Diffusing Lights

[GianniRanzuglia]

Hi all,

This is a very simple question. I know if I add a full sheet of diffusion to the barn doors of a 2k fresnel it’ll diffuse and soften the light, but what happens when I add a second sheet of full diffusion on top of the first? Will it diffuse the light even more or am I just losing light? Or both?

If I wanted to diffuse the 2k twice would I have to add the second layer of diffusion a few meters away?

Thank you all for your time!

Topic

[Roger Deakins]

Placing diffusion on the barn doors of a lamp will not really make the source ‘softer’ unless your subject is very close to it. The diffusion will spread the light in a more even wide beam but it won’t actually soften a shadow. A second layer directly on top of the first might spread the light even more but it will still not soften the light. To do that you need to make your source larger, as would be the case if your second layer of diffusion is set a few meters in front of the first. In general terms, the further your diffusion from the lamp the softer the light.

[GianniRanzuglia]

Roger Deakins wrote:

Placing diffusion on the barn doors of a lamp will not really make the source ‘softer’ unless your subject is very close to it. The diffusion will spread the light in a more even wide beam but it won’t actually soften a shadow. A second layer directly on top of the first might spread the light even more but it will still not soften the light. To do that you need to make your source larger, as would be the case if your second layer of diffusion is set a few meters in front of the first. In general terms, the further your diffusion from the lamp the softer the light.

Thank you for your time and advice!

[Author]

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