Note that in this image there is virtually no shadow on the face. This is because it is being lit from opposite sides with very diffuse light. The top, MAIN LIGHT is made with my large umbrella and the bottom light is produced by a medium sized softbox. Here is what the softbox looks like:

Diffuse lightphotography

With this said, the way to achieve really soft lighting effects is to make sure the MAIN LIGHT IS MUCH LARGER THAN THE SUBJECT. For this reason, I use a very large and deep umbrella that not only spreads the light over a greater area, but also makes it soft by being so big compared to the subject. Here’s an example of what a large MAIN LIGHT does:

Diffuse lightlamp

There are many ways to use light in a studio situation. The thinking process comes first. Photographers must determine what the final use of the image will be and that helps them decide what kind of light they will use.

The third and final tip for using a ring light is to light your space with the ring light as opposed to lighting yourself. In this simple example I am on my standard video conferencing setup that I use for zoom calls and client meetings. The light on me is really good but the environment is pretty dark. Behind me I have my ring light on a stand down pretty low out of the shot and as you can see with the flip of a switch, it brightens the environment behind me. It can also break me away from the background a little bit to add depth and dimension to the shot. Ring lights can also be used to light elements in your environment like plants, furniture and artwork.

Diffuse lightbulb

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Working with beginning STUDIO LIGHTING students is great fun because it forces one to get back to basics when talking about and demonstrating various types of lighting. I have often written about how studio photographers are always looking for SOFT LIGHT. The reason is that it is much more flattering to subjects and it can reveal detail that much harsher, direct light obscures with deep shadows. Here are two images. One is lit with a DIRECT LIGHT, the other with a DIFFUSED LIGHT:

diffused light中文

This light modifier is actually about 18″ x 24″. It attaches to a light head and allows light to bounce around inside it and then it is dispersed through a translucent material that serves as a diffusion screen. So it is a combination of a bounce light as well as a diffused one.

As I have mentioned before, specially designed umbrellas that are way bigger than the subject, produce the softest light. This is the one I use every day and it is shown with its companion, the softbox fill-in light:

Thank you for this Daniel 🎥 Bennett. I'm going to give your tips a try! Question; is one ring light all that is needed or would your recommend two or more overall?

Instead let’s move the ring light over to one side at about a 45 degree angle and up slightly to give us a really flattering and dynamic look as well as a nice catch light in our eye.

Diffuse lightvs directlight

This image was made by a SIDE LIGHT with the opposite side of the face kept in shadow to produce a graphic look for this graphic designer’s brochure. And, of course for really dramatic images, use a simple EDGE LIGHT:

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Diffuse lightexample

In this picture I wanted to light the face but keep a bit of shadow to add some interest. You can see where the lights were placed by looking at the “catchlights” in the subject’s eyes. The big umbrella main light plus the smaller softbox fill-in produced this result. The image was made on location, but with the same setup I usually use in the studio.

Diffused lighting interior design

Even with the ring light off to one side and elevated a little bit, there is still something wrong… It’s still a ring! Nothing in nature nor professional studios or film sets gives off a halo or ring looking light. So the second thing we are going to do is “soften” the ring light which will serve a secondary purpose of evening out the lights “shape” as well.

Dramatic lightings are produced usually without using any extra lights on the set. Other lights can sometimes be used to bring out some detail when it is wanted, but they are created mostly with the use of just one light.

Soft light is the most flattering and natural shapes like squares are universally used in film and videos. I use bleached parchment paper to place in front of the light and simply secure it with a piece of tape. You can get parchment paper at your local grocery store or of course amazon. You will quickly see how adding the paper diffuses the light and softens it up a bit which wraps around the face nicely and just looks better.

Diffuse LightCeiling

A Ring Light is just a tool, and a really effective one at that. Make it do what you want it to do and use it to flatter your face or light your environment for a much more dynamic video!

Ok the first thing I am going to say might be controversial – stop shooting THROUGH your ring light. Those light rings around your pupil are so 2020.

I placed them side by side so the differences can be seen easily. Even though detail is evident in the first image, look how harsh the light is! They were both lit by a studio flash unit, but for the second one, I simply taped a piece of white copy paper over the flash head, a simple step that immediately reduced the glare of the light and made it more pleasing.

This image was produced with just one flash positioned about 45degrees off the camera axis to produce a REMBRANDT LIGHT. The shadow was intended to be in context with other, more dramatic images on this company’s website.

In order to make DIFFUSED LIGHT you need to place a translucent material over the source. It will scatter the light rays and create a softer, overall light on your subject. This is the same effect that a cloudy day affords. Light rays from a point light source such as the sun, are diffused over a wider area than the direct light and therefore produces less shadows and SOFTER lighting effects.