Soft lighting
Soft lighting is a type of light with few hard shadows that’s bright and balanced. In soft lighting, the transition between the light and the shadows is more of a gradient and much smoother. Soft light is light that tends to “wrap” around objects, projecting diffused shadows with soft edges, When your subject is bathed in soft light, there will be little to no shadows on their face. An example of soft lighting is a cloudy day.
Hard Lighting
Hard light is a focused, often bright light that casts harsh shadows and draws attention to a specific part of a photo. The transition between the light and the shadows is very harsh and defined. Hard light is high contrast lighting. There’s often bright highlights and dark shadows in the same image. This type of light is known for being edgy and dramatic. Hard light is often used for portraits of athletes. An example of hard light is a sunny day.
