Soft or Dim?
The definition of soft lighting is interpreted differently from one person to another. Some people consider candlelight soft whilst others consider dim lights to be soft.
Neither of these are necessarily 'soft' or even flattering but these misconceptions are deep-routed in our collective perception. I've often been asked to replicate the soft lighting a client has experienced in a restaurant and while it may have been flattering it doesn't mean it was soft. It was probably correctly positioned and dimmed to a comfortable level but its the combination of both these factors that make the lighting appear 'soft' or to put it another less grammatical way, 'not harsh'.
So, unless you understand the difference between light sources and how they should be employed, the results in the home can often be disappointing.
The two types of light source:
Yes, I know many designers will tell you that lighting design incorporates four, or more, types of light source (ambient, task, decorative & accent) but these are not necessarily the type of light source, more their function. Its the actual light fittings themselves and how they are employed that dictate their function so its important to understand how they differ.
Hard Source: This can be a downlight or any type of spot that uses a GU10 lamp (bulb) as these produce a strong focussed light with a hard shadow. You can normally see the actual bulb within the housing.
Soft Source: This type of light source is usually hidden within a housing that incorporates a diffuser, so the actual bulb isn't visible. This produces an almost shadowless light with no hard edges.
Often these sources incorporate linear LEDs of some kind which are in fact a series of small LED chips on a strip or tape behind the diffuser.Both of these sources can be used to provide flattering lighting or dramatic lighting; it all depends on how they're placed and of course how bright they are.
Candlelight
Candlelight is ofter cited as soft, probably because it isn't very bright but in fact the light source from a single candle is actually quite hard due to it being an intense 'point source'. The reason they're perceived as soft is because candles placed centrally on a dining table, especially at eye level, create an individual key light from a flattering angle.
Other factors are the colour temperature of candlelight is very warm which helps to iron out skin imperfections and the proximity of the light source from the candle helps to isolate the diners from the background helping to create a more intimate atmosphere.
