FREE WORKSHOP ASSIGNMENT EIGHT: ONE LARGE SOFT LIGHT

ONE BIG SOFT LIGHT… SO BEAUTIFUL

The use of large, soft light in still life dates back to the renaissance when painters began painting the world in the light in which it was presented to them.

Previously, the light was rarely seen as having dimension or presence, it was simply ignored in much the same way a child ignores it with stick figure drawings. While there were semblances of the light in many of the images, the light was usually just painted in to be flat and without much interest.

In the three examples below, you can see a hint at the shaping qualities of light, but it is not overt, nor does it resemble real life.

When the renaissance painters started to paint in the light, they were fascinated by the soft light from large sources. Windows and doors provided lovely, large light sources with soft shadow transitions and plenty of contrast.

This style was a radical departure for many artists of the timed who were used to painting in their own light and not looking at the natural world for inspiration.

The introduction of super large soft light in still life photography was nearly as radical. Most still life photography was shot with either natural light or many spotlights throwing shadows in many directions.

When photographers began using the large soft light it had quite an impact. One of the first adopters of this large soft light in a box was the photographer Phil Marco.

Here are four examples.

Some photographers have used the big, single source light as a distinct part of their style.

Gary Perweiller used a single light source for most of his iconic imagery.

I prefer scrims to softboxes, but if you want to try out your softbox, this is a good video for you.