Hard Light vs Soft Light Photography Lighting Techniques

Рет қаралды 60,000

Жыл бұрын

WATCH UNTIL THE END for our votes on which we liked the best.
In this how-to photography tutorial we explore the differences between hard light and soft light when it comes to studio lighting techniques.
We are using the Westcott FJ200 and their Octa-Large Softbox along with their grid system to create a harder light.
I love this lighting set up for studio work. Its cost effective and powerful enough to create stunning portraits no matter which you choose.
Let us know below which creative lighting technique is your favorite.

Пікірлер: 69

@Hadrorex Жыл бұрын

You never fail to make home runs with your tutorials! Bravo. I'm an old dude and have always been a fan of the "Hollywood" noir photographers of the 30s through the 50s. Even installed an Elinchrom's innards onto an old-school Mole Richardson to make use of the adjustable Fresnel and barn doors. Hard light wins.

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

Appreciate the support!!

@Bigricky06 Жыл бұрын

Man, your channel is life. Straight to the point and makings sense without a bunch of blablablabla. Thank you for your videos.

@avdheshgupta1414 5 ай бұрын

It o.! Vvvvbhc BBC TV

@user-rt3io7xt5q Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this simple but great explanation. I admire people who share their knowledge. Great job !

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@mariomonica437 2 ай бұрын

Ciao Salvatore, alla tua bravura e professionalità aggiungi anche quel tocco di simpatia ed allegria, rende il tutto molto leggero e di gacile apprendimento. Guardare i tuoi tutorial è sempre un piacere. Grazie per le perle di saggezza che ci proponi. Un sincero saluto dalla Sicilia 🤗🙋‍♂️

@SalCincotta1 2 ай бұрын

grazie mille per le tue gentili parole Essendo io stesso un orgoglioso siciliano, è un onore sapere che stai guardando. continua ad imparare. continua a crescere.

@paulkarassr6253 Жыл бұрын

Big fan of hard light!

@gvasquez330 Жыл бұрын

Great video with lots of opinions on what people like. Word being opinions. Thanks😊

@johnmcnaughton6808 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for taking the time to put this video together, much appreciated. I prefer the hard light.

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@johnclay7644 Жыл бұрын

good concise video on hard /soft light.

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@MariMaloney Жыл бұрын

Love the soft with her feminine features!!

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

we all had a tough time deciding!

@Camedia74 5 ай бұрын

Good video, appreciate it. Although a bit confounding to use a grid on hard light and not on the soft light. Think people like the spotlight effect but that is coming from the grid.

@cleretfernandes5972 Жыл бұрын

I like both..tastes good

@wendystumbaugh695 Жыл бұрын

Love love love the new intro!!!

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

Hell yes. Ty! I love it too!

@yixue123 Жыл бұрын

I love your videos, but your soft light example was a head and shoulder shot the hard light that is usually not flattering to skin you showed a 3/4 length shot . Soft light would win if both images were head and shoulder shots

@christophera.turner3394 Жыл бұрын

Sal keep this great education coming

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

ty!! glad you love it. appreciate you.

@tammiemilot-ct1zk Жыл бұрын

I'm a fan of the hard light here!

@shyamalsarkar9243 13 күн бұрын

It’s relative both are nice. But I liked soft

@MikeDMedia816 10 ай бұрын

I like the soft light better... both was nice...

@toninospanu8987 Ай бұрын

Ciao Salvatore, sono sicuro che hai origini italiane, intanto complimenti per il video, io adoro la fotografia con le luci artificiali, quando guardo un professionista come te m'incanto a vedere questi grandi consigli...complimenti davvero!!!!

@SalCincotta1 Ай бұрын

Grazie mille. Sì, la mia famiglia è siciliana. Vengo in Italia ogni 2 anni per visitare. Naturalmente, è il mio posto preferito da visitare nel mondo. Grazie per la visione.

@toninospanu8987 Ай бұрын

@@SalCincotta1 anch'io vivo in un isola bella come la Sicilia...è la Sardegna...comunque ancora complimenti per i tuoi video, sono molto istruttivi...grazie

@zsaneephotography Жыл бұрын

Yesssssss Hard Light!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

@jessestarks3128 Жыл бұрын

Great info and I prefer the hard light photo better.

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

Good choice!

@michellegriffin1994 9 ай бұрын

I like both types for different reasons. I like being able to see a brighter face but not looking like there is a flash on

@jerrym8140 Жыл бұрын

Loved the hard light as well. The Westcott Deep Focus Reflector with the grids is one my my favorite light modifiers.

