Here are some tips you can use to take the best pictures.
The broader the light source, the softer the light: this is the opposite of a narrow light source. A narrow source needs harder light, because it hits in only one direction. Despite this, a broad light source produces more shadows, reduces contrast and suppresses texture. Broader light sources pass light in more than one direction and illuminate more widely, filling in all the shadows. Place the subject somewhere dark where it won’t receive any sunlight.
The closer the light source, the softer the light: for example, when taking photographs of people, you can simply move the lights closer to them, which will give you better illumination. The farther the light source, the harder the light. The closer the light, the broader and bigger the picture. When you move the light farther away, you’ll only get smaller pictures, and in a narrower spread too. Another example is the sun: it’s bigger than the earth, but if you take a picture from earth, it looks small.
Diffusion scatters light, essentially making the light source broader and therefore softer: for example, materials such as plastic or white fabric can be used as a diffuser in front of hard light. If you want to take a picture in sunlight, you can use an artificial diffuser so that the hard light becomes softer. When clouds pass in front of the sun, shadows become less defined. You can also add fog so shadows are removed altogether. On foggy days, it’s easier to take pictures than on normal days, as the light becomes softer.
Bouncing light acts as a diffusion: for example, cut some aluminium foil and stick it to a piece of cardboard — this is an excellent alternative to white light and will give you a broader image. You can also use a matte surface such as a wall or ceiling, which not only reflects light but also scatters it across the surface. If you use a shiny surface instead, the image will come out narrower.
The farther the light source, the more it falls off, getting dimmer on your subject: when you move the light away from the source, it will get dimmer, and the quality of the light will change too.
Light falloff can be used to vary the relationship between the light on your subject and your background: when you move the light farther from the source, your background will be brighter; when it’s closer, the background will be darker.