It seems that hard lighting is trending these days. From the fancy food items in Bon Appetit to the fashion shoots for Burberry, hard light is present. If you’ve ever wondered how to create this look, this quick and easy tutorial will help you. I will share a few concepts and you can watch a video to illustrate.
There are two things that affect the hardness and softness of your light: size and distance. The rule of size is: the smaller the light source in relation to your subject, the harder it is to light. Also, the larger the light source, the softer the light hitting your subject.
Hard light has prominent highlights, shadows, and little transition between the two. You can achieve this look by having a small light source: such as a ceiling light bulb. In addition, you can adjust the intensity of the light by bringing it closer to or away from your subject. The further away you are from the subject, the harder the light becomes.
Soft light has softer highlights and shadows, and the transition between the two is smooth and gradual. You can achieve this look by having a large light source like a softbox or umbrella.
As you can see, with two large softboxes placed near the model, the light wraps around the model softly with a very gradual transition.
The video above shows a setup lit both ways: with hard light and soft light. You’ll see how simple it is to create both looks.
Lighting can sometimes seem more intimidating than it really is. I remember earlier in my career being overwhelmed by the thought of turning off the camera light and getting away from it altogether. In the end, I decided to “fear it.” I wrote about that here: If you can’t beat fear, do it fear: Face 2022 with courage.
I quickly realized that it wasn’t as overwhelming as it seemed. I love having more creative control over my work when I know how to shape my lights more precisely. The best way to learn is to capture your light and see what you come up with. You can start with this easy exercise. Tag us in ours Fstoppers Instagram to show us what you create.
Have you tried hard and soft light? What’s your hobby? Are there any other lighting trends you’d like to learn more about? Leave a comment below.
