Hard Light vs. Soft Light

You're going to encounter two different types of light when lighting a scene: Hard light and soft light. Hard light is characterized by its sharp, hard shadows. It's much more directional and higher in contrast. Soft light is the opposite as the edges of its shadows are much less defined and almost blurry-looking while being grayer in appearance. While this is a fairly simple and straight-forward concept, knowing when to use each type of light and how to produce each one can be a little trickier.

Hard shadows are typically used to create a very dramatic look. Villains and other antagonists are typically lit this way because it's easier to hide certain facial features - making them more mysterious looking. Softer shadows are usually preferred for scenes that are supposed to look natural - whether indoor or outdoor. Soft lighting is also used in most interview situations.

Shadows are at their hardest when the light is being shone from a very directional source (such as a spotlight). To get a softer shadow, adjust the light from 'spot' to 'flood' (most professional lights have this option). If the light can't be adjusted, try moving it away from the subject. This might not be as effective but it will help. Another common method of softening a light is by diffusing it by putting a gel or filter over it (I use Lee Filters). Another option is using lights that are designed to be soft (such as most lights made by Chimera).

Here is a list of light sources from hardest to softest:

Hard
Direct Sunlight
Spotlights
Fresnels (HMIs and Quartz)
Parabolic Aluminized Reflector (PAR)
Different open-face lamps such as broads, floods, and scoops
The previous lights with diffusion applied
Fluorescents, photofloods, and frosted household bulbs
Softlights
Bounced light (Light deflected off a white wall or foam core)
Overcast sky
Twilight and shady situations (ie. a forest)
Soft



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