Also lighting up the background creating a nice bright photo.

The bottom left photo is using the strobe pointing directly at my subject with no umbrella.  You can see how the light shines right on the subject creating a very distinct line between light and shadow.  You'll also notice how the background is a little darker as the light does not wrap around the subject.

The upper right photo is the same as the upper left, just using the darker background.  Same with the bottom right photo.  I just wanted a darker background for comparison sake.

This experiment really let me see the difference between the two types of lighting.  Since I am, and always have been, a very visual learner this was huge for me.  Some people can just see it in other people's work, but I needed a hands-on lesson of my own.  And I'm so glad I did.

As far as personal tastes go I think I prefer the soft light, especially for shooting children.  Not that I'm opposed to hard light.  With the right subject, it can be used to create wonderfully creative and dramatic photos.  I just don't know if that suites my personal style and taste.  I'm sure there will be a time when I will use it for something, so at least now I can have confidence in knowing I will know how to use it.

Hopefully this post helps someone else out there pondering this same question. :)