QUALITY OF LIGHT Light coming from a compact source such as a light bulb or the sun can be described as having a very ‘hard quality’. The shadows created by this type of light are dark and have well-defined edges. Light coming from a large source such as sunlight that has been diffused by clouds or a light that has been reflected off a large bright surface is said to have a very ‘soft quality’. The shadows are less dark (detail can be seen in them) and the edges are not clearly defined. The smaller the light source, the harder the light appears. The larger the light source, the softer the light appears.
The direction of light decides where the shadows will fall and its source can be described by its relative position to the subject. The light may be high, low, to one side, in front of or behind the subject. The subject may be lit by a single light source or more than one. This additional light may be reflected back onto the subject from a nearby surface or may be shining directly onto the subject from a second light source, e.g. a flash mounted on or near the camera.