In this member exclusive video featuring Gael, we explore one of the most common misconceptions about diffusion.
Many photographers assume that placing diffusion material in front of a light automatically creates softer light. In reality, diffusion itself is not really what makes the light softer. What matters most is the size of the illuminated area that ultimately becomes the light source.
During this shoot, I begin by placing two layers of diffusion on a 180 × 180cm (6×6′) Westcott Scrim Jim directly in front of a 100cm Elinchrom Deep Octa. Because the softbox is positioned very close to the diffusion material, only a relatively small portion of the scrim is illuminated. As a result, the quality of light remains more concentrated than many photographers would expect.
As the session progresses, I gradually move the softbox farther away from the diffusion panel, allowing the light to spread across a much larger area of the scrim. This effectively creates a larger light source, producing softer shadow transitions and a noticeably different look.
The final test shows that when the diffusion is removed, the results are basically the same as when the diffusion is touching the softbox.
The key lesson is that a diffusion panel only reaches its full potential when there is enough distance between the light source and the diffusion material to illuminate a large portion of the panel. Understanding this relationship gives you another powerful tool for controlling the appearance of your portraits and expanding the range of looks you can create with just one light.