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

Mine too!

@Garbid Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your videos and replies! I've tried after your videos and tips to light myself with speedlight under bright sun. Even with 90cm softbox without external diffuser (inner diffuser left and silver interior) I could get decent lighting at f22 iso 100 and 160 at fullpower) softbox edge was at 1,4 meters!) With bare speedlight got enough light far away but very hard)

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

thats awesome!!

@GiovanniLogrono Жыл бұрын

The hard lighting definitely looks more stylish to my eye.

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

agreed.

@AndrewAnkerPhotoAndVideo Жыл бұрын

SNAP! New intro is cool

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

right?!?!?!?

@randyficken1892 Жыл бұрын

Either. Both work well for what one might want to accomplish

@matlynwood6225 Жыл бұрын

Sal I must say it all depends on how you look at the photo. The way I look at most of my photos I am drawn towards soft light in almost every way, but looking at the final product side by side I have to say it’s the eyes that define the final image and the hard light wins hands down. The whites of her eyes just pop out with the colour and then it’s making you look beyond her eyes and I see how every colour, every nook and cranny of the dress and all the way to her ear rings it’s making a huge statement pick me.

@aristotle_4532 11 ай бұрын

Using soft light is like trying to cook with a single condiment, sugar. If your subject tastes like nothing and has nothing interesting on it, it works. If you have an interesting subject and want to show what the situation requires, age, beauty, ugliness, modeled volume, texture, shadow, contrast,, etc, you need hard lights. Hard light can achieve a variety of angles if you use many lights. It can look artistic, artificial, realistic, or fake. In order to discover hard light, you need at least three lights, with lenses that allow serious focus range (not any typical fresnel or ellipsoid), and barndoors. I have a friend that is considered a good photographer and mostly uses a huge soft light and some soft fill. He lights celebrities in their 40s and 60s, people that work nights for a living, smoke, drink and do drugs. The only thing they need is to look young, and their faces have become ugly from the kind of life they are living. He heavily edits the photos. They are extremely happy with the results. He spends zero time on lighting and mostly works on his public relations and making them feel good. He makes a lot of money. But if you have an interesting subject and you want to produce a certain impression, you need hard light. This is true in drama, but also in photography, even commercial protography if you believe there is room for art in the profession.

@johnmaidment2817 10 ай бұрын

Hard Light in these 2 examples. On another shoot maybe it would be the soft light.

@claudej1 Жыл бұрын

Color of light source was warmer on the soft. Could have used an ExpoDisc.

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

or... i chose to edit it that way and create a cooler toned image. so... there's always that option. :)

@sandyburch7820 Жыл бұрын

soft light!

@ZWadePhoto 11 ай бұрын

In the studio, I shoot soft light for like 10 minutes, then an hour of hard light haha

@richardgollar6300 Жыл бұрын

I like the hard light on the face and then I would add soft light from the neck down. Thanks for the video and have a drink of balvenie 21 and thanks for getting me hooked on that scotch its so smooth.

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

haha... its soooo good!! im trying to plan a trip to scotland in 2024... 100% stopping by balvenie for a tour!!

@hawg427 Жыл бұрын

I like the soft light better but the hard light isn't super hard, some of the old masters and the stills they used for the motion picture industry used very hard light but it looked good.

@claudej1 Жыл бұрын

They used several Fresnes Spots and did EXTENSIVE Negative retouching (George Hurrell). I have his book of images.

@30dcanon Жыл бұрын

I prefer the soft light, BUT, ironically if I wanted a more Old Hollywood look, it would be the hard light, to b/w with a little film grain.

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

love it!

@JTroker 11 ай бұрын

But with the hard light her dress has a false color. How to make it look original?

@andrewoverbey Жыл бұрын

I'm a hard light kinda guy most of the time.

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

ty.

@benoitnarbonne9266 Жыл бұрын

Soft it's better for the skin

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

very true... but which one here do you like better? always soft light?

@benoitnarbonne9266 Жыл бұрын

@@SalCincotta1 But for the color of the eyes I like more the hard light ??? I vote for hard light!

@SalCincotta1 Жыл бұрын

@@benoitnarbonne9266 yeah this was a tough one for me too - i almost always like soft light portraits, but the hard light on this one popped off for sure.

@JGZphotography Жыл бұрын

Wouldn't it have been better for the model to project identical poses for both lighting types? This would have rendered truer results for the image comparison. Otherwise, a good video for instructional differences for new portrait photographers to discover.