eilaha.blogg.se - Cast heavy shadows of doubt

If you look around and pay attention, you'll find a combination of soft and hard shadows in many situations where a quick glance might have made you think that only a hard shadow existed. Close-up shots of many movie stars, especially female lead actresses in Hollywood movies, are frequently soft-lit.

To portray characters favorably or make them look beautiful.

Most interior lighting fixtures in a home are designed to either diffuse or bounce light to soften the light from a lightbulb.

To make many environments look more comfortable or relaxing, and make most subjects look more natural or organic.

To simulate light that has been transmitted through translucent materials, such as curtains or lampshades.To create indirect light, such as light that has reflected off walls or ceilings, or light from the sky, which is generally very soft.To produce natural light on cloudy days, when you would not get very bold shadows.On the other hand, you would use soft lighting in these situations: To create a harsh or inhospitable environment.To project shadows with clearly defined shapes, such as when you want your audience to recognize a villain by watching his shadow on a wall.To call attention to an artificial light source, such as when a spotlight is focused on a circus performer.In space scenes, where light reaches objects without being diffused through an atmosphere.To present direct sun on a clear day, which produces hard light.To simulate illumination that comes directly from a small, concentrated light source, such as a bare light bulb.In some cases, you may need to replace specular highlights with a reflection of a larger light source to be believable with very soft shadows.īefore getting into soft shadow options, here are some scenarios in which you would want to use hard light as a creative choice: If you are lighting shiny or reflective subjects, take a careful look at the specular highlights and reflections, and make sure they look like reflections of a large enough light source to motivate your soft shadows. For example, if you compare Figures 3.20 and 3.21, notice that a penumbra has been added, giving the spotlight's cone a soft edge, to roughly match the softness of the shadows. Hard and Soft Lightįor realistic results, soft shadows should be used in conjunction with other signs of softer or less direct light in a scene. Figure 3.21 Soft shadows come from larger light sources.