Re: Kino's and the Softlight Rule...

Man! I can't tell you how many times I've tried to explain this about soft lights only to have a cameraman insist on adding another layer of diffusion to make the light "softer". Well, dimmer anyway.

The softness test: hold up two fingers and move them towards the subject until you see a shadow of two fingers. Note the distance to the subject. The softer the light the closer your fingers will be. (Don't poke anyone's eyes out!)

From the subject's point of view, point at one side of the light source with one hand and the other side with the other hand. Generally, the wider you spread your arms the softer the source will be.

Of course different types of diffusion are more or less effective at dispersing light but the relative size of the source is key.

Rob Mack