I have often wondered how different it is to diffuse light through a surface versus bouncing off a surface — and I'm probably not the only one who wonders.
This test shows that diffusing light through a surface does look different than bouncing light off it. Many photo umbrellas can be used either way, as can light discs, white sheets and shower curtains. So we tried all of these, in pairs, bouncing or shining through each substance. And look at panels 5 and 6 — see how different the color is when I bounced light off of a shower curtain versus diffusing the light through it. You should ALWAYS assume that any white material will give you weird color, whether you bounce light off or diffuse through — hence you test!
Bottom Line: Diffusing through a surface gets a different result than bouncing, but it all depends on the materials and how you set things up.
BEWARE! These results only mean one thing: you will likely get a different look shining light through than from bouncing — but almost certainly not in the way seen here. Why not? Because the color and translucence qualities of plastic and fabric vary wildly, so what happened for me probably won't happen for you. Also, my lights were both about 4 feet from the white surface for all 8 shots, regardless of whether I was shooting off or through.
So if you put the lights closer to the white surface the light will get more contrasty — harder. That will be true whether you bounce or diffuse through.
Left
Right
Here, bouncing light off a white disc produced a softer light than shooting through as in panel 2, but it all depends on the quality and size of the material and how far it is from the light and the subject.
Here, shooting through a white disc produced a harder light than bouncing off as in panel 1, but it all depends on the quality and size of the material and how far it is from the light and the subject.
A white sheet with light bounced off of it. This particular white sheet shoots about the same whether you diffuse or bounce, but it all depends on the quality and size of the material and how far it is from the light and the subject.
(We shot this sequence in the studio of photographer Lou Jones, who lent us this prized sheet: it is too old to have fluorescent dye or laundry soap in it, both of which can color shift images.)
A white sheet with the light aimed through. This particular white sheet shoots about the same whether you diffuse or bounce, but it all depends on the quality and size of the material and how far it is from the light and the subject.
(We shot this sequence in the studio of photographer Lou Jones, who lent us this prized sheet: it is too old to have flourescent dye or laundry soap in it, both of which can color shift images.)
Here the light is bounced off of a shower curtain rather than through it, as in panel 6. The degree of softness has not changed much, but look at the difference in color.
Here light is put through a shower curtain versus bounced off, as in panel 5. The degree of softness has not changed much, but look at the difference in color.
Bouncing a light off of the umbrella produced a softer light than shooting through the same umbrella — as in panel 8. But this does NOT mean that bouncing generally produces softer light — it all depends on the quality and size of the material and how far it is from the light and the subject.
Diffusing the light through this umbrella produced a harder looking light than bouncing off, as in panel 7, but this does NOT mean that diffusing generally produces harder light — it all depends on the quality and size of the material and how far it is from the light and the subject.
Here, bouncing light off a white disc produced a softer light than shooting through as in panel 2, but it all depends on the quality and size of the material and how far it is from the light and the subject.
Here, shooting through a white disc produced a harder light than bouncing off as in panel 1, but it all depends on the quality and size of the material and how far it is from the light and the subject.
A white sheet with light bounced off of it. This particular white sheet shoots about the same whether you diffuse or bounce, but it all depends on the quality and size of the material and how far it is from the light and the subject.
(We shot this sequence in the studio of photographer Lou Jones, who lent us this prized sheet: it is too old to have fluorescent dye or laundry soap in it, both of which can color shift images.)
A white sheet with the light aimed through. This particular white sheet shoots about the same whether you diffuse or bounce, but it all depends on the quality and size of the material and how far it is from the light and the subject.
(We shot this sequence in the studio of photographer Lou Jones, who lent us this prized sheet: it is too old to have flourescent dye or laundry soap in it, both of which can color shift images.)
Here the light is bounced off of a shower curtain rather than through it, as in panel 6. The degree of softness has not changed much, but look at the difference in color.
Here light is put through a shower curtain versus bounced off, as in panel 5. The degree of softness has not changed much, but look at the difference in color.
Bouncing a light off of the umbrella produced a softer light than shooting through the same umbrella — as in panel 8. But this does NOT mean that bouncing generally produces softer light — it all depends on the quality and size of the material and how far it is from the light and the subject.
Diffusing the light through this umbrella produced a harder looking light than bouncing off, as in panel 7, but this does NOT mean that diffusing generally produces harder light — it all depends on the quality and size of the material and how far it is from the light and the subject.
