Quote:
Originally Posted by dch
No, that's because light does not bend.
You can take that same direct flash that makes harsh shadows on a person and then photograph a lady bug up close for example, and you will have "soft light" -- same exact light source. Why? Because the light source is LARGER than the subject and is able to wrap around it.
I hope I am explaining this well enough for you to begin to understand.
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Actually a prism is able to bend light , and even separate white light into the three primary colors of light, red, blue and green. But that's not what is being discussed here.
The reason a direct flash produces softer light when used closer to a macro subject is because it's bigger which allows light from many different angles to hit the subject.
And that same light is harder when used at a distance because the only light rays reaching the subject are coming from a single direction.
The hard and soft qualities of light are dependant on whether the light comes from a single direction or from multiple directions. The way you get light from a single light source to strike the subject from many directions is to have a light source that's larger rather than smaller, or closer rather than farther away.
The fact of the matter is that a soft light strikes the subject from many random directions while a hard light strikes the subject from a single direction.
I hope I'm explaining this well enough for you to begin to understand.
