Soft light fixtures are primarily used in cinematography and photography. The basic reason for this is that the light emitted out of these fixtures tends to wrap around an object, leaving no shadow behind the object. It can also be used as “Fill” lighting, supplementing other practical light fixtures and reducing any shadows caused by them on a set. These fixtures are often a staple in grip trucks and used in close proximity to the object one is illuminating as the fall off of light is rapid with this fixture. Many directors of photography have been known to swear that the use of soft lights eliminates skin wrinkles on camera…. Soft lights have often been used for front light in film, as the light source (bulb) in these fixtures is never directly exposed to the eye. Thus the actors or newscasters one sees on the screen are rarely squinting.
—Nook Schoenfeld, “Road Test” for Ushio Pro-Panel V2 Soft Light, PLSN, April 2015.
